Getting Your Thoughts Out!

When you start to think about writing your book, whether you are going to do it yourself or work with someone like me, how you capture your thoughts becomes an important question.

If you type well, you are all set, but not everyone is comfortable with typing their thoughts into a computer program.

Another way to get your ideas out could be to use an inexpensive digital tape recorder or get one of the many phone apps out there. The apps are usually free and easy to use.

You can then get your recordings to someone who will transcribe them into a file in whatever format you want that you can read and edit. You can find people who do transcriptions on Craigslist or do a web search. When I interview my clients for their books, I record the conversations and get transcripts made. I use Paul M. Garton, Inc. (http://www.paulmgarton.com/) and they do a great job. I am not affiliated with them. I found them in a web search and they have worked out very well.

One thing you have to be aware of if you start recording your thoughts - we often sound very different when we speak than when we write. Writing and speaking use different centers of our brains and I was surprised when I first started getting transcripts of conversations at how hard it was to read them. I was embarrassed at what I was reading. I thought that what I was saying made sense at the time, but when I read it, it was awkward. Causal conversation has lots of pauses, sounds, and use of the language that you might not use if you were writing. We understand each other during conversations, but when you write, the thought process is different. You will have to edit your transcript.

Now when I speak and I know the conversation is being recorded, I try to be very aware of what I am saying and speak in a more mindful way. The transcripts have been better since I started doing that.

Another idea to get you going on your book: start a blog. No one has to read it until you are ready. You can set it to be private at any of the free blog providers out there (I use BLOGGER). I think it helps the thinking process. Choose a template from a blog provider that appeals to you and type your thoughts. If you are writing your book yourself, write a little each day and next thing you know, you have written a book! If you are working with someone like me, a blog can be a way you communicate with your ghostwriter to share your thought

s and ideas.

Find the mode of expressing your thoughts that works for you and start today!

Warmly,

Jackie

Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.

Ghostwriter

http://www.iwriteyourbooks.com

Seattle, WA | jackie@deepteaching.com

CELL: (206) 755-9272