For the final 20 years, I’ve used a robust course of to stipulate my ebook manuscripts, shows, programs and articles. The Storyboard Technique was initially developed at Walt Disney Studios within the 1930’s to prepare pictures and create storylines for motion pictures.

The method has since advanced and continues to be utilized by every kind of writers and creatives. The Storyboard Technique is an environment friendly means that will help you get your concepts out of your head and onto paper so you may get organized and begin writing your ebook.

Step One: Use the Storyboard Technique to Define Your Nonfiction E-book Manuscript

To make use of the Storyboard Technique, take a stack of three×5 playing cards or sticky notes and seize all of your content material concepts on particular person notes. Content material concepts for a nonfiction manuscript might embrace:

• Narrative tales you intend to inform, every listed by itself notecard
• Key factors you need to make (prescriptive nonfiction)
• Actual-world examples
• Hypothetical examples
• Case research
• Statistics you need to cite
• Classes discovered
• Individuals you need to interview
• Excerpts or quotations you need to share
• Workout routines for the reader to finish, if relevant
• Articles, weblog posts, experiences or podcast episodes you need to repurpose into ebook content material

In the event you’re like me and also you jot down notes and concepts in quite a lot of locations (I’ve them on my cellphone, on scraps of paper on my desk, and in paperwork on my pc!), then you have to to spherical these up and switch your concepts to particular person playing cards. This course of might take you many days or every week or extra, relying on how you are feeling concerning the quantity of content material you might have in your undertaking.

Step Two: Manage Your Notecards or Sticky Notes

As soon as you are feeling you’ve captured at the least 85% of your content material concepts, the following step is to prepare the person notes. I do that by spreading them out on my lounge ground. The aim right here is to start out creating your chapters by placing the notes in a logical order.

Create chapter headings on playing cards to develop columns, akin to chapters 1 by 10, and place these aspect by aspect. Subsequent, start putting every of your notes underneath a chapter heading, transferring and organizing them as you go to create a logical stream and order in your data.

By the point you might have positioned all of your notes, you must have a stable visible illustration of your ebook define.

Step Three: Modify Notes Till Full

As soon as your notes are organized into chapter columns, you’ll seemingly discover that some chapters are too brief and should be bulked up, whereas others are too lengthy and should be separated into different chapters. Transfer the playing cards round and alter as wanted till your chapters look balanced. Ideally, your chapters needs to be roughly the identical size all through.

In the event you discover it’s good to develop content material for any chapters that look gentle, you would add extra case research, statistics, interviews, narrative tales, and so forth.

Step 4: Switch Your Notes to an Define

As soon as all of your notice playing cards are so as and your chapters look balanced and full, switch these notes right into a doc that may grow to be your ebook define. An overview turns into your compass for writing your manuscript, serving to you navigate by the writing course of. However outlines aren’t everlasting. Your define will seemingly evolve and alter as you write your manuscript.

I wish to print out my define and maintain it in entrance of me whereas I write. Then I can tick off matters as I full them, make notes about modifications or additions I need to make, and draw arrows to maneuver content material round. If I make a whole lot of changes or notes, I replace the unique define and print out a recent model.

Step 5: Begin Writing Your Nonfiction E-book Manuscript

Working from an overview could make your writing course of simpler as a result of the fundamental construction is set. Some writers begin at chapter one and work by every chapter sequentially, however this isn’t a tough requirement. In the event you really feel compelled to work on chapter 8 someday, chapter 2 the following, and chapter 10 subsequent week, that’s completely effective. The aim is to seek out your stream and be as productive as potential.

Step 6: Get Your Manuscript Throughout the End Line

Writing a whole ebook manuscript can sound like a herculean process, however whenever you break it down into chew sized items, you may be shocked by how a lot progress you can also make.

Think about this: Three typed pages equals about 1,000 phrases. In the event you set a aim to put in writing three pages simply 3 times every week, you’ll obtain 36,000 phrases in twelve weeks.

In the event you bumped that aim as much as writing three typed pages 5 occasions every week, you’ll obtain 60,000 phrases in simply twelve weeks.

You are able to do this!

 

Like this text? You’ll love our course:
Write Your Nonfiction E-book Manuscript in 90 Days

This fashionable course is obtainable dwell on Zoom twice every year by the Nonfiction Authors Affiliation. You’ll discover ways to:

=> Comply with step-by-step processes to establish your writing targets and get clear about your target market(s).

=> Craft a working title and write a compelling ebook description.

=> Create an in depth define of your manuscript.

=> Make your ebook stand out in any crowded style.

=> Set real looking weekly writing targets and use confirmed strategies to make the writing course of simpler.

Throughout dwell conferences, we’ve light accountability check-ins (no strain!). We additionally deal with questions, brainstorm options, and focus on the subject of the week. It is a judgement-free zone! Whether or not you attain your weekly targets or not, you’ll obtain the help you want.

Need some steering, accountability and help to put in writing your subsequent nonfiction ebook manuscript? Be a part of us for the following dwell course session!

Study extra concerning the course: Write Your Nonfiction E-book Manuscript in 90 Days.