If you’ve been wanting to write a book, but you don’t know where to start, you can get started just by talking. Writing a book doesn’t mean you always have to be writing. Sometimes it’s easier to get thoughts onto a page by saying them out loud.
No writer’s block. No staring at a blank screen. No flashbacks of high school English class. Just talking.
Just a Little Prep to Get Started
You don’t need fancy equipment to record, but you will want a way to transcribe after you record. Make sure you’re ready for that in advance to avoid frustration later.
Most smartphones have built-in features that convert audio to text while you speak. On iPhone, for example, you can open a new page in Notes, click the microphone in the lower right, start speaking, and your words will be typed on the page. Android phones have a similar function.
You can also find free and paid apps where you can record directly or upload a recording from your phone.
Brainstorm with Bullet Points
Next, brainstorm a few bullet points of the main topics you want to include in your book. The list doesn’t need to be in any particular order. It’s just a way to generate ideas and help you stay on track. As you go along, you might add or delete bullet points, based on where your focus is developing.
Pick one bullet point, and start sharing what you want to say about it. Your thoughts don’t need to be in any particular order. Just speak the thoughts as they come to mind.
Let’s say my book includes times when I was encouraged as a child. My recording might go like this: “I remember when my teacher congratulated me on the spelling bee.” “That coach at the park did a high-five when I hit the volleyball over the net.” “My neighbor said my drawing of a cat was really cute.”
In the above example, I’m not necessarily sharing details, although I will if something stands out that I don’t want to forget. I’m just trying to capture memories to include in that chapter, and I can expand on them later. I might take each of those examples, one at a time, and record more details.
You can start with just a few thoughts, and then take a break. Pick up again later when you have more ideas. The beautiful thing is you can do this anytime, anywhere. The more you work on it, the more thoughts will come to mind.
Keep It Conversational
Don’t feel like you’re making a formal presentation. Just talk as if you’re having a conversation with a friend. Keep it simple, light, informal. Just get the ideas out.
Don’t censor any ideas, either. You can sort through them later. Right now, you’re just talking.
You don’t have to get the wording right. That’s the beauty of talking first. Just say what you want to say. You’ll capture your heart this way.
Don’t try to correct mistakes. Just keep talking. You can always tweak the words later; that’s what editing is for. Right now, you just want to say what’s on your mind about your book topics.
Start out small. Just record one thought at a time, to get used to it. You don’t need to do a long recording; you’re just trying to capture thoughts, ideas, stories, memories as they come to you.
Rough and Messy Beginnings Are Good
As you finish each recording, you can plug each part of the transcript into your bullet-point outline under the appropriate topic. Don’t worry that it’s rough and messy. This is just your starting point—and you’ll be glad not to have a blank screen staring at you.
Those ideas might prompt you to add more detail, jog your memory for more things to share, and help narrow your focus. You’ll start to see chapters forming with each bullet point.
As the text under each topic takes shape, your excitement for your book will grow. You’ll realize you really can do this.
At this point, you can start writing to expand on some of the ideas and fill in gaps. You might also continue recording new thoughts as they come to you.
You can always change the order of the bullet points. You can tweak the topic of a bullet point when you see how the material is shaping up. You might delete some bullet points if you didn’t have much to say about them. You might expand one bullet point into two if you had a lot to say on that topic.
As you move forward, you’ll find the way that works best for you. It’ll probably be a combination of speaking and writing. And if you ever get stuck, remember to grab the recorder and just start talking again.
The main thing to remember is you have something important to say, and folks out there need to hear it. Keep moving forward on your book in baby steps. And see if talking about it into a recorder, one piece at a time, will help.
Janet Eriksson 