Do you feel it? The energy within you is growing, you are cultivating from within what your book is and I hope that feels all kinds of exciting to you because it does to me. We set the amazing foundation of your book by tapping into the energy of who you are. what you are about to create and how future readers will be impacted, moved and sparked by your story.
Now it’s time to create it.
Because writers got to write!
Hi everyone, you know who I am. I am Deepika Sandhu, the CEO of Soul Sparks Press and to bring this beautiful story from your heart onto the page and into the hands of readers around the world, means you gotta write it.
So how the heck are you gonna do that?
I think most people who are new to writing a book, think you just sit down and the words some how magically start flowing.
And for many people that is what happens.
But for the rest of us, we need some direction, an anchor, a map of sorts to know where we start and where we are headed.
That map may be an outline or a some type of structure document that captures all the key components of the story that you want to cover.
Now if I start talking about the structure of your book and how to create it, this episode will be hours long. And honestly there are so many different approaches and structures to writing a book. We publish fiction books and those are structured very differently than say the children’s books we publish, which are very different to the self help, memoire or leadership books that we publish. There is no one size fits all when it comes to structure. That is the work that when you join me inside Soul Sparks Press either in our signature course Write with Me or through 1:1 book coaching, we will spend so much wonderful time together creating the structure that perfectly aligns with the story you are telling.
But if you are at home, ready to write, and wanting to know how to start here is what I want you to do:
Start with your opening image.
Stories are your superpower. They grab your reader’s attention. They engage your reader’s imagination. They bring the reader with you onto the page and put them in the thick of things.
Few places in your book are as dependent on a memorable story or scene as the beginning. When done correctly, the opening image of your book conveys the entire project intentionally, delivering a premium reading experience that hooks your audience.
The opening image has one job: to get the reader to turn the page. Once the reader has turned the page, they have made an agreement to give the book a chance and keep reading.
Often, the opening image contains a thematic element that weaves through the book or a plot point that becomes important later on. The best opening images can spark a reader’s emotion, engaging the reader’s curiosity, or empathy, or concern.
The opening image doesn’t need to be the chronological beginning of your story. Instead, it’s the compelling thematic element and/or emotional anchor.
Your opening image should make clear what genre your book is. If you're writing something humorous, the opening image should incorporate that humor. If you want your book to establish your thought leadership, make sure your opening image does just that. Remember: the ultimate judge of whether your opening image is doing its job isn’t you—it’s the reader.
My Opening Image:
Why I chose it:
What it tells the reader about the story to come:
What emotion do I want the reader to feel after reading the first 250 words?
Whatever is coming to mind as the opening is what I want you to go and write.
Don’t worry if its perfect.
Don’t consider 101 potential opening options.
Whatever image is coming to the forefront right now that is what I want you to go and write.
Because remember what I said at the beginning? A writer gotta write and there is no better place to start than your opening image.
Now when you are in our signature course Write with Me or in 1:1 coaching I will teach all of the nuances of writing, to give you space to formulate and dive into your project with all the support and accountability to actually finish. To learn more about our signature course Write With Me and our 1:1 book coaching see the links in the shownotes or head over to our website at soulsparkspress.com. Even better, hop on my calendar and let’s talk about your book. I am dying to hear about your story. I hope you enjoyed this taste of how to dive into the writing.
I would love to hear what is coming up for you as you listen to this. I invite you to get on my calendar so we can chat about you, your book and all that it can unlock for you. The link to my calendar is in the shownotes and I cannot wait to connect.
