A Different Kind of How to Write a Book Book

I have started reading and more accurately using another book about writing, designed to help writers to write. However, this is not a book, as I have discovered about theme, plot and characters. Rather it is a book about developing the habits to get something accomplished. Kind of an Steven Covey type of exploration of The Habits of  Highly Effective People.

The book is called Write-A-Thon, and it was written by Rochelle Melander. I was inspired to get the book by the tagline on the cover: Write your book in 26 days (and live to tell about it). This sounded amazing, a real guide with an endpoint in sight for achieving something.


Getting Back into Shape
I had recently learned to run again. I had run in high school the cross-country team, and participated in weekly 5K races. So when I wanted to get back into shape, I started running. Needless to say, I couldn't get  past the 6 minute mark. I would be out of breath, with a pain running up my side, and I stopped. I didn't just stop my run after 6 minutes, but I quit my bid for getting back into shape. Then I found 5K101: Couch to 5K Training program. The title grabbed me because it talked directly to me. I was still stuck on the couch, but I wanted to be in a 5K.

The training was a little mind boggling. In the first week, I did a 5 minute walk. Then a 1 minute (yes 1 minute) run, then another walk and another 1 minute run. I think I did about 6 or 8 1 minute runs. I didn't understand how this was supposed to get me to a 5K, for running for 1 minute seemed like nothing. Each week the training grew, doubling the amount of running time, and shortening the number of iterations. I realized I wasn't just running for a minute, but in my morning workout, I was running for 8 minutes (I had surpassed my 6 minute wall). I continued, and managed to stay up with each week's task, building endurance, until finally I was running for a half hour straight.

Getting into Writing Shape
So I have been looking for a similar type of training for writing. I think I may have found it with this book. It starts off with exercises asking you to write down all of writing excuses, then explore these excuses and determine how accurate these are. I am at the exercise that asks you to write about your BPS - Best Possible Self. The BPS is a fanciful flight five years into the future where you describe your future successful self that has achieved wild writing goals and fulfilled his dreams. It is tough. I realized that I have so much negative energy and self doubt, that just like the 6 minute wall in my runs, I quickly come up against a wall in my writing. This book is meant to help you overcome that and free you to truly dip into your creative well, and produce the stories that is well within your potential.