How To Write a Book and Eliminate Writer’s Block Part 2 – Episode #017

Once the ideas are out of your brain it helps to have flexibility in organizing them into a structure that makes the book flow logically. The methods you presented are excellent ways to do this. It also helps to identify areas that could be moved to additional books.

Thumbs up!

I think the best way to get ideas down is to just write a list of words or ideas. Try to think of different scenes in your book and what you want them to be about. I even think of the book that I'm writing right now as a movie. That's why I put each idea into a scene and it helps me write even better.

Awesome job as well, keep up the good work.

Thanks Dale for this, I really liked your idea with the post-its! Seems to be a good advice to eliminate a writer's block.
I'm more the notebook type. With my last book which is going to be published soon I put it this way:
It started with some good ideas I had quickly written in my notebook.
I then typed them into my computer, arranged them just like you did with the post-its and printed the whole thing out again.
It was about one page, which I showed to people to get their ideas and to see how they would react to such a book. This way I also had a safe copy on my computer and one printed out, just in case.
And after all I had a clear structure of the future book. I just wrote out the single points, had to rearrange them only a little bit and the book was finished.
This way you also have the possibility to go back and see how the structure of your book evolved and got better and better.
Best regards from Austria, from where I am following your show!

Some comments on using software in the process. I live in a very small space (a boat) and don't have walls so I swear by using software! One favorite is Writer's Blocks (like postit notes - helped me organise and write two books) and also mindmapping software for generating and structuring ideas.
Thanks for these interesting episodes!

Hi Dale, thank you for the advice provided on your website. I have viewed all your clips and find them interesting and useful. I have started taking a notebook with me where ever I go and have it near my bed when I go to sleep. I've started waking up with ideas and need to write them down as I can't get back to sleep. I had already started writing but have decided to get my ideas down before I continue. I think this is better as you have suggested because I was finding that I got stuck every now and then. Thanks for providing this service to us.

Hi Milena, it's great to hear that you have seen all the episodes. Yeh it is great just to get your ideas down on paper so that you don't forget them. As you know there are episodes every day. Would love to see your comments and questions if you have any.

Thanks

Dale

These ideas are very useful, but I prefer to write my ideas on blank papers or directly on my computer. I prefer to have a lot of space were to write. But using a small notebook when you're out, is a good idea.
Very informative videos for us writers. Thank you.

hi matthew, thanks for your comment. yeh it is great to have a lot of space to map your ideas down. I guess writers just need to find a way that works for them

these tips are great and will def help me to structure and write my book.

thanks Dale