HELLO DEAR FRIENDS! I am back in your ears with Episode 049 of the Write Now podcast, which showcases 10 lessons I learned while writing a book in one week. (That’s right: one week.)

Who you gonna call?

Some of you may know that I ghostwrite books in my spare time. This means I’m paid to write books (or blog posts, articles, memoirs, etc.) under someone else’s name so that they get the credit. This usually happens when the person is too busy to write, or perhaps an expert in their field but not a great writer.

Ghostwriting is fun and interesting for me, and I love doing it. So when someone asked me to take on a ghostwriting rush job with a deadline in one week, I said yes because I love a challenge and also I am insane.

Here are the 10 lessons I learned:

  1. Writing is work. Hard work, and often tedious.
  2. Writing takes time. And yes, time is a very real and very limiting factor.
  3. The very best thing you can do is put your butt in your seat and commit to writing.
  4. Know how to prevent burnout — and know what to do if and when you do get burned out.
  5. The most important thing you can do right now is get your first draft finished. You can always edit, polish, and research later.
  6. Do not overcommit yourself — there are only a certain number of working hours in a day, and you should not more take on more work than those hours permit you to complete.
  7. Outlines are amazing.
  8. Dread is cumulative — once you start writing, you realize that it’s not as daunting or scary as you thought it would be.
  9. Realizing, “Yeah, I can do this,” and gaining the confidence I needed to write my own stuff.
  10. Accountability in the form of a deadline can be invaluable.

What lessons have you learned in writing?

Share what you’ve learned in the comments below! I’d also love to hear about your current work in progress via my contact page, or in a comment below. 🙂

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Full Episode Transcript (click to expand!)

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