Refrain from slandering others in your writings.
They will get their just desserts from living their lives.
They need no assistance from you.

When you make a commitment to treat yourself with respect,
The critical voice will become a whisper
In the background of your creative expression.

Writing is a practice. You do it every day.
Inspiration is a gift. It comes and goes as it pleases.

When you do anything challenging for the first time,
It often starts so poorly, mediocrity is a step up.

If the material is boring for the writer,
It’ll be as bad or worse for the reader.

If you don’t schedule your sessions, you won’t write.
If you don’t write, you won’t build stamina.
If you don’t build stamina, you can’t write a book.

Light cannot exist without darkness.
Success cannot exist without failure.

When someone turns down your submission,
They are rejecting your work, not you.

The title of your book is often embedded in the text.
You just need to look for it.

Be clear about your theme before you start writing.
It will help you understand where you’ve been,
Where you are, and where you’re going.

When you’re mapping out a book,
A table of contents is a welcome relief.

If you want people to read your introduction,
Make it short, sweet, and compelling.

The opening line is not an island.
Just like the shin bone is connected to the knee bone,
The first line must be connected to the first paragraph.

You don’t have to begin writing your book with Chapter One.
Start with the most accessible parts and it will all come together.

If you need an exclamation point to express feelings,
Your text is inadequate.

When you read your book at the halfway point and it sounds like trash,
Don’t believe the criticism and don’t give up. It’ll get better.

If the closing line of your book isn’t obvious,
Read your work aloud.
That line may be camouflaged in the text behind other ideas and words.

A good epilogue stands alone, enhancing the last chapter,
It’s not about repeating what a reader already knows.

Don’t throw away edited material.
Save it in a file in case you want to use it later.

If your cover delights you, it will most likely delight your reader.
If it displeases you, it will most likely repel your reader.

A successful collaboration is not stagnant.
It is dynamic, changing from moment to moment
And it requires constant awareness.

Collaboration is like an arranged marriage.
The difference is that if you don’t like your potential partner,
You can walk away.

We do research not only to gain information.
We do research to find out what is true.

When you interview clients, look them in the eye.
Be aware of everything they say
And what they don’t say.

Ghostwriting and collaborating require a number of unpleasant tasks.
Transcribing tapes is one of them

Ghost writing is part art, part business.
It’s about putting your voice aside and writing in someone else’s.

A book is finished
When you have nothing left to say.