You’ve been ‘flirting’ with writing a book or, you’ve already started and you’ve realised that the hardest part of getting your ‘message’ or story out into the world is the actual WRITING!
Here is what I hear from budding authors A LOT!
“Carren, I have so many ideas, I don’t know how to put it all together. There is too much to say!”
“Carren, I want to write this book so badly, but I can’t get started! It’s just too overwhelming!!”
“I’ve started my book, I’m half way through it and I’m stuck. I procrastinate and then beat myself up for procrastinating, which only makes me procrastinate more!”
“I’ve got notes that I’ve taken over the years, but how does that all gel together to make a book? It seems so disjointed”
“It’s just my story Carren, who is going to want to read it anyway?”
If you have a desire to write your book, you have everything you need to Write to Inspire!
Honestly, I know how challenging it can be to get your thoughts onto paper (or computer)…. And through all of my own writing of books, eBooks and articles, magazines and bogs, I learned all about the HUGE difference that exists between speaking and writing! What makes it more challenging is that there are no physical faces to gauge feedback, no voice tones to give meaning or emphasis and no body language to exchange energy!
It’s just you and that pen or keyboard where writing to inspire your readers requires more than just an idea…… Writing to inspire begs you to move the hearts and minds of your readers, it beckons you to create a reading experience that is memorable and an emotional journey that can transform perceptions into potential!
So what is Writing to Inspire? Well, I’m really glad you asked!
Write to Inspire is a three part support Strategy to bring your dream book into life and into the hands of the people it will impact and inspire!
Writing my own best seller and ghostwriting two self help best sellers along the three eBooks, being the founder and editor in chief for Effortless Magazine and having written thousands of published articles, blogs and transcripts has taught me through brutal experience exactly what “works” and what “flops!”
I recall having an entire book rejected by a publisher not because the idea stank, but because I was writing the same way I spoke on stage.
‘Penny’ the publisher said, “Carren, to captivate your readers, you need to write ‘for’ them and ‘to’ THEM, rather than just sharing what you known using words that don’t translate to paper with the same energy they do when spoken with tone”.
Writing to Inspire action, change minds, influence outcomes or educate seekers requires four vital elements:
* Structure and organisation of the ideas you have so that you can write using the outline as the guide keeping you on track and getting the job done faster as you stay on course
*Clarity of continuity and direction throughout the body of the text. Proper character introduction (meaning you and anyone else you mention in the book)
* Clear vision of the end game. Start a clear end point (you never know, there may be two or three books inside…Or maybe even a series!)
* Proper strategy to have the book reach the readers it will impact and inspire. (Many budding authors believe that publishers will do the marketing and promotion for them. This isn’t the case. Most publishing houses require that you do the heavy lifting to get the book marketed so that the retail and online outlets will be driven to purchase your book for re-sale.
A lot of authors go wrong for from step one thinking they will just write their story or share their take on a certain subject, industry or trend. While these are necessary attributes to any well written book, unless structure and direction are clear from the beginning, the book will loose clarity and continuity and become just another self help dust collector because the book is more about the author than it is about the reader impact and implementation.
Often authors will write with no clear vision and hope direction unfolds intuitively! While I recommend giving this a try, when it comes to writing in a way that inspires others, your intuitive riffs are better served as research notes, content ideas or powerful nuggets that set the tone of the book. Even channelled books need a balance between the spiritual and physical so the audience can embrace the message. Remember, your readers want to learn from you so be sure to write to and for them and never assume they will understand your complex or intuitive downloads. Err on the side of caution all our beautiful Angel Writers. You have powerful messages to share, and to hear them, your writing needs to speak to those less far advanced on the journey than you are.
So, how does working me work?
I offer three levels of service which DON’T INCLUDE EDITING OR PROOF READING. You will still need to engage these services if you plan to self publish.
Service Level 1
Structure and organisation of ideas.
Here, we start from scratch on your book, creating a structure of the ideas, the content, your research and any other resources you’ve used to compile your thoughts. We will create an outline for each chapter where you will then proceed to write knowing what goes where and how. Your table of contents will be clear and you’ll be perfectly positioned to begin your book proposal if you’re pursuing a publisher.
Service Level 2
Coaching and Couching of the words.
Here, we will work on making sure you’re using the right words, your text is compelling, your chapter structures make sense and provide continuity and logical sequence. I thoroughly recommend taking up Service Level 1 before embarking on the investment of Service Level 2 to minimise cost, time and re-writing.
HOWEVER, if you’re already a good way into your writing, this is service is perfect for you. We may re-write, re-visit, enquire and investigate the existing manuscript to make sure it’s AWESOME, and, it’s worth taking this step sooner rather than later in your writing project to prevent spending waaaaaay too much on editors as they attempt to correct the continuity and flow of your writing while risking loosing your ‘voice’ in their editing.
If you’re putting a book proposal to a publisher, this service level is also perfect! You will have written at least three chapters, chapter intro’s, the table of contents, your marketing strategy and platform, and you’ll be well on your way to knowing your genre and audience.
The coaching offered at this level is about couching your words, making sure you’re proposal is captivating and ensuring your chapters and chapter outlines reach into the hearts and minds of both your readers, and the publishers!!
Service Level 3
Here, I offer a full service Ghostwriting experience where together we work through the structure and have three to four check in points throughout the start of the project to ensure we are on the same wavelength. Once the structure and outline is complete, we check in another three times over the course of the project to review, change or edit any aspects of the manuscript. The project works to a strict word-count and a time frame to ensure all editing, printing and design (these are not included in the ghostwriting service but I can give you names of great operators!) deadlines are met without delay.
To learn more about Writing to Inspire, watch Carren’s recent webinar by CLICKING HERE
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