Structuring your book not only helps you to find the right publisher, it also helps you to understand your reader, your marketing and actually how to write the book. (Which you will see in Part 5 is very important when things are tough.)

How to get started;

At the start just get writing. Create as much content as you can. If you find as you are writing that you have ideas that you’ve added body to, however, you don’t know where it should go, put it at the end of the manuscript in red and start a document that has short reminders (in a list format is fine) that relate to the additional content and a concise outline of each chapter.

This is also useful for adding additional ideas that you feel you would like to talk about and yet you have not sussed out where to put it.

Write notes that are clear to you (it's amazing how muddled so many thoughts can get!) for instance; Mention the need to deal with writer’s block or where to talk about your confidence impacting on your results.

In this way when you get to the end of your first draft you will know how the book is starting to work and will be able to start to consider how or if to add this additional content. This is another good reason to have a third party involved because they don’t have the emotional attachment to your book, it’s content or the ultimate goal. Thus they will be able to be unbias in their views. (Ensuring you don’t just give it to your Mum or best mate who would say that it’s brilliant regardless. So choose your editor, critique and third party wisely!)

What's my style?

If you are already a prolific blogger who has a great audience you will know the style of writing that works for you. For me I know that it works best with this style of structure;

1. Open with a problem or an observation.
2. Outline why this matters to readers what problems it will cause.
3. Outline what results they could see if they take the actions in my article.
4. A separate paragraph with header for each point/strategy that I wish to cover on the subject.
5. A reminder why it matters and to let me know how readers get on.

Who am I?

Now that would be nothing without me bringing myself to the table. This can be hard. Don't get fooled into trying be another writer or author you know. Eventually your words won't sound right and you lose the flow of your book. What kind of person are you?

You have probably worked out I'm a wear my heart on my sleeve, honest person who jokes around and helps wherever I can. I don't fluff it up. I'm honest and straight talking, there's no jargon because I don't want to alienate my audiences and I care that every word they read from me be it in a course, book or article is useful, relevant, interesting and motivates them into action.

ACTION; If you were to write a paragraph about who you are and how you write what would it say?

I'm make jokes and usually sound like an overexcited puppy or 5 year old, but when you meet me in public guess what my readers say "Reading Mandie's books feels like she is with me all the time motivating and inspiring me" and that is what you want. You want your personality to resonate through your words. So take the time to know what kind of writer you are.

On the tough "Aaaa, I don't know what to write days" this will be a useful guide to come back to and remind yourself of.

If you find that your book feels all over the place. 

Go back to Part 2 of these 5 lessons and revisit what patterns are emerging. It was by doing this and not understanding my book on a deeper level, I took myself away from the book writing necessity and thought about where I naturally create content with ease. I realised that this was when I prepare a speaking engagement. I then considered “What makes my speaking engagements so powerful and work so well?”

And I realised it is because I follow certain criteria, structure, patterns, ideas and consider my audiences needs as well as the organiser of the event rather than my own. By taking note of this information I was able to see the patterns of success for myself and worked out how to replicate them within my book for a reader. For instance people like to be able to see how something relates to them.

In the next lesson we will look at what to do when writers block hits and I will share some additional guidance on writing your book in case you are hitting in road bumps in the writing process. It's good to have additional strategies to ensure you get that book out there!