Book Writing Process & Update - How to Write a Eulogy: A Step-by-Step Guide
What Is My Book Writing Process?
I started writing the first draft of this book on 8th August 2022. I’m seven months in - or more precisely 213 days. I now have 24,444 words on 105 pages.
But where did it start?
I’d been collecting information and musing on the idea for a few months before. I have lots of ideas for books. The overwhelming majority will never see the light of day! It’s a good job with some of my ideas!
But this book I’m working on now is very different. It is calling me to write it and I can’t help but work on the idea.
I can’t help but write it. I have to get the words out of my head and on to a page. To share the idea, or in my simple way, to help someone. To make the world, I hope, a little better for someone who wants to speak at a funeral or direct cremation memorial service. When someone says to me, ‘I would love to say something on the day of the funeral or direct cremation memorial day. But I don’t think I can.’ This book is for them. For people who have a deep desire to speak at the funeral of a loved one, friend who colleague and don’t know where to start. I meet lots of them as a celebrant and eulogy speechwriter.
The book writing process for me begins with an idea. Not just any idea. It starts with a nagging IDEA.
Ideas come to me reading books, making coffee, in the shower, or when walking my dog down Timberhonger Lane, it’s close by where I live. (I’m thinking about writing a short travel story about the hundreds of times I’ve walked the lane. See how it goes!)
I think writer’s block, which really does exist, and shows its ugly face in my creative writing by my having too many ideas and often trying to work on many of them of them at the same time! I found out the hard way; it doesn’t work. I end up with so many manuscripts in process, finishing nothing.
The idea for this How to Write a Eulogy: A Step-by-Step Guide, came from hearing many, many people say, ‘I just want to say a few words but don’t know where to start.’
First, I try to outline my rough idea by writing what could be a Table of Contents. Next is the first ugly draft. Writing, making lists and doing more research to explain those rough chapter headings and subheadings. Writing enough so I can arrive at a first version of a working draft. Then I begin editing. This is where I am now.
What Software Do I Use For Writing?
For a time I wrote on Scrivener, a purpose driven software app for writers. Many successful writers claim it saved them. As cloud based software, the ability to write on my desktop, or via an iPad, even my iPhone syncing across them all was a win. It has so many great tools within it, but its versatility ended up being the problem for me - I found it too complicated.
So I switched to Atticus. Both a writing and book formatting platform, simple in design. I thought it would be the answer. It was to a point. But when copying and pasting text from other sources into the software in my research phase, it messed up the output, and I lost so much of the work I had already done. A big thumbs up to the team at Atticus, who restored it. Thank you! But I lost confidence in the software. I will use for formatting my books as in creating the manuscripts for my last book, Gathering Rosebuds in Kerala, it was excellent.
It was back to using Pages on my Mac. Through iCloud, I still can switch between, desktop, or iPad, even my iPhone, and I’m more secure in confidence in having backups of the work in progress.
So Let The Editing Without Mercy Phase Begin!
I completed the first draft on 5th December 2022, with an edit and review of ProWritingAid. (An excellent tool!) I sent the first version to a couple of trusted people to give me feedback and suggestions.
Now the never-ending process (or so it feels today) of editing begins. I’m reading - Write Useful Books: A modern approach to designing and refining recommendable nonfiction by Rob Fitzpatrick. What an excellent book! He suggests treating the editing process as an opportunity to figure out what is wrong with it! I’m trying Rob, I am!
I’m digging in to edit one with lots of tracked changes, 566 as you can see!
The next task is to find several beta readers to help me refine the message and make it as accessible as possible.
My vision for this book is to help people who have never stood before a group, scared stiff of public speaking, giving the hardest speech they will ever make and doing themselves and, more so, the person they loved proud. Saying with confidence with a well structured, clearly presented eulogy to remember forever.
Do You Want To Become A Beta Reader?
Would you like to be a beta reader of my upcoming ‘How To Write A Eulogy’ book?
Would you like to read a draft of the book and give me your feedback?
Try out the research worksheets and examples?
Have a copy of my book for free when it it is published?
IF SO, HERE’S WHAT TO DO.
FILL OUT YOUR DETAILS BELOW AND I’LL ADD YOU TO THE GROWING LIST OF BETA READERS!
Thank you very much! to join me in the exciting process of creating this book?
Become a beta reader and fill out the form below. I’ll contact you soon. I and so many people in the future will be forever glad you did.
Keep an eye out for further updates!
