When you return to your desk, don't look at any of your word lists, or your free-
writing session. Just start to work on a first draft of your outline, and some material
for your first chapter. Write as quickly as you can.
I do first drafts on the computer, and I try to type fast, just following whatever
thoughts happen to strike me, and not paying any attention to typos or to format. If
I'm writing an article or advertising copy, or anything which is under a thousand
words, I write the first draft straight through. I aim to take an hour or less to do this.
At this stage, my aim is just to get the words written. I can worry about whether
they're the right words later. Right now, I just want words.
You will find that the words come quickly, and that you not only outline your
first chapter, but several additional chapters.
What goes into your chapter outline?
You don't need to create the kind of outline that your English teacher harassed you
into creating when you were 12. The kind of outline you need to create is one based
on components. Non-fiction is much easier to write than fiction because all non-
fiction books similar components. Let's have a look at some of them:
- A foreword. This is like an introduction, but a foreword is usually written by
someone other than the author of the book. It helps if you can get someone
famous to contribute the foreword.
Note: They may expect payment for this. If this person would lend great
credibility to your book, then consider paying them for the foreword. It could
make the difference between whether your proposal is easy to sell, or more
difficult. If you’re writing in an area in which you don’t have professional
expertise --- for example, if you're writing about a medical topic and you're
not a doctor --- then getting a foreword written by a professional is
worthwhile. - An introduction. This is optional. If you can't think of anything to put in an
introduction, leave it out. Think of including an introduction if you want to tell
your own story: how you came to get the information you're about to share. - A "How To Use This book" chapter or page. This can be short, or quite long.
For example, if you're writing a book on yoga, you could use this chapter to
give four or five exercise routines, compiled from the various poses that you
discuss in the rest of the book.