Jumping into writing a book is so much fun. But when we start writing a book without enough knowledge on the process, we can end up stalled in our progress. 

That’s why it’s so important to learn about the six phases of writing a book. Knowing what they are and when it’s time to move into each one will not only make the act of writing easier for you, but it will also teach you what a realistic book-writing process looks like. 

The 6 Phases of Finishing a Book

Listen to learn: 

• What the six different phases of writing a book are 
• How knowing the six phases of finishing can help you beat perfectionism 
• The difference between editing and revision 
• What writing a book really looks like, and why it isn’t what you see in media

Here’s a sneak peek:

[02:13] We have some mistaken ideas about books and they get in the way because they create ideas in our head that foster a sense of perfectionism.

[03:53] Your book is...

This is the first episode in a five-part series on finishing our books and getting them out into the world. 

It was inspired by the recent Writer’s Planning Party held on December 30th, when 98% of the writers present said they wanted to finish a book as one of their goals for 2024.

In this episode, I am talking about why it matters so much that our books get finished and out into the world – for us as writers, as creative human beings, and for our Ideal Readers.

Upcoming episodes in this series will explore what goes into writing a book, how to manage a book-length project and how to fit writing a book into an already busy life.

Links in this episode:

Book Finishers Bootcamp

First Book Finish Waiting List

The Retreat (novel by Elisabeth de Mariaffi)

Read on for this episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show.

The Resilient Writers Radio Show: Why Your Book Matters -- Full Episode Transcript

Rhonda:

Well, hey there, writer. Welcome to the Resilient Writers...

There are a lot of parts of being a beginner author that can intimidate us off of being published, or of writing our book altogether. 

But your story deserves to be out in the world, and there are plenty of things we can learn to make the process less terrifying. 

Acclaimed author Ellen Baker is here today to share some of her own experiences, both as a writer and as an editor, to help make the process from draft to finished book a little easier for you. 

The Secret Life of Ellen Baker

Listen to learn:

• Common issues in the manuscripts of beginning writers
• The benefit of having a framework for your writing
• How to find the right agent for you
• How to keep writing when you’ve got a book coming out

Here’s a sneak peek: 

[07:13] I read a lot, but then I ended up just kind of making up what I thought made sense based on what I read, because I didn't ever find a story of a child learning to be a bareback rider. So that's just made up.

[09:45] ...

Raise your hand if you love the researching part of writing a book. 

Whether you do or you don’t, research is critical. How much you need is certainly dependent on what it is you’re writing, but regardless, it holds value in the way it can breathe life and fact into our work. 

Author Mary Carroll Moore was struck with the desire to ensure her own was incredibly accurate for her newest book, which focuses on the life of a female pilot. And with a female pilot in her own family, how could she write anything less? 

Luckily for her, Mary ended up knowing three people in real life who helped her and had the connections to help her do in-depth and accurate research—and she took full advantage of these people for the resources they were. 

How to Approach Research, with Mary Carroll Moore

Listen to learn: 

• How you can transition between writing fiction and nonfiction

• How to market cross-genre fiction
• Howt hybrid publishing works and its...

Getting our writing out in the world can be terrifying. 

I’m not even talking about getting your book published. Sharing your writing with family and friends just so it can be read can be a hurdle, one that seems impossible to overcome. 

But finding one person you can share your work with can make a world of difference. 

Esther Schultz experienced this herself when her late mother-in-law asked to read some of Esther’s writing—writing which Esther had never shared with anyone before. 

It was her mother-in-law’s encouragement that helped boost Esther’s courage enough for Esther to chase her dream of writing as a career. 

A dream which is coming true, one year and one book at a time. 

Listen to learn: 

• Why sharing your writing with others enriches your writing life 

• How to find inspiration when writing historical fiction 
• Considerations when choosing to take the Indie publishing route 
• The value...

Writing consistently is critical to finishing our books. Finding the time to write can, however, seem impossible, especially with all the obstacles of everyday life getting in our way. 

But Debra Martens, founder of Canadian Writers Abroad, didn’t let her busy life keep her from getting her writing done. As she learned during her years of constantly moving to new countries and dealing with recurring health issues, you just have to make the time, set realistic goals, and be ready to adapt to what life throws your way. 

Listen to learn: 

• How adaptability applies to your writing life 
• Why it’s important to set small goals that you can accomplish
• How to continue writing even while dealing with health issues 
• How to deal with the emotional impact of the querying process 

Here’s a sneak peek of today’s episode… 

[05:14]  It's been great for me in that I've had to do the research to find the people, and...

We writers know about myths. Either because we’ve read them, or written something based on them or even written our own. 

But what do we know about the kinds of myths that affect us every single time we sit down to write? 

Myths about writing haunt us, and can make it difficult for us to get to the page, or difficult to get the words down even if we manage to get our butt-in-chair. 

If we know about these myths, though, we can learn how to deal with each one. That’s why I’m breaking down three common writing myths for you in today’s episode. 

Listen to learn: 

• How and why writing myths are harmful 
• How to deal with the issues caused by each myth 
• Why you need to watch out for ads that say you can finish a book in a month or weekend
• Why a bad writing session isn’t a big deal

Here’s a sneak peek… 

[01:44]  They're just in the ether, and so we absorb them and then we think there's...

When we write memoir, there are a million things we have to think about. 

We have to know what story we want to tell, and we have to know how to tell it. 

We have to be ready to be vulnerable on the page. And then, we have to be ready to share our vulnerability with all of our readers!

Choosing to write a memoir can be a difficult choice, especially when dealing with serious subject matter as Stephanie Kain’s memoir does. 

Despite Stephanie’s initial hesitance at her agent’s suggestion of turning her journaling into a memoir, she went into it with an open mind and came out the other side of the publishing process with a wonderful experimental memoir. 

Listen to learn: 

• How to become comfortable with being vulnerable in your writing 
• How to choose what to include and exclude in your memoir 
• About the benefits of writing experimentally 
• The value of writing something even if you’re afraid of being judged 

...

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Sometimes, being a writer can make us feel like we’re standing all on our own, especially if we don’t have a writing community around us. 

This can make it even more difficult for us to work on our writing, even if we feel that we have a book inside us that’s ready to be written. 

Kimberly J. Ward’s book writing journey started after she went on a real journey, spending two years at sea with her husband and daughter. 

But it was the writing community she found at her local library that helped her to write the basis of her book, and the help of others with book...

If you’ve been following me at Resilient Writers for any length of time, then you’ve heard me say how important it is for us as writers to achieve a state of flow. 

Flow helps us have the kind of writing sessions that so many writers long for, where we lose all sense of time and anything that isn’t our characters or our narrative. 

But the flow state can seem unattainable if we don’t know how to reach it reliably, each and every time we sit down to write.

Luckily, there’s a dedicated field of scientific study called Positive Psychology that can teach us the concrete conditions that need to be met to reach a state of flow.

How to Get Into Flow

Listen to learn:

• How you can achieve a state of flow in your writing life 
• The power of psychology in our writing lives 
• Why it’s important to choose the right time for you to write 
• The benefits of living as a writer that’s always learning and growing

Here’s a...