The Word Leader Podcast: A Writing Podcast

What’s the best way to write compelling books fast? Equip yourself with a number of smart people who can review your work and offer suggestions. It’s hard to see the frame when you’re in the picture—even for the best writers in the world. Recently, I was working on a grammar textbook and one of my reviewers pointed out serious flaws in the organization. The funny part was, I was sometimes failing at using my own method. It’s hard to eat your own dog food all the time. Your best writing ally is an outsider perspective.

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It's not always easy to tell what the difference is between a fact and an insight. The truth is, there are some similarities - they both offer valuable information that can help make sense of the world. But just because there are similarities doesn't mean these two things are interchangeable. The simple way to distinguish fact and insights is by thinking about information vs. transformation. Facts give us new information about the world whereas insights don’t. Insights, on the other hand, give us new ways of looking at the facts we already know. In other words, facts are knowledge and insights are understanding. To make your writing powerful, find the right balance between facts and insights. Do present new knowledge, but present more new perspectives on knowledge.

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You need two elements to go from an idea to a book. You need a destination (outcome) and you need a journey. It should be clear for your reader where they can expect to land after reading your book. They should be excited about the destination they are headed to. But it’s just as important that they enjoy the trip. You should surprise them with unexpected spots with beautiful scenery. Your readers should feel that they’re on a roller coaster, and they can’t predict what’s going to happen next. This is how you leave your mark on your readers.
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We often dismiss theory on the basis that it’s not as useful as practice. We often believe that “practical” books—how-to books—are inherently better. I think that is because we live in the era of personal development. But let’s not dismiss theory because we need theory to get to the practical stuff. We need to lay out theories about the world because we don’t have all the answers just yet. We need to form theories because they guide us through our investigations of the world. We need theory as much as practice, so let’s not dismiss it.

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We often talk about all the beautiful things that come with writing and being an author. Of course, writing is a potent way to make a mark on the world and impact other people’s lives. But writing can also backfire. Words have lives of their own, and so do texts. Think of how Karl Marx’s work was appropriated by various revolutionaries who killed millions of people. The truth is that most people who write are well-intended. They believe they are doing the right thing. But their writing can be appropriated nonetheless. Your responsibility as an author is to be crystal clear about your prescriptions. You can’t stop people from interpreting your work, but you can at least make clear what you stand for and what you stand against.

Visit www.triviumwriting.com to learn more about writing, read our blog, and grab our resources. Get your copy of Write a Book That Matters today.