Result: Starting Point 1
I want to write a book, where do I even START?
You know you want to write a book. You just don’t know what it would be about yet, or you have a few ideas and none of them feel solid enough to start with. That’s actually a really good place to be. You haven’t talked yourself out of anything yet, and you haven’t committed to the wrong idea either.
You might already be thinking about publishing or agents or covers. That’s okay, we all jump ahead in our heads. But the most important thing right now is figuring out what you actually want to write, and whether you want to write at all.
Your one action step this week:
If you don’t have an idea yet, stop trying to force one (sounds counterintuitive, right?). Instead, let yourself pay attention to different moments. What do you find yourself reading about? What could you talk about for ten minutes with no research or preparation? What topic or story keeps circling back? (For example, every time I hear “You and I” by Lady Gaga, it makes me think it would be a great concept for a book. This is the type of inspiration to pay attention to.)
If you have a bunch of ideas but can’t pick one, ask yourself which one you can’t shut up about in your own head. That’s usually the one worth starting with, not the most logical or marketable one.
Either way: set a timer for 10 minutes a day this week and just start writing. Don’t try to make it good. Just get words on the page and see what pulls you.
Your Starting Point: SP1 goes deeper on both of these situations, plus what to do when the writing itself feels scary or when nothing seems to stick.
Want to talk through your specific situation?
Twenty minutes on Voxer, just you and me. Tell me what’s in your head, the ideas you’re considering, what’s making you hesitate, whether you even know if writing is really what you want. We figure out your next step together, based on where you actually are (not where a generic guide says you should be).
This is what a Jumpstart Session is for. $20.
About Angela James
I’ve spent over 20 years inside publishing, editing more than 1,000 books, launching Harlequin’s first digital-first press, and helping authors at every stage figure out what their book needs and what to do next. I’ve worked with debut authors and #1 New York Times bestsellers, and what I’ve learned is that the confusion and overwhelm don’t discriminate. They show up for everyone.
What helps is having someone in your corner who knows the industry, will give you straight information, and actually cares whether you succeed. That’s what this session is designed to be.
I don’t judge what you’re writing, why you’re writing it, or where you are in the process. I just help you figure out your next step.