Transcripts
1. Intro to Self-Publishing: Congratulations!!! Okay, it may be a little premature, but you've made a really huge decision. You are going to self-publish and you're dreaming big! I'm so excited for you. You're on your way to starting an amazing writing career. This is going to be so great! I'm so glad that you have started this class. Kudos, this is your next step to writing a book that's so awesome. Hi, I'm Holly Hungerford. I'm an author, entrepreneur, and creative who has found a way to make a life of all the things I love. Part of that includes taking what I've walked through and creating a story with it. A story that encourages others and propels them towards a better life. I'm guessing you're here because you too have a story to share and you want to see it written on the pages that someone one day reads. I remember feeling incredibly excited and super uncertain all at the same time. And I'm guessing I'm not alone. Together We will take baby steps towards the ultimate goal, which is creating a beautiful book. In this step-by-step class, I will be cheering you on towards your dream. You've already started the process by deciding to self-publish, which is such a special and rewarding way to create a book. Self-publishing allows you to maintain creative control and start the process as soon as you'd like. Phenomenal organizations will help you, like Amazon, Apple Books and Barnes and Nobles press. It's an incredible opportunity and experience and I'm so excited you've decided to join my class to begin the process. I'll see you in the next video as we begin our journey of becoming an author.
2. Developing Your Book: The best part of writing a book is the book. Eye roll. But for real, one of the best ways you can accomplish this is through bringing the vision of your book to life with an outline. It can often feel difficult and confusing to start. But one of the best tools to overcoming that is through outlining. Our class project will take all the things we've learned in this class and apply them with a strong book outline. One that includes your unique book title as well. Be sure to have a piece of paper or an open laptop around for this class. There are a few things that we'll develop throughout this process that are incredibly important. We're going to find your style or your writing voice, your outline for this book and your book's title. Your outline will serve as a clear breakdown of all the things that you want to cover in this book. I can't wait to see what you create by the end of our time together. Be sure to submit your final outline for review. Now let's talk about why you want to write your book. Join me in our next session as we discussed, our why.
3. Why Do You Want to Write A Book?: So you've decided to write a story. Why? What about creating a unique masterpiece excites you? What do you feel educated on or experienced in that you can share with the world? That will be a big part of how you will continue when this journey gets a little tough and the writer's block sets in. In this class, we will discover all the reasons why and how we're going to create this amazing gift that you plan on giving to the world. For me, I began with a desire to see people set free from anxiety. At a young age, I started to deal with deep fear and anxiety. And the circumstances of life just compounded that until I found myself in desperate need of a change, I sought wisdom and counsel and as my personal journey began to unfold, so did a dream I did not realize I had. People began to come to me to have conversations about their struggles and about their life. And all of a sudden, I saw a need to share my story and for those walking a similar journey to feel heard. So what makes you want to write a book? Is it a felt need, something that the world or someone you know, is walking through? Does it inspire? Will provoke joy in its readers? Figure that part out and you're ready for the beginning of a successful writing career. Next, we'll discuss the keys to beginning well.
4. Who Is Your Audience?: In all this excitement, this key step can be often overlook. Who are you writing the book for? Is it an encouragement to the downtrodden, a resource for the history buff or like mine, a tool for those walking through a struggle. Think about it and then get even more specific. Great marketers will teach you to dream up your ideal client and then write with him or her in mind. So we'll use my book as an example. Many people struggle with anxiety. Actually the ADAA, the anxiety and depression Association of America, says more than 40 million Americans do. That's insane. But I'm a millennial and my story specifically can relate to the younger generation walking through this struggle. So when I began writing my story, I thought about friends who were my age, walking through fear, anxiety, and depression. Having a clear picture of your audience and who you're writing to will help give you the language and overall writing technique that you need to directed in a right and proper voice. Once you have the why and the who in mind, you are ready to step into the process of creating. Let's jump over into the next lesson to discuss how.
5. Creating A Plan For The Process: How you start says so much about how you will finish. Will it be with great vigor and excitement or in a modest halfhearted attitude. Beginning well always involves a plan. So let's create one. Let's begin with an outline for your buck. Let's get creative and grab a notebook and some markers. Or you can grab a laptop and open a blank page. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. This is your dream space where you're allowed to fully create and brainstorm. You won't use everything you create here but it would be a good start for the vision of your book. Okay, so let's start with what your book is about that will help you answer any other questions that we might have. My first one was about anxiety and insecurity and how to bravely overcome them in your life. I use personal stories and journal entries to invite my readers into my journey with fear and anxiety and how I experienced healing.With some of those details we can begin creating some book titles, we'll use mine as a launching pad. The book is about anxiety and how it is affecting this generation. So words like anxiety, insecurity, millennial fear, generation, etc. Those are the things that come to mind. What comes to mind for your book? Now that we have some of the core items that we will talk about as part of your book. Let's talk about how we're going to tackle this. Head over with me to the next class and we'll do just that.
6. Make Space For Your Dream: Make space for it in your life. It is said that a book on average takes about two years of writing. And because of that, we gain two years of knowledge with each book we read. Wow. With that being said, know that it is a process. This is not an overnight creation, but also this baby book will only be born if you make room for it. You have to intentionally invest in it. That has a lot to do with scheduling, with the busyness of life it's so easy to keep going and forget about our dreams, even our book dreams. Something that I found that was very helpful was scheduling time to write, whether it was 30 minutes a day or a three-hour block on a Saturday. Being strategic with time is crucial in accomplishing your goal. Make room for this dream and it is sure to grow. Another crucial part of accomplishing this goal is distraction blocking. In my writing process. That meant turning off my phone, going to Starbucks to write or finding a quiet space alone with a journal in hand. It was so imperative that I made writing a priority. While it may seem initially like this will be easy and happen without a hitch, it's not that simple. Strategy is priority, so schedule and stick to it. Join me in the next video as we discussed, outlining your book.
7. Let's Outline!: Let's outline! Okay, It's not that fun. This is the best and worst part all rolled into one. It's like adulting on a Saturday when all you want to do is be in your PJs. Just kidding no, but for real, it's not the best... To outline we will need to decide on a context for each chapter. What do you want to cover throughout the book and where in the book does it fit? Grab your sheet of paper and let's get creative. Here are some topics I knew that I wanted to cover in the book. My story, tools for overcoming anxiety, ways to encourage others and encouragement for my readers. Once I was able to get those chosen, I was able to begin writing each individual section of the book. Without a proper outline and understanding of what you specifically want to cover we'll just be writing without the ended mine. Oh yeah. Pro tip there. Begin with the end in mind. What do you want your readers to leave with? What's your big idea? What emotions do you want your readers to experience? Okay, back to outlining to some specific topics that you want to cover and then choose the initial placement of those topics. As you begin writing, you'll more than likely rearrange their placement, but this is a good start. And the overall story outlining is again, a brain dump in nature, but it will give you some insight into the direction that you are headed. So do just that. Set some time aside and download all your creative ideas. This is just the beginning. You're creating something incredibly special that is shore to inspire. So get ready, outline well, and then join me as we write.
8. Time To Write: Let's write, this is my favorite part. We've made time for the dream and now we are going to sit down and develop it. Find a space and a quiet place that helps you to get into a writing rhythm. Once you've identified your style, like mine is mostly personally sharing and in first-person thing, go for it. Download any and all thoughts on a page and you have started. It's exciting and terrifying. And when you hit a writing wall, get up, walk around, take a break and do something different, then come back with a fresh excitement for your topic. It's going to happen. You have started. Here's some of my writing examples to help you begin. Thoughts. They get crazy, they often derail us. I love hiking. When you hike, it's important to stay on a trail. Thoughts spiral out of control. Sometimes they throw you off the trail. Nothing takes you off the trail like a bad idea. That's it. All you have to do is start and your book will soon unravel. Research which organization or maybe all that you decide to use and you're ready to go. Thank you for taking this class and beginning your writing adventure with me. I cannot wait to see your book outlines and I'd love you to join me in one of my upcoming classes. Oh, yeah. And if you have any questions, let's connect. Email me at holly@set apartone.com and be sure to follow me on here to stay tuned for future classes. See you soon.
Holly Hungerford, Author | Entrepreneur
