Reflections from Writing Our Book

Originally posted on Linked In September 2021

As a first time author, I didn't know what to expect when writing a book. I hit a major milestone in the project today and it made me reflect on what I've learned so far in this process. In this case, I am co-authoring a book with my friend and business partner, Javier.

These are some of my key lessons learned so far:

• If you love your topic, researching and writing about it doesn't feel like work, it is energizing!

• It is easiest to work from a high level outline and write sections and chapters as you are inspired to write about each topic, not necessarily in sequential order. I write in blocks and then adjust the flow later.

• Once a section is written, step away from it for a while and don't start the editing process until you can look at your work with fresh eyes. I like to wait at least a week before looking at it again. This gives me a more objective view of the work and it is much easier to edit.

• If you have co-authors, make sure that you talk regularly and find a good way to share research, ideas and drafts with each other. Javier and I have found regular conference calls and real-time feedback to be essential in our process of writing our book. Sharing our work in a Drop-Box is also convenient and efficient.

• Some people say that it is a good idea to write every day at a scheduled time. That didn't work for me. Instead, I wrote when I felt like writing at random times of the day.
  
  Just a few random thoughts on this rainy afternoon.