• You dream of writing your own book — but you don’t know where to begin or what to do.
• You started to write a book and got lost in the book writing process — and don’t know how to complete your book.
• You have already written your own book and found it to be a long, hard struggle — and you know there has to be a better way.

A Different Book Writing Guide

There are many book writing guides about how to write a book. Maybe you have read many of them. Almost all of these book writing resources contain valuable insights. You can learn a lot from reading and studying them.

The critical difference between Book Writing Made Simple and many other resources for book writing help is the intention to make book writing simple.

But what does it mean to make book writing simple? As with so many words in English, simple has a range of meanings. The meaning intended by Book Writing Made Simple is the opposite of complicated.

Is Your Book Writing Complicated?

The root meaning of complicated is to be folded together. Something that is complicated is difficult to understand because it is complex, intricate, tangled, knotted, with interconnected parts.

• If you want to write a book someday…
• If you have already started a book but haven't finished it because you got lost somewhere in writing it…
• If you wrote a book and never want to go through that experience again…

you don't need more complicated book writing help. The last thing you need is more conflicting and often complicated information, advice, and suggestions about how to write a book. What you need is a clear strategy to make your book writing simple.

The Power of Making It Simple In a Complicated World

In our frazzled and very complicated world, the essential strategy of Book Writing Made Simple begins with the goal to keep it simple.

Albert Einstein said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

But why? What is the benefit of making things as simple as possible?

Make It Simple

To be simple is to be uncomplicated. Simple describes what is easy to understand, single-minded, single-focused, single-purposed.

Nothing is more difficult than to attempt to go in multiple directions at once. Despite those who claim to be able to multitask successfully, multitasking is confusing, exhausting, and doesn't save time.

These statements capture the essential wisdom of making things simple.

•  If you want to complicate your life, attempt to do several things at the same time.
•  If you want to simplify your life, do one thing at a time.

This make it simple life strategy is also a powerful book writing strategy.

Three Steps Book Writing Guide

If you want to make your book writing simple, consider these three specific steps in the book writing process.

• Your purpose to write your book
• Your ideal reader
• The persuasive point of your book

Book Writing Made Simple Series considers each of these steps in a separate volume. Each volume focuses on a specific question to help you make your book writing simple.

The series begins with the persuasive point of your book, because most writers begin with the topic of the book.

If you want to make your book writing simple, you will need to integrate these three steps to write a book that is as simple as possible, but no simpler.

Step 1: Identify the Persuasive Point of Your Book

Many writers begin with an idea to write a book about a particular topic. Starting a book with a topic is perhaps the most difficult way to start writing a book.

If you want to complicate your book writing process, gather a mass of information about a topic and start to write. If you don’t have a clear idea of the persuasive point you intend to make in your book, you can easily get lost in a mass of information.

However if you identify the single major persuasive point of your book, you will be able to organize and focus your book in a way that is compelling to your reader and simple for you to write.

Your simple book writing guide to identify the persuasive point of your book is Book Writing Made Simple (Volume 1) How To Start Writing A Book With The Right Question.

Find out more about how to start writing a book here. 

Step 2: Identify Your Book Writing Purpose

Why do you want to write a book? This simple question will do as much to make your book writing simple as any other question you can ask.

The idea of writing a book begins with your purpose for doing it.

You probably have several reasons for wanting to write a book. If you want to make your book writing complicated, you can try to write a book that accomplishes all of your reasons in one book.

However if you stop and think about it, you will realize that trying to make one book serve multiple purposes creates instant complications for your book writing process.

If you really do want to simplify your book writing process, an important step in that process is to identify the one purpose that is most important to you, and stay focused on that one purpose.

It might not be easy to identify your most important purpose for writing your book. Simple is not always easy. This is what Einstein meant by "as simple as possible, but no simpler." You might have to do some work to identify your purpose, but it is definitely worth the effort.

Your simple book writing guide to identifying your primary purpose for writing your book is Book Writing Made Simple (Volume 2) How One Question Can Eliminate Your Greatest Obstacle to Writing Your Book.

Find out more here.

Step 3: Identify Your Ideal Reader

Who do you want to read your book?

If you want to complicate your writing process, try to write for more than one type of reader. If you really want to complicate your book writing life, try to write a book that will appeal to “everyone.”

However, if you want to make your writing process simple, identify your ideal reader for your book and focus on writing a book for that reader. This simplification strategy forces you to let go of the hope that your book will appeal to “everyone.”

When you are clear about your ideal reader, you have taken a giant  step forward. This single decision will help you tremendously to simplify and focus your writing for a particular type of reader.

Your simple book writing guide to identifying your ideal reader is Book Writing Made Simple (Volume 3) Do You Know What Your Reader Really Wants? 

Find out more here.

Simple Is Not the Same As Easy

If you are thinking that making these choices doesn’t sound very easy, you would be right.

Here is another case where definitions make a difference. Simple is not the same as easy. Simple is the opposite of complicated. Easy is the opposite of difficult. Easy refers to what is not hard to do, doesn’t require much work, and is comfortable to do.

It's possible to make your book writing both simple and easy...but once again, I remind you of the wise words of Albert Einstein.

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

Why Making Your Book Writing Simple Is Worth Your Effort

If you want to make your book writing easy, you don’t have to go through pain, worry, or discomfort to write it. You don’t have to grow or stretch as a writer or as a person.

You can always find an easy way to write a book, but your book might not be very satisfying to you and it might not be very satisfying to your reader. As much I would love to find the magic wand that would make my own book writing easy, I have discovered that sometimes the best writing is not easy at all.

This doesn’t mean that writing a book has to be a difficult ordeal. Making your book writing simple will make writing your book easier than it would be if you don’t make it simple. However, making it simple is no guarantee that it will be easy.

The essential  point is that whatever you do to make writing your book simple will be worth the effort.

For Your Book Writing Made Simple Success,

Kalinda

Kalinda Rose Stevenson, Ph.D.

P.S. If you sometimes feel stuck in your writing, be sure to find out about the Book Writing Made Simple book writing guide to writer's block, Writer's Block and Your True Self.  Find out more here about how to make writing a pleasure rather than a pain by asking four questions

P.S.S.  Find out what readers have to say about each book in the Book Writing Made Simple Series.

Book Writing Made Simple (Volume 1) How to Start Writing a Book With the Right Question.

Book Writing Made Simple (Volume 2) How One Question Can Eliminate Your Greatest Obstacle to Writing Your Book.

Book Writing Made Simple (Volume 3) Do You Know What Your Reader Really Wants? 

Take a look at these pages to find out if the Book Writing Made Simple Series is the book writing guide to make it simple you have been looking for. 

Do you want all three volumes in one? Now available as Book Writing Made Simple 3-in-1: How to Write a Book the Simple Way. Find out more here.

[Original Post October 31, 2012]