Do You Want to Write? Or Do You Want to Publish?

“The writer, his eye on the finish line, never gave enough thought to how to run the race.”

William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well

We’d exchanged some niceties. She complimented one of my books. I acknowledged her decision to pursue her goal to write. While she assessed me as a potential writing coach, I was doing the same for her as a client. I prefer to use the exploratory call to answer questions and determine whether or not we might be a good “fit.” She’d thoroughly reviewed the information I’d sent prior to the call and had no questions.

She moved ahead quickly. “I’d like to begin working with you as soon as possible.”

 I, however, had a few questions of my own.

“Tell me a bit about your writing experience. What is the goal you hope to achieve?”

“Well, I’ve always wanted to see a book with my name on the cover sitting on a bookstore shelf. Publishing a book has been a long-time dream of mine.”

“Why do you write?” Who is your reader?”

Long silence. Finally, “As I said, my goal is to be a published author. I haven’t done much writing; it’s tedious and it takes forever. And I don’t know what you mean about ‘who is my reader.’ But I do know everyone will love my story.”

She had her eye on the finish line, never giving any thought to how to run the race.

She didn’t want to write. She wanted to publish. I suggested she consider a ghost writer to help tell her story. Immediately she perked up. “Oh! I thought that’s what you would do.”

Not a good fit. Publishing is most often the writer’s goal. But first, you must write.

According to New York Times writer, Joseph Epstein, 81% of all participants in a survey feel they have a book in them – and think they should write it. His personal opinion (for most) is they should let it remain within. Epstein was, at that time awaiting the release of his 15^th book. His conclusion: “It is a lot better to have written a book than to actually be writing one.” ¹

Zinsser would agree.

“Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.” 

William Zinsser

There are moments of euphoria when a writing download delivers something truly delectable. The muse appears and the words flow, but he’s fickle more often than fair.

But, if you can say, with great certainty, your highest goal is to write the best story you can produce, keep reading. With perseverance to stay the course, and a commitment to excellence, you have a shot of landing in the pool of the potentially published author.

Good writing requires time. If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will do. So let’s discuss two practices that will give you a return on your time investment.

Map It!

Create a roadmap to take you from where you are, to where you desire to be.

1. Create a mind map

• Write a brief synopsis of each chapter. Review it often to stay on track.
• For fiction, create character profiles. Identify key beats that include an inciting incident, a complication, a crisis, a climax, and a resolution inside every beat.
• For non-fiction, identify key concepts, research information, and resources you will provide for each chapter.
• Use the information above to create a mind map to sequence the work. Find a variety or templates here.

2. Track it!

• How often do you write? How many minutes/hours each day? Each week? Each month?
• How many words do you need to write to meet the deadline you’ve set for yourself?
• What’s your hard target – the “I will complete this work by . . .” date?

Without a goal, you’ll struggle to complete the work. To combat the “any path” meander, establish a word count target.

• A word count tracker offers insight regarding your goal. It encourages you when you’re hitting the goal and informs you when you are not. Find various templates online to create a simple Excel worksheet at: binged.it/ 3xWkBt9
• Invite a group of writing friends to exchange word count goals for the week. Report actual vs. planned. For greater connection, set up an online call and write together. At the end of the session, everyone reports their progress.
• Many get caught in the trap of “edit while you go.” Assessing the work is a tactical function. Writing is a creative function. Both are essential, but don’t break the flow when the words are flying out of your fingertips! Resist the urge to polish while the heroine in your story dangles over the Grand Canyon!

Be the writer who runs the race. Deny the doubters their, “I knew you’d never finish that book,” moment. Defy the odds.

Write. Publish. Celebrate!

Deborah DeArmond is a recognized leader in the fields of performance development, facilitation. She is a certified writing coach as well as an executive business coach. She is also an award-winning author.

Deb’s the author of Related by Chance, Family by Choice, I Choose You Today, and Don’t Go to Bed Angry. Stay Up and Fight! All three books focus on relationship dynamics, communication, and conflict resolution. Her humorous devotional entitled Bumper Sticker Be-Attitudes was published in late 2019. Her newest release, We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished: Making the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life was released in July. She has published more than 200 articles in print and online, including a monthly column, now in her 7^th year for Lifeway Magazine with an international circulation of 300,000.

Deb helps clients achieve success in becoming the coach others desire to work through through her engaging inquiry, humor, and straightforward approach. Her clients have described Deb as “candid but kind” and skilled at asking the questions that help “guide others to discover their answers and solutions to success.”

• Website: debdearmod.com
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¹  Think You Have a Book in You? Think Again, Joseph Epstein / New York Times 09.28.2002