How to Write a Book in 2019 A Proven Guide From a Best Seller

How to Write a Book in 2019 A Proven Guide From a Best Seller How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps So you want to write a book. Becoming an author can change your life- not to mention give you the ability to impact thousands, even millions, of people. However, writing a book is no cakewalk. As a 21-time New York Times bestselling author, I can tell you: It’s far easier to quit than to finish. When you run out of ideas, when your own message bores you, or when you become overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the task, you’re going to be tempted to give up. But what if you knew exactly: Where to start What each step entails How to overcome fear, procrastination, and writer’s block And how to keep from feeling overwhelmed? You can do this- and more quickly than you might think, because these days you have access to more writing tools than ever. The key is to follow a proven, straightforward, step-by-step plan. My goal here is to offer you that plan. I’ve used the techniques I outline below to write more than 190 books (including the Left Behind series) over the past 40 years. Yes, I realize averaging over four books per year is more than you may have thought humanly possible. But trust me- with a reliable blueprint, you can get unstuck and finish your book. This is my personal approach to how to write a book. I’m confident you’ll find something here that can change the game for you. So, let’s jump in. How to Write a Book From Start to Finish in 20 Steps Establish your writing space. Assemble your writing tools. Break the project into small pieces. Settle on your BIG idea. Construct your outline. Set a firm writing schedule. Establish a sacred deadline. Embrace procrastination (really!). Eliminate distractions. Conduct your research. Start calling yourself a writer. Think reader-first. Find your writing voice. Write a compelling opener. Fill your story with conflict and tension. Turn off your internal editor while writing the first draft. Persevere through The Marathon of the Middle. Write a resounding ending. Become a ferocious self-editor. Find a mentor. Want to download this 20-step guide so you can read it whenever you wish? Click here. Part One: Before You Begin You’ll never regret- in fact, you’ll thank yourself later- for investing the time necessary to prepare for such a monumental task. You wouldn’t set out to cut down a huge grove of trees with just an axe. You’d need a chain saw, perhaps more than one. Something to keep them sharp. Enough fuel to keep them running. You get the picture. Don’t shortcut this foundational part of the process. 1. Establish your writing space. To write your book, you don’t need a sanctuary. In fact, I started my career on my couch facing a typewriter perched on a plank of wood suspended by two kitchen chairs. What were you saying about your setup again?We do what we have to do. And those early days on that sagging couch were among the most productive of my career. Naturally, the nicer and more comfortable and private you can make your writing lair (I call mine my cave), the better. (If you dedicate a room solely to your writing, you can even write off a portion of your home mortgage, taxes, and insurance proportionate to that space.) Real writers can write anywhere. Some write in restaurants and coffee shops. My first fulltime job was at a newspaper where 40 of us clacked away on manual typewriters in one big room- no cubicles, no partitions, conversations hollered over the din, most of my colleagues smoking, teletype machines clattering. Cut your writing teeth in an environment like that, and anywhere else seems glorious. 2. Assemble your writing tools. In the newspaper business there was no time to handwrite our stuff and then type it for the layout guys. So I have always written at a keyboard. Most authors do, though some handwrite their first drafts and then keyboard them onto a computer or pay someone to do that. No publisher I know would even consider a typewritten manuscript, let alone one submitted in handwriting. The publishing industry runs on Microsoft Word, so you’ll need to submit Word document files. Whether you prefer a Mac or a PC, both will produce the kinds of files you need. And if you’re looking for a musclebound electronic organizing system, you can’t do better than Scrivener. It works well on both PCs and Macs, and it nicely interacts with Word files. Just remember, Scrivener has a steep learning curve, so familiarize yourself with it before you start writing. Scrivener users know that taking the time to learn the basics is well worth it. So, what else do you need? If you are one who handwrites your first drafts, don’t scrimp on paper, pencils, or erasers. Don’t shortchange yourself on a computer either. Even if someone else is keyboarding for you, you’ll need a computer for research and for communicating with potential agents, editors, publishers. Get the best computer you can afford, the latest, the one with the most capacity and speed. Try to imagine everything you’re going to need in addition to your desk or table, so you can equip yourself in advance and don’t have to keep interrupting your work to find things like: Staplers Paper clips Rulers Pencil holders Pencil sharpeners Note pads Printing paper Paperweight Tape dispensers Cork or bulletin boards Clocks Bookends Reference works Space heaters Fans Lamps Beverage mugs Napkins Tissues You name it Last, but most crucial, get the best, most ergonomic chair you can afford. If I were to start my career again with that typewriter on a plank, I would not sit on that couch. I’d grab another straight-backed kitchen chair or something similar and be proactive about my posture and maintaining a healthy spine. There’s nothing worse than trying to be creative and immerse yourself in writing while you’re in agony. The chair I work in today cost more than my first car! If you’ve never used some of the items I listed above and can’t imagine needing them, fine. But make a list of everything you know you’ll need so when the actual writing begins, you’re already equipped. As you grow as a writer and actually start making money at it, you can keep upgrading your writing space. Where I work now is light years from where I started. But the point is, I didn’t wait to start writing until I could have a great spot in which to do it. Part Two: How to Start Writing a Book 3. Break the project into small pieces. Writing a book feels like a colossal project, because it is! But your manuscript will be made up of many small parts. An old adage says that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Try to get your mind off your book as a 400-or-so-page monstrosity. It can’t be written all at once any more than that proverbial elephant could be eaten in a single sitting. See your book for what it is: a manuscript made up of sentences, paragraphs, pages. Those pages will begin to add up, and though after a week you may have barely accumulated double digits, a few months down the road you’ll be into your second hundred pages. So keep it simple. Start by distilling your big book idea from a page or so to a single sentence- your premise. The more specific that one-sentence premise, the more it will keep you focused while you’re writing. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before you can turn your big idea into one sentence, which can then be expanded to an outline, you have to settle on exactly what that big idea is. 4. Settle on your BIG idea. To be book-worthy, your idea has to be killer. You need to write something about which you’re passionate, something that gets you up in the morning, draws you to the keyboard, and keeps you there. It should excite not only you, but also anyone you tell about it. I can’t overstate the importance of this. If you’ve tried and failed to finish your book before- maybe more than once- it could be that the basic premise was flawed. Maybe it was worth a blog post or an article but couldn’t carry an entire book. Think The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, or How to Win Friends and Influence People. The market is crowded, the competition fierce. There’s no more room for run-of-the-mill ideas. Your premise alone should make readers salivate. Go for the big concept book. How do you know you’ve got a winner? Does it have legs? In other words, does it stay in your mind, growing and developing every time you think of it? Run it past loved ones and others you trust. Does it raise eyebrows? Elicit Wows? Or does it result in awkward silences? The right concept simply works, and you’ll know it when you land on it. Most importantly, your idea must capture you in such a way that you’re compelled to write it. Otherwise you’ll lose interest halfway through and never finish. 5. Construct your outline. Want to download this 20-step guide so you can read it whenever you wish? Click here. Starting your writing without a clear vision of where you’re going will usually end in disaster. Even if you’re writing fiction and consider yourself a Pantser* as opposed to an Outliner, you need at least a basic structure. [*Those of us who write by the seat of our pants and, as Stephen King advises, put interesting characters in difficult situations and write to find out what happens] You don’t have to call it an outline if that offends your sensibilities. But fashion some sort of a directional document that provides structure and also serves as a safety net. If you get out on that Pantser highwire and lose your balance, you’ll thank me for advising you to have this in place. Now if you’re writing a nonfiction book, there’s no substitute for an outline. Potential agents or publishers require this in your proposal. They want to know where you’re going, and they want to know that you know. What do you want your reader to learn from your book, and how will you ensure they learn it? Fiction or nonfiction, if you commonly lose interest in your book somewhere in what I call the Marathon of the Middle, you likely didn’t start with enough exciting ideas. That’s why and outline (or a basic framework) is essential. Don’t even start writing until you’re confident your structure will hold up through the end. You may recognize this novel structure illustration. Did you know it holds up- with only slight adaptations- for nonfiction books too? It’s self-explanatory for novelists; they list their plot twists and developments and arrange them in an order that best serves to increase tension. What separates great nonfiction from mediocre? The same structure! Arrange your points and evidence in the same way so you’re setting your reader up for a huge payoff, and then make sure you deliver. If your nonfiction book is a memoir, an autobiography, or a biography, structure it like a novel and you can’t go wrong. But even if it’s a straightforward how-to book, stay as close to this structure as possible, and you’ll see your manuscript come alive. Make promises early, triggering your reader to anticipate fresh ideas, secrets, inside information, something major that will make him thrilled with the finished product. While you may not have as much action or dialogueor character development as your novelist counterpart, your crises and tension can come from showing where people have failed before and how you’re going to ensure your reader will succeed. You can even make the how-to project look impossible until you pay off that setup with your unique solution. Keep your outline to a single page for now. But make sure every major point is represented, so you’ll always know where you’re going. And don’t worry if you’ve forgotten the basics of classic outlining or have never felt comfortable with the concept. Your outline must serve you. If that means Roman numerals and capital and lowercase letters and then Arabic numerals, you can certainly fashion it that way. But if you just want a list of sentences that synopsize your idea, that’s fine too. Simply start with your working title, then your premise, then- for fiction, list all the major scenes that fit into the rough structure above. For nonfiction, try to come up with chapter titles and a sentence or two of what each chapter will cover. Once you have your one-page outline, remember it is a fluid document meant to serve you and your book. Expand it, change it, play with it as you see fit- even during the writing process. 6.Set a firm writing schedule. Ideally, you want to schedule at least six hours per week to write. That may consist of three sessions of two hours each, two sessions of three hours, or six one-hour sessions- whatever works for you. I recommend a regular pattern (same times, same days) that can most easily become a habit. But if that’s impossible, just make sure you carve out at least six hours so you can see real progress. Having trouble finding the time to write a book? News flash- you won’t find the time. You have to make it. I used the phrase carve out above for a reason. That’s what it takes. Something in your calendar will likely have to be sacrificed in the interest of writing time. Make sure it’s not your family- they should always be your top priority. Never sacrifice your family on the altar of your writing career. But beyond that, the truth is that we all find time for what we really want to do. Many writers insist they have no time to write, but they always seem to catch the latest Netflix original series, or go to the next big Hollywood feature. They enjoy concerts, parties, ball games, whatever. How important is it to you to finally write your book? What will you cut from your calendar each week to ensure you give it the time it deserves? A favorite TV show? An hour of sleep per night? (Be careful with this one; rest is crucial to a writer.) A movie? A concert? A party? Successful writers make time to write. When writing becomes a habit, you’ll be on your way. 7. Establish a sacred deadline. Without deadlines, I rarely get anything done. I need that motivation. Admittedly, my deadlines are now established in my contracts from publishers. If you’re writing your first book, you probably don’t have a contract yet. To ensure you finish your book, set your own deadline- then consider it sacred. Tell your spouse or loved one or trusted friend. Ask that they hold you accountable. Now determine- and enter in your calendar- the number of pages you need to produce per writing session to meet your deadline. If it proves unrealistic, change the deadline now. If you have no idea how many pages or words you typically produce per session, you may have to experiment before you finalize those figures. Say you want to finish a 400-page manuscript by this time next year. Divide 400 by 50 weeks (accounting for two off-weeks), and you get eight pages per week. Divide that by your typical number of writing sessions per week and you’ll know how many pages you should finish per session. Now is the time to adjust these numbers,while setting your deadline and determining your pages per session. Maybe you’d rather schedule four off weeks over the next year. Or you know your book will be unusually long. Change the numbers to make it realistic and doable, and then lock it in. Remember, your deadline is sacred. 8. Embrace procrastination (really!). You read that right. Don’t fight it; embrace it. You wouldn’t guess it from my 190+ published books, but I’m the king of procrastinators. Surprised? Don’t be. So many authors are procrastinators that I’ve come to wonder if it’s a prerequisite. The secret is to accept it and, in fact, schedule it. I quit fretting and losing sleep over procrastinating when I realized it was inevitable and predictable, and also that it was productive. Sound like rationalization? Maybe it was at first. But I learned that while I’m putting off the writing, my subconscious is working on my book. It’s a part of the process. When you do start writing again, you’ll enjoy the surprises your subconscious reveals to you. So, knowing procrastination is coming, book it on your calendar. Take it into account when you’re determining your page quotas. If you have to go back in and increase the number of pages you need to produce per session, do that (I still do it all the time). But- and here’s the key- you must never let things get to where that number of pages per day exceeds your capacity. It’s one thing to ratchet up your output from two pages per session to three. But if you let it get out of hand, you’ve violated the sacredness of your deadline. How can I procrastinate and still meet more than 190 deadlines? Because I keep the deadlines sacred. 9. Eliminate distractions to stay focused. Are you as easily distracted as I am? Have you found yourself writing a sentence and then checking your email? Writing another and checking Facebook? Getting caught up in the come-ons for pictures of the 10 Sea Monsters You Wouldn’t Believe Actually Exist? Then you just have to check out that precious video from a talk show where the dad surprises the family by returning from the war. That leads to more and more of the same. Once I’m in, my writing is forgotten, and all of a sudden the day has gotten away from me. The answer to these insidious timewasters? Look into these apps that allow you to block your email, social media, browsers, game apps, whatever you wish during the hours you want to write. Some carry a modest fee, others are free. Freedom app. FocusWriter StayFocusd WriteRoom 10. Conduct your research. Yes, research is a vital part of the process, whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. Fiction means more than just making up a story. Your details and logic and technical and historical details must be right for your novel to be believable. And for nonfiction, even if you’re writing about a subject in which you’re an expert- as I’m doing here- you’ll be surprised how ensuring you get all the facts right will polish your finished product. In fact, you’d be surprised at how many times I’ve researched a fact or two while writing this blog post alone. The last thing you want is even a small mistake due to your lack of proper research. Regardless the detail, trust me, you’ll hear from readers about it. Your credibility as an author and an expert hinges on creating trust with your reader. That dissolves in a hurry if you commit an error. My favorite research resources are: World Almanacs: These alone list almost everything you need for accurate prose: facts, data, government information, and more. For my novels, I often use these to come up with ethnically accurate character names. TheMerriam-Webster Thesaurus: The online version is great, because it’s lightning fast. You couldn’t turn the pages of a hard copy as quickly as you can get where you want to onscreen. One caution: Never let it be obvious you’ve consulted a thesaurus. You’re not looking for the exotic word that jumps off the page. You’re looking for that common word that’s on the tip of your tongue. WorldAtlas.com: Here you’ll find nearly limitless information about any continent, country, region, city, town, or village. Names, monetary units, weather patterns, tourism info, and even facts you wouldn’t have thought to search for. I get ideas when I’m digging here, for both my novels and my nonfiction books. 11. Start calling yourself a writer. Want to download this 20-step guide so you can read it whenever you wish? Click here. Your inner voice may tell you, â€Å"You’re no writer and you never will be. What do you think you’re doing, trying to write a book? That may be why you’ve stalled at writing your book in the past. But if you’re working at writing, studying writing, practicing writing, that makes you a writer. Don’t wait till you reach some artificial level of accomplishment before calling yourself a writer. A cop in uniform and on duty is a cop whether he’s actively enforced the law yet or not. A carpenter is a carpenter whether he’s ever built a house. Self-identify as a writer now and you’ll silence that inner critic- who, of course, is really you. Talk back to yourself if you must. It may sound silly, but acknowledging yourself as a writer can give you the confidence to keep going and finish your book. Are you a writer? Say so. Part Three: The Writing Itself 12. Think reader-first. This is so important that that you should write it on a sticky note and affix it to your monitor so you’re reminded of it every time you write. Every decision you make about your manuscript must be run through this filter. Not you-first, not book-first, not editor-, agent-, or publisher-first. Certainly not your inner circle- or critics-first. Reader-first, last, and always. If every decision is based on the idea of reader-first, all those others benefit anyway. When fans tell me they were moved by one of my books, I think back to this adage and am grateful I maintained that posture during the writing. Does a scene bore you? If you’re thinking reader-first, it gets overhauled or deleted. Where to go, what to say, what to write next? Decide based on the reader as your priority. Whatever your gut tells you your reader would prefer, that’s your answer. Whatever will intrigue him, move him, keep him reading, those are your marching orders. So, naturally, you need to know your reader. Rough age? General interests? Loves? Hates? Attention span? When in doubt, look in the mirror. The surest way to please your reader is to please yourself. Write what you would want to read and trust there is a broad readership out there that agrees. 13. Find your writing voice. Discovering your voice is nowhere near as complicated as some make it out to be. You can find yours by answering these quick questions: What’s the coolest thing that ever happened to you? Who’s the most important person you told about it? What did you sound like when you did? That’s your writing voice. It should read the way you sound at your most engaged. That’s all there is to it. If you write fiction and the narrator of your book isn’t you, go through the three-question exercise on the narrator’s behalf- and you’ll quickly master the voice. Here’s a blog I posted that’ll walk you through the process. 14. Write a compelling opener. If you’re stuck because of the pressure of crafting the perfect opening line, you’re not alone. And neither is your angst misplaced. This is not something you should put off and come back to once you’ve started on the rest of the first chapter. Oh, it can still change if the story dictates that. But settling on a good one will really get you off and running. It’s unlikely you’ll write a more important sentence than your first one, whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. Make sure you’re thrilled with it and then watch how your confidence- and momentum- soars. Most great first lines fall into one of these categories: Surprising Fiction: â€Å"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.† - George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four Nonfiction: â€Å"By the time Eustace Conway was seven years old, he could throw a knife accurately enough to nail a chipmunk to a tree.† - Elizabeth Gilbert, The Last American Man Dramatic Statement Fiction: â€Å"They shoot the white girl first.† - Toni Morrison, Paradise Nonfiction: â€Å"I was five years old the first time I ever set foot in prison.† - Jimmy Santiago Baca, A Place to Stand Philosophical Fiction: â€Å"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.† - Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Nonfiction: â€Å"It’s not about you.† - Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life Poetic Fiction: â€Å"When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon. - James Crumley, The Last Good Kiss Nonfiction: â€Å"The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call ‘out there.’† - Truman Capote, In Cold Blood Great opening lines from other classics may give you ideas for yours. Heres a list of famous openers. 15. Fill your story with conflict and tension. Your reader craves conflict, and yes, this applies to nonfiction readers as well. In a novel, if everything is going well and everyone is agreeing, your reader will soon lose interest and find something else to do- like watch paint dry. Are two of your characters talking at the dinner table? Have one say something that makes the other storm out. Some deep-seeded rift in their relationship has surfaced. Is it just a misunderstanding that has snowballed into an injustice? Thrust people into conflict with each other. That’ll keep your reader’s attention. Certain nonfiction genres won’t lend themselves to that kind of conflict, of course, but you can still inject tension by setting up your reader for a payoff in later chapters. Check out some of the current bestselling nonfiction works to see how writers accomplish this. Somehow they keep you turning those pages, even in a simple how-to title. Tension is the secret sauce that will propel your reader through to the end. And sometimes that’s as simple as implying something to come. 16. Turn off your internal editor while writing the first draft. Many of us are perfectionists and find it hard to get a first draft written- fiction or nonfiction- without feeling compelled to make every sentence exactly the way we want it. That voice in your head that questions every word, every phrase, every sentence, and makes you worry you’re being redundant or have allowed cliches to creep in- well, that’s just your editor alter ego. He or she needs to be told to shut up. This is not easy. Deep as I am into a long career, I still have to remind myself of this every writing day. I cannot be both creator and editor at the same time. That slows me to a crawl, and my first draft of even one brief chapter could take days. Our job when writing that first draft is to get down the story or the message or the teaching- depending on your genre. It helps me to view that rough draft as a slab of meat I will carve tomorrow. I can’t both produce that hunk and trim it at the same time. A cliche, a redundancy, a hackneyed phrase comes tumbling out of my keyboard, and I start wondering whether I’ve forgotten to engage the reader’s senses or aimed for his emotions. That’s when I have to chastise myself and say, â€Å"No! Don’t worry about that now! First thing tomorrow you get to tear this thing up and put it back together again to your heart’s content!† Imagine yourself wearing different hats for different tasks, if that helps- whatever works to keep you rolling on that rough draft. You don’t need to show it to your worst enemy or even your dearest love. This chore is about creating. Don’t let anything slow you down. Some like to write their entire first draft before attacking the revision. As I say, whatever works. Doing it that way would make me worry I’ve missed something major early that will cause a complete rewrite when I discover it months later. I alternate creating and revising. The first thing I do every morning is a heavy edit and rewrite of whatever I wrote the day before. If that’s ten pages, so be it. I put my perfectionist hat on and grab my paring knife and trim that slab of meat until I’m happy with every word. Then I switch hats, tell Perfectionist Me to take the rest of the day off, and I start producing rough pages again. So, for me, when I’ve finished the entire first draft, it’s actually a second draft because I have already revised and polished it in chunks every day. THEN I go back through the entire manuscript one more time, scouring it for anything I missed or omitted, being sure to engage the reader’s senses and heart, and making sure the whole thing holds together. I do not submit anything I’m not entirely thrilled with. I know there’s still an editing process it will will go through at the publisher, but my goal is to make my manuscript the absolute best I can before they see it. Compartmentalize your writing vs. your revising and you’ll find that frees you to create much more quickly. 17. Persevere through The Marathon of the Middle. Most who fail at writing a book tell me they give up somewhere in what I like to call The Marathon of the Middle. That’s a particularly rough stretch for novelists who have a great concept, a stunning opener, and they can’t wait to get to the dramatic ending. But they bail when they realize they don’t have enough cool stuff to fill the middle. They start padding, trying to add scenes just for the sake of bulk, but they’re soon bored and know readers will be too. This actually happens to nonfiction writers too. The solution there is in the outlining stage, being sure your middle points and chapters are every bit as valuable and magnetic as the first and last. If you strategize the progression of your points or steps in a process- depending on nonfiction genre- you should be able to eliminate the strain in the middle chapters. For novelists, know that every book becomes a challenge a few chapters in. The shine wears off, keeping the pace and tension gets harder, and it’s easy to run out of steam. But that’s not the time to quit. Force yourself back to your structure, come up with a subplot if necessary, but do whatever you need to so your reader stays engaged. Fiction writer or nonfiction author, The Marathon of the Middle is when you must remember why you started this journey in the first place. It isn’t just that you want to be an author. You have something to say. You want to reach the masses with your message. Yes, it’s hard. It still is for me- every time. But don’t panic or do anything rash, like surrendering. Embrace the challenge of the middle as part of the process. If it were easy, anyone could do it. 18. Write a resounding ending. Want to download this 20-step guide so you can read it whenever you wish? Click here. This is just as important for your nonfiction book as your novel. It may not be as dramatic or emotional, but it could be- especially if you’re writing a memoir. But even a how-to or self-help book needs to close with a resounding thud, the way a Broadway theater curtain meets the floor. How do you ensure your ending doesn’t fizzle? Don’t rush it. Give readers the payoff they’ve been promised. They’ve invested in you and your book the whole way. Take the time to make it satisfying. Never settle for close enough just because you’re eager to be finished. Wait till you’re thrilled with every word, and keep revising until you are. If it’s unpredictable, it had better be fair and logical so your reader doesn’t feel cheated. You want him to be delighted with the surprise, not tricked. If you have multiple ideas for how your book should end, go for the heart rather than the head, even in nonfiction. Readers most remember what moves them. Part Four: All Writing Is Rewriting 19. Become a ferocious self-editor. Agents and editors can tell within the first two pages whether your manuscript is worthy of further consideration. That sounds unfair, and maybe it is. But it’s also reality, so we writers need to face it. How can they often decide that quickly on something you’ve devoted months, maybe years, to? Because they can almost immediately envision how much editing would be required to make those first couple of pages publishable. If they decide the investment wouldn’t make economic sense for a 300-400-page manuscript, end of story. Your best bet to keep an agent or editor reading your manuscript? You must become a ferocious self-editor. That means: Omit needless words Choose the simple word over one that requires a dictionary Avoid subtle redundancies, like â€Å"He thought in his mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Where else would someone think?) Avoid hedging verbs like almost frowned, sort of jumped, etc. Generally remove the word that- use it only when absolutely necessary for clarity Give the reader credit and resist the urge to explain, as in, â€Å"She walked through the open door.† (Did we need to be told it was open?) Avoid too much stage direction (what every character is doing with every limb and digit) Avoid excessive adjectives Show, don’t tell And many more For my full list and how to use them, click here. (It’s free.) When do you know you’re finished revising? When you’ve gone from making your writing better to merely making it different. That’s not always easy to determine, but it’s what makes you an author. And Finally, the Quickest Way to Succeed 20. Find a mentor. Get help from someone who’s been where you want to be. Imagine engaging a mentor who can help you sidestep all the amateur pitfalls and shave years of painful trial-and-error off your learning curve. Just make sure it’s someone who really knows the writing and publishing world. Many masquerade as mentors and coaches but have never really succeeded themselves. Look for someone widely-published who knows how to work with agents, editors, and publishers. There are many helpful mentors online. I teach writers through this free site, as well as in my members-only Writers Guild. Want to save this definitive guide to read later?Click here or below to download a handy PDF version: Struggling with knowing how to write a book? Tell me in the comments and feel free to ask questions.

Should we be more suspicious of the benefits that Computer Dependency Essay

Should we be more suspicious of the benefits that Computer Dependency brings - Essay Example According to the research findings it can therefore be said that we live in a world where technological evolution dictates the next level of the evolution of the human race. Computers are at the forefront of each activity that is a part and parcel of our daily lives. From waking us up in the morning to heating up a bag of popcorn, the computer has taken over even the most menial tasks that used to define a person as a human being. Just like any other piece of technology or equipment that becomes an integral part of our lives, there are certain risks involved each time we use the gadget. It is this percentage of danger that the detractors of our society's dependency on computers use as the basis of their anti-computer campaigns. There are quite a number of valid yet controversial points of view when it comes to the benefits that we reap from the existence of computers versus the consequences that we face as a society as we become more and more dependent on software, hardware, and serv ers for storing and usage of our vital information. With the steady rise of computer crimes, hacking, identity theft, embezzlement, and fraud one cannot help but wonder if our implicit trust in the benefits of computer usage is not a misguided result of a well financed PR campaign. Looking deeper into the crimes and other problems associated with computer dependency, it does seem like the use of computers encourages crimes against the economy and man. The first argument against the growing intrusion of computers into our private lives has to do with online privacy concerns. We are storing more and more personal information on the internet in order to access the services that we need. Everything from our full name to our social security number floats around in cyberspace, waiting for us to use the information. That is if the information is not hacked from the system and used by other people in our name. Computer hacking has become one of the greatest concerns for those of us who have become reliant on the internet and computers for the accomplishment of tasks such as paying for our bills and updating our medical records. Cybercrime has become such a high profile problem for our country that the highest echelons of homeland security have become part of the government forces trying to secure the internet by combating internet related crime (Bell, Josephine Computer Economics A Great Dependence with Explicit Consequences) . On a personal level, computers have been proven to be beneficial to our society as it has given people a venue by which they can freely air out their grievances and demand action from the political leaders. It has allowed the masses to become empowered even as dictator governments try to crack down on them and silence their voices. The advent of social media has ensured that every man will have a voice that can and will be heard across the globe. Thanks to computers, changes for the better were seen this past year in the Middle East. That is a good thing. The whole world saw their struggles and pitched in whenever they could in order to insure that change would indeed be effected for the benefit of many in that region of the world. Computers have seen to it that a new era has dawned upon our society. We now live in the age and time of computers. Due to the multitasking capabilities of computers, we have seen the machine take over various work roles that were originally deemed to be done only by human beings. The technological advancements in the world of business has resulted in the loss of jobs of people due to the more efficient ways and means that computers manage to execute tasks. The loss of jobs to technological advancements have resulted in the fast changing pace and face of our society in the 21st century. These advancements were not all positive and neither were they all negative in the way that the existence of social networks have changed the way we interact with one another. The bad thing, is that the anonymit y that is offered by social media sites such as twitter and Facebook, has

Sustainable Fast Food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Sustainable Fast Food - Essay Example The firm appears to have many positive features whereby it can take advantage of economies of scope and scale which may help to make it attractive to potential customers. In order to assess the potential of Cream Tavern to be sustainable in the future period, it is imperative to analyse the organisations’ environment it will be operating in through conducting a SWOT as well as PESTEL analysis of the factors that will affect its operations. There is also need to outline the company’s intended operating strategies so as to ascertain its sustainability in the future. This includes identifying the sources of competitive advantage as well as its potential for better performance in the future. Underlying the notion of sustainability are the needs of the current and future generations (Fox & Rooyen 2004). During the contemporary period, it can be noted that sensitivity towards the natural environment and ecological sustainability is gaining prominence and the theme of going green is used to guide many firms in their attempt to establish business. Cream Tavern intends to utilise 100 % organic milk products to manufacture dairy related products in the fast food industry. The concept of environmental protection has recently gained prominence hence sensitivity to the natural environment and ecological sustainability will be used as guiding principles in the operations of this organisation in the fast food industry. In order to operate successfully, there is need for policy formulation that is responsive to the needs of the environment while at the same time satisfying the needs of the customers. Cream Tavern has underscored to recycle all the by-products in the fast food indus try so as to show concern for the environment. This will go a long way in addressing the concerns of the environment while at the same time utilising the material that can be treated as waste in some cases. In this case, it can be noted that the fast food

Changing Business Environment of Tata Motors

Changing Business Environment of Tata Motors Executive Summary: Business Environment is the key factor which determines the success and failure of a business. If an organisation has a prior knowledge about its business environment and take strategic decisions from the signs from the environment around the business then the organisation is bound to become a success. The key factor in the business environment is divided into two broad categories namely Micro and Macro Environments. The factors which are can be controlled are the factors of micro environment namely the organisations raw material provider, distributors, sellers, transportation channels, retailers to name a few. But the macro environmental factor are factors which the organisation doesnt have any control over it but the company is bound to follow are adhere to it in order to be successful like the rules and regulations of government, taxations, environmental factors, laws, etc. with the help of these macro and micro environmental factors the company can position itself in such a way t hat it is sync with the business environment and as well as satisfying the customers and reaching the organisations goals. This research deals about Tata Motor Company which is the largest car manufacturing company in India. With the help of sufficient business models and supporting literatures the resultant research outcome gives an insight about the organisations position in the local as well as the international markets and its progress in the past five years. Introduction: Tata Motors was established under the Tata Group of companies in 1945. They became Indias largest automobile manufacturing company, after which they were the first Indian automobile company to enter the stock exchange in New York. In 1954, they began manufacturing commercial vehicles in collaboration with Daimler Benz of Germany. This collaboration led them to become the largest commercial vehicle manufacturing company in India. They are now among the top five worlds largest medium and heavy truck, bus manufacturers. They started the passenger vehicles manufacturing unit in 1991, and now they rank second in Indias passenger vehicle market. In this composition, we will implement the business models and methods in the above mentioned company. Relevant literature reviews are given and the facts are gathered using secondary data collection method. Recommendations are discussed at the end on the basis of the outcome retrieved from the implementation done in the significant business models. Organization Background: The Tata Motors group is a passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturer based in India. The group was established as part of the Tata Group in 1945. They have been well known for their commercial vehicles and in the past decade they entered into the passenger vehicle segments. Currently, Tata Motors has an ample line of passenger vehicles and a large line of commercial vehicles such as pickups, trucks, tractors, trailers, tippers, and buses. Both product lines of the Tata Motors group have seen success, but much of this has been built upon the more deeply established commercial vehicle product line. Tata Motors commercial line has been established for several years in many market segments such as Europe, Africa, The Middle East, Australia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. They expanded their business and market share around the world through a series of acquisitions. They acquired Daewoo commercial vehicle Company in South Korea in 2004. This acquisition gave Tata Motors a significant presence in the Korean market. They also had collaborations with companies such as Thonburi Automotive in 2006, which allowed them to manufacture and market pickup trucks in Thailand. The commercial vehicle area of the business has certainly been how Tata Motors have built their reputation, with commercial vehicles accounting for 80-85% of company profits. They are beginning to employ a similar technique as they now expand into the passenger car business. Tata Motors have been making global headlines in the auto industry recently. The hottest news is their acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. Tata paid 2.3 billion dollars to Ford for the two brands that cost Ford 5.3 billion dollars. This is a major step for the company because it triggers them into the luxury car business which they are not popular for at this situation. As they acquire many businesses they will be managing the luxury car automobile business with their previous management. This is yet another large acquisition for the Tata Motors group and could create great success for the company in the near future. Tata Motors have increased its earnings over the years through their various acquisitions and joint ventures with truck manufacturers in Southeast Asia. Gross profit in the year 2006 was 1,160.9 million and increased to 1,510.1 million in the year 2007. After a large drop in revenues from 2004 to 2005 when the company first went public on the NYSE, it has been increasing revenues greatly annually, from 4,422.0 million in 2005 to 7,354.0 in 2007. Their net Revenue in 2008-09 was 256.79 billion, and net profit was 100.26 billion, due to market disruption. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Tata motors have a wife variety of products due to its collaborations and joint ventures with other vehicle manufacturing companies and due to the fact that it has acquired many international companies which enabled it to access new technologies and inject them into its existing commercial and passenger vehicles manufacturing line. Tata motors have strong Human resources. It helps its employees to gain knowledge by providing additional support to by providing workshops and trainings. Weaknesses: The organisation has a little amount of weakness because it has a wide variety of products with a wide range from cheap cars as low as $2000 to premium cars which can cost up to $ 80000. so everyone gets what the desire. Opportunities: With its wide variety of products it has a huge opportunity to reach into almost all the sectors of automobile industry. Tata motors have multiple classes of vehicles such as passenger cars, commercial vehicles, busses, defences and support vehicles. Threats: With the huge variety of vehicles and different sectors to venture into Tata motors have created serious rivalry from different car manufacturers such as Hyundai motors, Maruthi-Suzuki, Ford, Chevrolet, Skoda Motors and so on. The higer the pressure from the rivals creates even more opportunities to discover new innovative ideas and technologies to implement in their manufacturing of vehicles. The initial stage of any strategic planning is the SWOT analysis. The structure of the SWOT analysis is simple but, after analysing an organisation using this tool a perfect solution for a strategic plan can be obtained from the data collected. SWOT represents Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. The strength and weakness are internal factors whereas; opportunities and threats are external factors. There are some simple rules to obtain good results from SWOT analysis. The organisation must be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses. It should show the difference between where the organization is and where is it heading to, SWOT must be applied in relation to the competitor. It is better to avoid complexity and over analysis since, SWOT is subjective. (Marketing teacher) PESTEL analysis: PESTEL analysis helps to position any organisation with its business environment. It enables to assess the organiations improvement and success with the factors that are uncontrolable by the oragnisation thses factors are also known as micro environmental factors for example factors such as competitiors, econpomy, sellers, buyers, distributors and general consumers. Pestel analysis gives an clear insight about the organisation and its values and position. This research implement the PESTEL analysis for the TATA motor company. Political Factors: In the past few years TATA motors ventured in to new grounds by merging and aquiring new companies in differrent parts of the world. In 2004 it aquired Daewoo Commercial vehicles company in Korea which helped Tata motors to gain some international ground. With the expansion the Tata motors had to follow certain rules and regultaions which casued them to hire employees and staff from the local area and since they had a strict law of labour union they had little or no job redundancy. Since tata motors had its presence in the whole of Asia, Africa, Australia, The Middle East and the United Kingdom it had various rules and regulations to follow and since it was a very difficult taask to cope up with and the changes to adhere to it had most of its operations and manamgement planning within India where it has its most of the dealerships and subsidiaries. Therefore Tata motors had a very hard ground to cover and its overseas acquisition of Land Rover and Jaguar from Ford motors enabled it t o concentrate on luxury cars and not its traditional economy class cars. On the acquisition of these luxury car companies it had a similar problem as the acquisiton of Daewoo motors in Korea. Since UK has a very powerful Labour union, Tata motors made amove not to fire any of its employees from the previous ownership but it made all of its top level managers and staff shifted from other parts of the organisation who were well aware of the companies work culture and ethics. Economical Factors: Tata motors is the biggest automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturing company in India. With over 70% of market share in India and it had a 0.81% of market share globally. when Tata Motors acquired Land Rover and Jaguar in 2008 it had solidified revenue a massive $16 billion. In 2008 when Tata motors acquired Land Rover and Jaguar the premium car companies it planned to raise funds through its shares, but due to the mangements decision it was left in last moment, but in 2010 Tata Motors are pallning to raise around $700 Million in its shares sales. This decision is is made in order to raise funds for its new manufacturing plants and to enhance its research and development but there are no official reports of when it will be implemented. These shares are sold to the minority share holders in order to safe guard the organisation since the decision was taken it had one tenth of the voting rights of the ordinary shares with a 5% increase in the dividend. Tata motors is the first car manufacturing company to produce the cheapest road car in the world the Nano, which is priced at approximately $2000. which has made a great difference in India where the booking of these cars are filled up even before the cars are commercially manufactured. Tata motors is a dual listed company it is listed in Bombay Stock Exchange as well as New York Stock Exchange under the sign TTM. Tata commercial vehicle manufacturing company has been in the top five commercial vehicle manufactures in the world and it also one of the top eight companies in India with a annual turn over of $7 billion. Tata motors since the beginning of its venture with partner ship with daimler-Benz in 1954 have came up with new concepts in car manufaturing but it has always focused upon the mid and small sized cars, this is due to fact that most of its customer base is India where the traffic is highly congested and fuel consumptions are very high with the price of fuel relatively higher. So people tend to hav e a soft corner over the small sized cars. So Tata Motors introduced Tata Indica a small sized car in 1998, which fits 5 people with a very little boot space, It became an instant star among the people and large number of orders were made and even today it is preferred by many people because of itssize and a very low fuel consumption and high mileage in the city as well as in the high ways. Tata has its presence in the global economy. It has partner ship with different companies in different parts of the world it has a wide variety of products to manufacture. Tata motors has joint ventures between Fiat car manufacturing company and in recent times Tata motors has intiated to bring in new models of its Joint ventured company Fiat Motors. Other than manufacturing of commercial and passenger vehicles Tata has its section of defence solution it is an internal wing of Tata motors but specialised in manufacturing of heavy armoured and transportation and support vehicles for the army. It h as great potential in India as well as different parts of the globe. Social Factors: The Tata motors have more than half a century of experience in manufacturing of locomotives and vehicles either passenger or commercial. Tata motors have heritage of helping the community by opening a trust which helps the community by providing education for the poor people and helping charity and community works. Tata motors are the signatory of United Nations organisation. Every time it builds a new manufacturing plant it recruits staff and labourers who are local to the area this enables the local people to acquaint to the company and it creates huge job opportunities as well. Tata motors induce more than 2% of its annual turnover to research and development of new and innovative equipments to keep the balance between the ecology and machines and reducing the pollution of the vehicles it manufactures. Technological Factors: Tata motors have invested more money into its technological aspects this is due to the fact that the pollution cause by vehicles increase the carbon monoxide content in the atmosphere which in turn gives way to green house effect where the gases stay in the environment and heat up the planets atmosphere which cause global warming. So all the vehicles that tata manufactures are tested n tired in order that they have little contribution to the global warming. Apart from environmental factors the passenger car segment has its own technological advancements such as the v2 engines that the company manufactures are know to be one of the best in its class in terms of power, low consumption of fuel and high mileage, and after acquiring the Land Rover and Jaguar from Ford motors in 2008 Tata motors have discovered that the engines in these vehicles are proved to add more stress to the performance of the vehicles so currently they are researching into finding solutions for fine tuning these en gines which in turn makes it to perform well. In the European markets Tata motors have initiated a new method of scrapping the old cars, here they inform there customers to bring in their old vehicles to recycle it for free and they use there own centres and subsidiaries to dismantle the old vehicles which makes most of the parts to be serviced and fitted into other vehicles. These are some of the key technological factors of Tata Motors. Ecological Factors: Tata motors have a good standard of manufacturing vehicles adhering to the euro and Indian standards of emission and it also invested into creating greener cars by researching in alternate fuel methods and low consumption of fuel which creates a balance between the eco systems. All the vehicles come with low emission a filter which convert and reduces the carbon monoxide content emitted by the vehicles. Legal Factors: Since it has its companys presence in many countries it has a lot of law, rules and regulations to follow. Tata in recent years have been adhere to the governments laws and taxations that the Indian government has awarded Tata Motors as the best car manufacturer. There have been serious frictions in the state of Bihar where it planned to build its new car Nanos manufacturing plant but the state government insisted the Tata motors to shift its base to some other state, which Tata motors did by moving its plan to the state of Gujarat. These are some of the legal issues faced by Tata Motors. Conclusion: Tata motor company has been a fore runner in car manufacturing in India. With the market share of 70% it has a potential to capture more and since the company had serious issues with its rivals it has proved to be winning the tests. Apart from its financial part the Tata motors have given back to the community by manufacturing cars which are far cheaper than any other car manufacturing company could produce. It has also helped the community by providing funds for less able people and created more job opportunities and supported many community development programs and public organisation. With such high profile the organisation serves the community well and honouring this the United Nations Organisation has acquainted with the company in order to maintain the ecological system of the planet by manufacturing low emission vehicles. In recent years Tata motors has been venturing in to new international grounds by acquiring and jointly venturing with similar manufacturing companies. Recommendations: This research recommends that tata motors must implement innovative and technological advancements in manufacturing its vehicles which produce lesser emission and in order to sustain itself in the future the Tata motors must initiate more of its concentration in developing the community by providing awarness about the eco system. Apart from these factors there are limited amount of modification required of the company. In conclusion, Tata motors have proved itself to be a innovative leader with high degree of corporate social responsibility. With its strategic planning and management skills Tata motors will become the leader in automobile manufacturing company in India as well as globally.

James Baldwins Fifth Avenue, Uptown Essay -- Nobody Knows My Name, Ja

In his collection of essays in Nobody Knows My Name, James Baldwin uses â€Å"Fifth Avenue, Uptown† to establish the focus that African Americans no matter where they are positioned would be judged just by the color of their skin. Through his effective use of descriptive word choice, writing style and tone, Baldwin helps the reader visualize his position on the subject. He argues that â€Å"Negroes want to be treated like men† (Baldwin, 67). Baldwin gives a vivid sketch of the depressing conditions he grew up on in Fifth Avenue, Uptown by using strong descriptive words. He makes use of such word choices in his beginning sentences when he reflects back to his house which is now replaced by housing projects and â€Å"one of those stunted city trees is snarling where our [his] doorway used to be† (Baldwin...

Burger King Financial Overview 06-08

From the balance sheet point of view, we can see that total current assets initially decreased and then remained constant. This decrease was due to a reduction in cash and cash equivalents while simultaneously net receivables increased. This essentially tells us that Burger King’s short term liquidity position took a turn for the worse. On the other hand, considering the fact that long term assets such as ‘property, plant and equipment’ and ‘goodwill’ increased, therefore total assets increased during 06-08.This tells us that growth took place during the above mentioned period. Total liabilities decreased sharply in 07 but then rose again slightly in 08. This decrease was mainly due to a reduction in long term debt. However, growth was still taking place because total liabilities rose again in 08. The income statement for the fiscal year 06-08 shows an extremely healthy increase in the net income, especially from 06-07 (increase from $27 million to $1 48 million). This also corroborates with our initial analysis of growth taking place in the company.Referring back to the balance sheet, as mentioned before, there was a sharp decrease in cash and cash equivalents while on one hand we can see that net income has been steadily increasing. What we can gauge from these figures is that burger king has essentially been expanding its business by reinvesting cash. Total assets have increased during this period as well mainly due to an increase in fixed assets. Due to the growth in the net income, stockholder’s equity has also been increasing steadily during this period. Retained earnings as well as capital surplus have also risen considerably during this period.All of these figures point towards a profitable and growing company. From the cash flow statement, figures show that cash from operating activities has been positive and rising. Cash from investing activities, on the other hand, has been negative and we can see that most of t he cash has been used in capital expenditures, yet another sign of a growing and expanding company. Dividend payments have also decreased. The sale of stock has also decreased over this period and in 08 burger king repurchased its stock which is an indicator that they were trying to improve their liquidity position.From the cash flow statement, we can see that accounts receivables as well as current liabilities have increased. The augmentation of current assets therefore was mainly due to a rise in the value of the account receivables. However, both current liabilities and assets have increased during 07-08 which has resulted in the value of the current ratio remaining just below 1. Therefore, the liquidity position has remained stable although not as good as it should be. Referring back to the balance sheet, we can also that long term debt rose during 07-08. This might have essentially led to an increase in the interest expense of that year.From an overall point of view, we can see that burger king is a profitable and growing company. Every financial statement essentially hints towards a moderate expansion policy. The fact that net income has been steadily increasing tells us that burger king has been extremely profitable. If it continues to operate in the same manner, it will be able to sustain this growth, keep its investors happy and finance future expansion in an efficient manner. Sources: http://finance. yahoo. com/q? s=BKC William & Haka & Bettner, . Financial and Managerial Accounting. : McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2003.

The Private Security And Public Security - 1827 Words

The private security industry today plays a primary role in ensuring that citizens of the United States and the entire world are kept safe from criminal activities perpetrated by outlaws. This sector has grown rapidly over the past few centuries to provide more services than it did before. The line between what the private and public security can do and what cannot have been blurred greatly. The former has gone into the domain that was once reserved for the government and it has shown that it can compete to cater to the needs of its clients. Previously, the private sector was more involved in the protection of individuals and institutional properties. The employees of private security were hired as guards and were stationed outside banks,†¦show more content†¦Allan Pinkerton, who came to the country in 1843, is regarded as one of the industry s founding fathers. By 1950, he had managed to form the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which had its base in Chicago. The compan y had a steady rise and soon became the largest provider of private security services. The company managed to amass a wealth of corporate and private customers including the railroad that had been dealing with a great menace of robbers for a long time. At this time, due to lack of proper equipment, the local governments were unable to halt the activities of these criminals who terrorized the railroads as well as its passengers, relieving them of their property. It was upon the victims of the robberies to pursue the matter further in collaboration with their agents. This was how Pinkerton was able to break through and later on increase demand for its services. The duties of the early PS companies went beyond capturing of criminals. They also performed tasks now undertaken by the federal and state government. These included manning the railroads and the cargos, looking into crimes and offering advice to banks, and other enterprises that were prone to attacks and vandalism by the criminals (Cunningham et al., 1990). There was a short disruption in the growth of the privately owned security firms when the public sector finally took responsibility for most of these