The LAST Word

An energy practitioner I know told me that resolutions made at the Chinese New Year are more likely to remain past a few hours. She said it had to do with a number of factors. I thought about what she said, and it made sense to me because the Chinese New Year is usually at the end or January or beginning of February. Many people often read books because they want to make a change in themselves. The books are guides to how people can improve. For the authors, though, writing a book that impacts someone's thoughts isn't always easy. I have met a number of people who are great healers, but they don't know how to convey their points to the public. Yet, they want to expand their practice by putting their expertise into a book. My last column talked about making the book flow like a river . This column will be about the research. How Much Is Enough? Many people will ask me how much research do they need for a book. For a memoir, you probably do not...

In my first blog, I began by talking about where people who want to write a book should start. I explained that if you are ready to write a book, you need to ensure you have something to say that people want to read. I talked about organizing your journaling and ramblings into themes that can be the essence of chapters. I suggested creating outlines, writing bullets of ideas that become chapter themes, using note cards or finding your own way to decide what you want in the book. Make It Flow This column will discuss how to make your book readable, or flow of the text. Many of the books on the market today have no logical beginning, middle or end. They jump from topic to topic without transitions or coherence. High-quality writers make sure their books flow like a river from one idea to the next. When you read these writers, the book's flow seems effortless, but in reality, it takes a lot of work to make it flow correctly. However, you want it to seem effortless. ...

So often, I get asked the question, “How do I write a book?”. This column is designed to answer that question from start to finish. Before I begin, you need to know a few things about me. I always knew I would be a writer. I wrote in diaries regularly using my writing as a way to get out my emotions. I used to write poems for my friends and family when they were sad or happy. Whenever I felt lost, joyous, afraid, sad or some other emotion, I wrote a poem about it. Many of those have since been published in various places. For example, my first was published when I was 12. I used to dream about being on television when I watched the news. I held that dream until I interned in a television station and found out how competitive the job was. However, I have been writing ever since then. I have written for newspapers, newsletters, television, radio and online publications. I have two published novels. I worked full time for publication companies and a small publisher in Baltimore. I ...