by Terry Ann Williams-Richard
We are quickly entering the 3rd quarter of 2021, the time for self-reflection is making a grand entrance. Cries of coulda, woulda, shoulda, along with courageous declarations of, this time I can, I will, and I must, echo in our hearts, minds, and souls. One of those declarations might just involve you telling a story or delivering a message to the world. Do you have a story to tell? Have you ever thought about writing a book? Do you have an idea for a book? Have you started writing and now you are stuck? Did you finish a writing project and now either you are afraid to share it or you don’t know where to go from there?
I’ve enjoyed reading and writing ever since I was a young girl. Reading was such a vivid adventure for me. I was overjoyed when my daughter first started reading, from turning pages, following along from left to right, identifying letters, sounds, sounding out and defining words, to bringing it all together. I knew she had it when she was about 5 or 6 years old and she told me reading was like watching a movie. Reading and writing go together in countless ways and I have been fortunate to live my life choosing, using, sharpening, and sharing this perfect combination. From my days of writing in a diary as a young girl; beginning to write poetry and stories as a teen; earning a degree in Mass Media Communications; working in the field of journalism as a magazine editor; teaching reading & writing; forming book clubs; writing groups; becoming a published author; and writing in a journal even now, writing has been and continues to be my source of self-expression for personal inspiration, teaching, growth, and overall joy. Go for it! Think it! Write it! Live it!
Think It!
Write down any thoughts you have about writing. You may have a list of topics, phrases, paragraphs, or pages. Your thoughts may be relaxing in a journal; hiding on the back of an envelope for a bill you received in the mail; or attempting to leap from the store receipt tucked in your pocket or purse. Whether your thoughts are stashed away in a manila folder or saved on a flash drive, now is the time to uncover and bring out all your treasures. Gather your stacks of thoughts and take everything to the next stage.
Write It!
Go ahead choose a direction and begin to write. You have your topic, maybe even a title for this project, so write. Write daily, every other day, weekly, monthly, or however and whenever your story or message flows. Write it out long hand on a note pad or type it out on your laptop, whichever method is comfortable for you and will then catapult you into getting your thoughts out of your head and down on paper. This is another step closer to the manifestation of your book. Remember, to go with the flow, revising and editing will come later and will be plentiful.
Live It!
Begin exploring and selecting a format for your book, print, e-book, or audio. Investigating printers, publishing outlets, traditional, self-publishing, subsidiary, and more will add to you tasting the reality of your dream come true. Finding out about copyright, ISBNs, barcodes, and registering your book adds to the excitement. Finishing, marketing, promoting, and selling your book is rewarding and contagious. Once you write one book you’ll be driven to write another one and another one.
Yes, it’s your turn to take it to your next level. Your writing and publishing journey is a personalized one. In your admiration for other published authors of international, national, local, or neighborhood fame, know that Yes, You Can Write Your Book, Too!
Terry Ann Williams-Richard is an author, educator, book writing coach and founder of Personalized Educational Services, LLC.. You can contact her at terry@yeswithpes.com to request a FREE copy of Your Personal Writing & BookPublishing Plan (Parts I & II) Checklist. For a list of her books or for more information log on to https://yeswithpes.com/my-books/ . You can also go like her on Facebook Personalized Educational Services, LLC
© 2018, 2021 Terry Ann Williams-Richard