for several years, note down the chiropractor's name, the dog's name, problems the
dog had, the number of sessions --- anything and everything you can remember. Also
write down what you don’t know, so you can find out. (One of the benefits of research
is that you get to answer all the questions you have about a topic.)
Take as much time as you need. You may want to work in forty-minute
sessions, and then go and do something else for a while. Taking breaks is important.
It's during the breaks that your subconscious mind will go to work for you can scan
your memory banks to come up with more ideas.
Don’t disc ard any of your ideas. And write down every idea, no matter how
tangential. Your mind works via associations. Therefore, if you get a notion to write
down "Phips --- broken leg" write this down, even if it seems that it has nothing to do
with natural healthcare for pets. Phips was your first dog, and was hit by a car. This
was 30 years ago, and you don’t remember much about the incident. However, after
writing it down, you ask your mother about Phips, and she tells you that the little
Corgi was bred by a woman who was into natural healthcare (you didn’t remember
this --- you may not even have known it, but somehow your subconscious got you to
write it down). You contact the woman, who's elderly, but who's a fountain of useful
information, and she provides almost a chapter of information for your book. You'll
find that you have many serendipitous incidents like this as you write your proposal
and your book.
2. Make a long list of possible book titles
At this stage, you don’t need the perfect title, Healthcare for Pets will do as your
working title. Make a list of 20 title ideas as quickly as you can. (And save the list.)
Don't sweat a title. You'll often find that the perfect title doesn't occur to you
until you book is completely written. Or, your publisher may come up with a title they
want to use.
3. Create a list of contacts
Who could help you with information for this book? Write down the name of
everyone you can think of. Do this quickly, you can look up their email address or
postal address when the time comes to contact them. At this stage, you just want a list
of all those people who will be able to help you.