Nine not-so-obvious steps to writing your transformational book

As an author and founder of a publishing imprint, people ask me for advice about the writing process all the time.

And the funny thing is that even though I’ve written two transformational books, run The Unbound Press and the Unbound Writing Mastermind, I don’t consider myself an expert. Book-writing is a continual process of learning for me and that’s why I love it so much.

However, I have picked up some unexpected and deeply magical tips along the way. And surely it would be selfish to keep these to myself? So in this article I’m sharing the nine not-so-obvious steps to writing a transformational book.

1) DECIDE

Okay, so this might seem obvious, but I meet SO many women who are wanting to write a book and ‘wanting’ is very different to ‘doing’. I was thinking about writing my first book, Heal Your Inner Good Girl, for YEARS before I actually made the decision to do it. I would write a few pages and then drift off towards something else. (Sound familiar?)

And the fact is that until you make a clear declaration to yourself and the Universe that, ‘Yes, I AM writing a book’, any attempts you make are likely to be pretty darn flaccid. (Believe me, I know).

As soon as you make a decision, you create a powerful and magical container within which your book will start to take form, which leads me onto the next vital step.

2) TRUST

Once you’ve made your decision you need to trust that everything coming through when you’re writing is coming for a reason. Even if it feels nonsensical or completely unrelated to what you thought you were writing about, just allow the words to come.

This first part of the book-writing process demands that you give yourself permission to simply write. So do that. Without editing or censoring yourself. (Because your muse does not appreciate being edited).

You will gain clarity through your writing. Trust that.

3) NON-LINEAR

So I appreciate the irony of having ‘non-linear’ in a list of steps. And of course, these are not-so-obvious steps and I know you’re a magical being, so humour me with this one, okay?

As an unbound woman, don’t expect your book to fall onto the page chapter by chapter in a neat and linear way. You could force it to come out that way, but it would be distinctly NON-magical (and likely most draining for you).

The creative process is gloriously messy and non-linear.  Giving yourself permission to write in a non-linear way is immensely freeing. As I said in the last point, allow what’s coming through you to come and trust that you’ll be able to pull it together to create a coherent and compelling whole when the time is right.

4) ATTENTION

Once you’ve started to write your book, know that everything you experience is inspiration and material for your writing. When I was writing UNBOUND, a number of challenging life events occurred and rather than trying to keep them separate from my writing, I asked what inspiration they could provide to my reader. 

Even when it came to closing the book and I wasn’t sure how to end it, I had an encounter with a friend which provided the perfect story for the afterword.

Pay attention. Because the Universe is sending you inspiration continually.

5) YOU

Some of the most common questions I get asked are, ‘How do you write? Do you use a pen or type into a laptop? How long do you write for each day? What time of day do you write?’ And my answer is always to write in a way that feels good for you.

For me, that looks like writing as a stream of consciousness, by hand into a notebook (my handwriting is TRULY unbound!). I write in short bursts of no longer than 30-45 minutes and generally in the late morning or afternoon. I also usually go for a walk before writing to free up my muse.

This feels good for me. But you may prefer to do something completely different. So, experiment. And notice what feels best for you. But….

6) DISCIPLINE

Although in the last step I was talking about doing what feels good, writing a book is a challenge and, spoiler alert, it’s not going to write itself. So it helps to invoke the power of discipline.

Now I know that discipline most likely seems like a dirty word that feels heavy and rigid. You’re an unbound woman and freedom is vital to you. So I recommend using the idea of Divine Discipline – seeing discipline as a way of serving something greater. This reframes the way you view discipline and makes it WAY easier to create structure for yourself in your writing process.

Divine Discipline is one of the High Potency Practices I talk about in UNBOUND and you can also read more about it in this blog post.

7) SHARE

Writing can be a solitary pursuit; just you, the page and your thoughts. Sometimes (if not often), you can question whether what you’re producing is actually any good. That’s why I recommend sharing pieces of your work as you go.

This might look like adapting part of a chapter into a blog, sharing a quote on social media or creating a short workshop or webinar from your writing.

Doing this allows the whole process to feel more dynamic, you receive feedback and inspiration AND you start to build an audience for your book. Win-win-win!

8) TEAM

As I said in the last point, writing can be a lonely ol’ business and this can lead to a drop-off in momentum. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Allow yourself to be supported. 

For my first book, Heal Your Inner Good Girl, I found an accountability partner who was also writing a book. We would Skype once a week to check-in, share our progress and our challenges and to set intentions.

When I was writing UNBOUND, I worked with a transformational mentor, who helped me to access deeper levels of insight to bring to my writing and I chose a publisher who completely got me and my work and provided a family of other authors I could connect with. (And, magically, this is exactly what I’m creating now with The Unbound Press!)

Actively seek out support. Get a writing buddy, join a mastermind, hire a book coach. Know that you don’t have to do this alone and building your team helps you to practice the elegant art of receiving.

9) BEYOND

When you’re writing a book it’s easy to get hung-up on actually getting the book ‘out there’ and forget that this is only the beginning of the journey.

When I first spoke to my publisher, he advised me to see my book as something that would be my calling card for the next two years. Your book will have a life of its own and you want it to be a long and vibrant one.

Think about how you can share your book and the content you’ve created long beyond the publication date. Your book can inspire talks, programs, articles, retreats, workshops, blog series, podcasts and more. Allow yourself to feel excited by the possibilities.

So, there you have it: nine not-so-obvious steps to writing your own transformational book. What’s stopping you? The world is waiting for your words unbound one, so get to it!

Your next step:

Want to discover more about how to write THE book that changes your life in the most powerful and magical way? Get immediate access to the free Unbound Writing Masterclass here.