{"id":39633,"date":"2015-09-14T01:54:52","date_gmt":"2015-09-13T14:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/?p=39633"},"modified":"2018-06-21T13:06:03","modified_gmt":"2018-06-21T03:06:03","slug":"how-she-does-it-blogger-pip-lincolne-talks-finding-time-to-write-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/how-she-does-it-blogger-pip-lincolne-talks-finding-time-to-write-books\/","title":{"rendered":"How She Does it: Blogger Pip Lincolne Talks Finding Time to Write Books"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

As Darren said a little while ago,\u00a0everybody has a book in them, but it’s probably more accurate to say every blogger has at least 10 ideas for eBooks inside them<\/a>. If you’re a writer, you’ve got a lot to say. You might want to write eBooks, print books, memoirs, autobiographies – a thousand ideas, but realistically not a lot of time in your schedule for your one (or many!) overarching grand plan.<\/p>\n

You may well set aside 15 minutes every day to chip away at it<\/a>, or you schedule some vacation time and get a chunk done. You might stop blogging over a certain period, or you could burn the candle at both ends… the choice always depends on the person making it.<\/p>\n

I was given a fantastic piece of advice lately, and that’s if you want to do something, you don’t find time, you make time<\/strong>. So I asked one of the most prolific bloggers I know how she makes time to do write more involved books in addition to all the other things she does. Pip Lincolne<\/a> is the author of five published books and is a regular contributor to blogs, websites, and magazines. \u00a0She blogs at Meet Me at Mikes<\/a>, and she graciously asked a few questions I had for her recently.<\/p>\n

How do you make writing books fit into your everyday busy life?<\/h3>\n

I prioritize it. You know how you might insist on having a lunch break every day? (If you can!) I treat writing a book as seriously as having lunch and block out an hour or two each day to get the words down (let\u2019s call that a long lunch, actually!) Some days are busier than others, but I always make sure that I spend at least an hour on the book I\u2019m working on to be sure that I\u2019m on deadline, but also to ensure I stay in the zone and keep things flowing nicely.<\/p>\n

Do different styles of books take different times to write?<\/h3>\n

Well, I can only speak from my own experience here. I\u2019ve written books with lots of craft projects in them, and more recently one with only a few craft project (and a more substantial observational-style writing element.)<\/p>\n

The books with more instructional elements take more time, because not only are you \u2018translating\u2019 practical steps onto the page, you have to test those steps and rewrite and test again.<\/p>\n

Although I got my start in publishing writing how-to type books, I much prefer the creative flow that observational writing offers.<\/p>\n

Do you have a particular writing style now after writing so many? Is there a rough formula you follow?<\/h3>\n

I think I have a very consistent style, but sometimes, if I\u2019m weary I might slip out of that story telling, chatty mode and into more of a documentary style. I much prefer the former and think that our writing uniqueness comes from writing in the same chatty way that we\u2019d speak to a dear friend. Of course, if you are writing a more technical text, that might might not always be appropriate, but I\u2019m lucky enough to be able to stay true to the voice that comes naturally for me.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t really have a formula, but I do try to make sure that my work has clarity, flow and warmth to it. I triple check what I write for \u2018sense\u2019 because I often find that the sentences I conclude with often belong at the start of the piece (and things might need a brisk reorder and edit.) Often things write themselves backwards, if that makes sense!<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

I know you write a lot every day so how do you find the motivation to write extra on top of that?<\/h3>\n

I think that if you want to write well, you have to write often. I\u2019ve certainly found that my writing has improved in leaps and bounds, not only via writing consistently, but also via reading great books and hearing other writers talk about their work.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always, always felt compelled to write regularly and prolifically. Apparently I have things to say! My great grandfather, Frank Boreham<\/a>, was the same. He wrote over 50 books \u2013 selling millions of copies \u2013 as well as penning hundreds of editorials for The Age<\/a> and The Mercury<\/a> newspapers. I think my urge to write is in the genes! I can\u2019t fight it! I thank Frank for that.<\/p>\n

What are the lessons you’ve learned about the book-writing process over the years?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve learnt so many things! I\u2019ve always worked with wonderful editors, so I\u2019m all about letting go a bit and letting the experts help me to tighten up and simplify my words. I\u2019ve also been lucky enough to work with several great photographers (John Laurie<\/a>, Tim James<\/a> and Julie Renouf<\/a>) and designers\/stylists (Michelle Mackintosh<\/a> and Ortolan<\/a>.) They\u2019ve shown me how wonderful the collaborative process can be. I think it\u2019s easy to get hung up on having as much creative control as possible, but it\u2019s very important to loosen up a bit sometimes and let others work their magic alongside your good ideas.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also learnt that it\u2019s important to NOT wait until the night before your book\u2019s publicity tour begins to read it from cover to cover again \u2013 especially if the first interview is breakfast radio \u2013 because you might be up half the night marveling at how your book actually isn\u2019t half bad and a bit exhausted the next day! Better to do that first-since-published re-read as soon as it arrives in the post, I think!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learnt that I work best if I write almost every day. Five days a week, minimum, works well for me. It keeps me writing naturally and stops me from overthinking the words or writing too sentimentally.<\/p>\n

What are the shortcuts you’ve figured out over the years?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve got a snazzy shortcut for creating a framework for a book. This is helpful for people who want to try writing a book, but aren\u2019t sure where to start. I used this method to write my most recent book. It goes like this:<\/p>\n