Staying motivated while writing an ebook?

15 years ago

Well I myself didn't write an eBook ever as I did not get that time.But what certainly can be helpful for you is showing positive attitude in whatever situation you are,reading some motivational books,listening some soft music during writing,keeping your working area neat and clean can help you to be focused or concentrating more on your work.

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MartinBuckley

15 years ago

ATH,

You can't force yourself to write 4-8 hours a day, when you are having writers block you have to break up the time you write into slots of like 15-30 minutes and even if you only get a sentence or a paragraph done in that 15-30 minutes it's better than nothing and what you also need to do is find a hobby or something you enjoy doing other than writting and clear your head and have fun and then when you come back to write you will be more relaxed and will be in a better mind set to get more writting done.

I wish you much success with your ebook.

All the best,

Martin

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Henry White

15 years ago

An outline will keep you focused - and motivated!

Indeed, the more time and effort you put into outlining, the faster and easier the project will go.

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ATH

15 years ago

i dont have block, the whole book is already outlined. its not like im missing what to type, more that im not doing what i know that i could be doing

and thanks jahangir, its a little unorganized around my desk so ill see if that can push me in the right direction

Thanks
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Z1

11 years ago

Originally Posted by ATH

i dont have block, the whole book is already outlined. its not like im missing what to type, more that im not doing what i know that i could be doing

and thanks jahangir, its a little unorganized around my desk so ill see if that can push me in the right direction

I would suggest you try and get some leverage on yourself in some way. Maybe reward yourself for getting a Chapter or a certain amount of words written finished or punishing yourself for not writing Chapter or certain amount of words within a certain time frame.

Maybe you need to look into the future and see how great you'll feel once it's done and you start to have sales and profits or feel the nagging pain of ignoring one of your goals in vivid daily detail. Aim for where you want to go and focus.
Possibly you feel overwhelmed. In that case break down your writing into smaller bite sized portions instead of 4-8 hours as a goal and rarely coming through try an hour a day or a certain amount of words like 1,000 or 2,000 a day, every other day or whatever goal you want to set. Maybe you can have someone help you, motivate you and hold you accountable like a family member of good friend. Find a way to create leverage on yourself to complete the task.. Good luck.

Thanks

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John T D

15 years ago

Peanut M&M after every paragraph.

No, seriously. There was a time once when I was trying to get through a very long piece in short order. I also like Peanut M&Ms probably a little too much. So I would reward myself with a peanut M&M after each paragraph.

Admittedly, a single M&M doesn't sound like a lot but like I said, it was a very long piece...

Thanks
2 replies

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ATH

15 years ago

Originally Posted by John T D

Peanut M&M after every paragraph.

No, seriously. There was a time once when I was trying to get through a very long piece in short order. I also like Peanut M&Ms probably a little too much. So I would reward myself with a peanut M&M after each paragraph.

Admittedly, a single M&M doesn't sound like a lot but like I said, it was a very long piece...

pleasure conditioning. i like it. ill get some caramel

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Peggy Baron 15 years ago

Originally Posted by John T D

Peanut M&M after every paragraph.

That reminds me of giving my kids Skittles while potty training.

ATH - I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes you've got to trick yourself into getting going.

It's like trying to talk myself into going for a run. I've got to go out and run 3 miles? No way! But if I put my running shoes on and tell myself I can walk, then I get outside and walk. I then get a little bored with walking and start running. The next thing I know I've done 2 miles and I can get to 3 with some strong self-talk.

So with writing I say it's okay to jot a couple rough sentences down in that chapter. So I do that and the pressure is off. Now maybe I'll do a couple paragraphs...
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- jay walters 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Peggy Baron
  
  That reminds me of giving my kids Skittles while potty training.
  
  Skittles while potty training - radical! I'll remember that when my kid is ready.
  
  @ ATH
  
  I would recommend to go back to the reason why you're writing the book and think about the results you want to achieve.
  
  As for focus:
  
  Take 10 mins break for every hour you work.
  Take 30 mins break for every 2 hours of work.
  
  Then work again for another 2 hours.
  
  Have a goal of what you want to finish in a 2 hour cycle, in a day, week and month. That should keep you focus. It's been working for my book writing clients.
  
  Thanks
  
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AnthonyKrese

15 years ago

@John T D - That's hilarious...and I can see that working!

@ATH - Here are some things you might might want to try if you
aren't already:

Set time(s) and time limits for your writing. So, you won't be "allowed" to write outside of the allotted time you've scheduled.

Disconnect your computer from the Internet while writing.

Sometimes we get comfortable with our current situation. Can you conjure up a want / need / lack in your life that getting this book done will fulfill. If you can, then keep that lack in the forefront of your mind. (Sounds negative, but sometimes we are driven by the negative or lack of something).

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Kal Sallam

15 years ago

Try to look up some articles around the same topic.
That should help speed things up.

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Kal Sallam

15 years ago

Try to look up some articles around the same topic.
That should help speed things up.

Thanks

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AnthonyKrese

15 years ago

If anyone wants an accountability partner? PM me. A little
group could be cool, too.

I used to be in a little mastermind group, which was useful.

Also, if you are interested in any business type partnerships...that's cool, too.

Thanks

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ATH

15 years ago

good idea on disconnecting the internet.

id definitely be interested in an accountability partner but i am feeble and only have 3 posts as of writing this. there's lots of whining/whimpering/9-5y nonsense going on in and around this household and its killin my vibe. like-mindedness towards $$ would be awesome

Peggy - Yeah but i need to pay rent, gotta get this thing in the pipe already

Thanks
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Joe R Piercey 15 years ago

Some tips I use to keep on writing:

-do it first thing in the morning (i find it much easier to stay focussed in the morning than at night).

-break it down into a few steps. I usually
--brainstorm ideas that im going to write about
--dictate into a voice to text software how I want it to sound
--go through and rewrite it to make it sound better

I find that each of these steps separately is easy to do without losing focus, whereas if i thought about doing all three at one time I would get more stressed
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Targeted Traffic

15 years ago

Limit distractions as much as possible and 'un-clutter' yoru working area and the surrounding environment.

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John Romaine

15 years ago

Dont be too hard on yourself man. It gets like that.

So long as you dont "quit" completely and get it finished.

Ive written a few 250 pagers, and it does get tiresome.

See it through, it will be worth it.

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Bruce NewMedia

15 years ago

I find the way that works for me is to write in "chunks"...I only write for 30 minutes.
...then a take break for however long I need to get something else done. Then, another 30 minutes - no more no less. I think for me that's the key. I know it will end pretty quickly and then I can do something else.

I don't know if I am A.D.D. but its feels that way sometimes.
_____
Bruce

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ATH

15 years ago

bruce - chunks is ok for me, i take breaks as is but i like to get really immersed and go for 3-5 hours with 2-3 breaks to keep from getting stiff/minimize leather buttsweat accumulation.

johnny - ya im too deep to quit, got like 50 pages but have another 50~ already outlined. the book has more or less finished itself but i have to fill in the blanks right now. probably going to go for the shorter approach to improve its readability.

joe - i want voice to text (dragon NS) but im going to have to wait on that until the next few books that i do. this book is my move to full-time IM so it's going to be paying for the next few books that i write as well.

i'm thinking if i launch 3 books and can get them up to 1,000 sales this year i'll be at least at $30,000 and thats pretty good for a first year anywhere. it's only been 29 days since i started this thing so im looking at around $10,000/mo distributed over a period of 1 year

or i could sell 2,000 copies...

$$$$

Thanks

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angela99

15 years ago

Originally Posted by ATH

Would like to finish before the christmas season hits. It's not a seasonal product but hey, increased sales traffic is increased sales traffic

this is the first ebook (or any book) i've ever written and so far im not putting in the kind of time i want to be putting in.

anybody have experience with getting through this stage of writing? i know i could easily be doing this 4-8 hrs a day but im having trouble keeping myself focused.

Re "4-8 hours". Four hours a day of solid writing is my limit when writing nonfiction.

If I'm writing fiction (novels) I can write for 12 hours a day.

Nonfiction (ebooks) takes focus and hard concentration. It's TIRING.

So, limit yourself to three to four hours. That's about as much as you can expect. When I have deadlines, and force it, I'm useless for a week once I finish the project. Burnout is real, unfortunately...

I suggest:

* Use a voice recognition program -- I use Dragon Dictate (Mac);

* Leave your office, or wherever you normally write. A change of location can help; your office tends to be stressful;

* Exercise each day. It makes a difference -- eliminates stress hormones;

* Get up an hour earlier, and write then, before you get a chance to think (don't check email or Facebook, just start writing);

* Wear headphones, play music -- whatever relaxes you. I'm not a country music fan, but I play it while writing. Never listen to it otherwise;

* Use mind maps;

* I tend to write with paper and paper when I'm planning a project. This seems to help. I'm more creative with pen and paper... Maybe I just like fountain pens, I don't know, but it works for me.

Good luck with the project. :-)

Thanks
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ATH 15 years ago

ha, can't work out but id love to. got a hernia, havent been able to work out in a good 2 1/2 months.

everything else looks really good, thanks a lot.

i dunno about limiting myself to 4 hours though, i feel like i could definitely do 8 as long as it was outlined. at this point though ive started to realize that im way closer to being finished than i thought i was. i have 20-75 pages outlined depending on how in depth i go and thats only 5-20 mins per page, got about 20-30 images to make @ 10 mins each. looking at around 6-12 hours of work before it's done, then a quick cover & a first sales page -> ppc & forum posts and then bwmahamahahahahaahaha gimme munnay
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Gedas Biz

Banned 15 years ago

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Amy Harrop

15 years ago

Some great writing tips here! I would also add to write at your peak performance time, mine is in the morning.

Also, don't just end the writing session cold. Write down a few sentences for the next section so when you pick it up again it will be easier to get in the flow. You could also try stopping in the middle of an idea or section, not at the end.

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Rick88

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Amy Harrop

Some great writing tips here! I would also add to write at your peak performance time, mine is in the morning.

Also, don't just end the writing session cold. Write down a few sentences for the next section so when you pick it up again it will be easier to get in the flow. You could also try stopping in the middle of an idea or section, not at the end.

Excellent advice. It is amazing how this tidbit about writing at your peak gets glossed over. You will waste tremendous amount of time thinking that you are working on your writing project when in fact you are spinning your wheels and getting discouraged.

Yes, this discouragement sneaks up on you. It is that nasty little procrastination devil that sucks the energy and motivation out of you before you realize what is happening.

You need to set an amount of minimum pages you will write each day and set a time limit. Without this it way too easy to go astray. An average formatted pdf page is about 300 words. So use that to set the amount of pages you need to write to finish your project.

If you have done enough research there will not be a writer's block. Is that really what the problem is causing the procrastination?

Is it boredom?

These happen to even the best of the best of writers. I would like to suggest that you get a picture in your mind about a person who would be in your audience. Pretend that they have come to your office and have asked you about the subject that you are writing about.

Next, because you are the expert and want to be very helpful to this person, start writing as though you are talking to this person. If you have something like Dragon Naturally Speaking you can even just talk and it will type it for you.

Once done, set it aside for a while, come back with fresh eyes and edit.

Of course you already knew this, right?

Good Luck.

Thanks

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Henrie Dahl

15 years ago

When I was 23, while in film school, I wrote and directed my first film.

The story was actually simple enough. It had a beginning, middle, an end, no flash backs, no plot twists really, but what made the film so vulnerable to plot holes was the mental condition of the main character; a brain damage never explained in the script, never even brought up, but yet it was THE key to making the whole film work and that the audience got it.

What would have saved me a lot of work, was if I had done a proper treatment first. Basically, it's what you work on after figuring out your summary, work out your plot points. I started writing on the script much too soon, and therefore found myself in a plot hole like Alice chasing the bunny and falling in. I had to redo a lot of the stuff to get the film right, and it was a blow every time because I started losing patience, time, and the will to keep going. When you write your treatment, you see what's missing and whatnot.

What I mean is, if you can get your summary and/or treatment right first, that is when you start on the script, or in this case your ebook.

I've written enough articles and ebooks to know that everything I learned while making films, the process and everything, relates to anything you create, films or ebooks about internet marketing.

Whenever I started writing an ebook without at first finishing up a summary, a some sort of treatment, I'd write myself into a corner every time. So I always make sure to do the ground work first. Saves a lot of time and headache!

Henri

ps: I second the tip about exercising. It'll clear your head like nothing else will, and you'll get plenty of endorphins. Endorphins equal happy person, happy person equals happy and efficient writer!

Thanks

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ATH

15 years ago

i can't exercise until after surgery + recovery time

my whole core = no go. part of the reason im putting so much time into writing.

im more or less doing this evenly throughout the day now, whenever i can. ive learned its really easy to trick myself into doing it just by shutting off the internet+opening openoffice, like i just start doing it outta habit and an hour or two will fly by.

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Seedbox

15 years ago

Since you already outlined, I'd set date benchmarks. Put a date in each section and make it a firm deadline. As mentioned before, rewards won't hurt either.

These days the most important thing is turning off the noise of the Internet. That might actually be a good reward. You don't get to check e-mail or your favorite sites until benchmarks are met.

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IWouldCoachDan

15 years ago

I'm new here to the Warrior forum - but have been working on an eBook for about 2 weeks and found this post. There is a lot of great info on here - thanks guys. I definitely would be interested in an eBook related Mastermind group if anyone gets one together!

Thanks

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feliciayapsl

15 years ago

Have a project timelime. Eg. Since you've got an outline what to be written, break them up into sections you have to complete each day. Once you've completed a section, give yourself a treat

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WebPen

15 years ago

Have you considered selling it in short reports instead of one huge book?

A lot of times, people just have one small problem they want a solution to. A 15-20 page report can help them with that- the rest of the 50 pages might just be fluff in their eyes.

You could always group the reports together- each is one major section of the ebook- and then publish it as one big product.

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