How To Organize A Book
Writing a book? Or planning on writing one but don’t know how to organize it?
Well, I will tell you again there are MANY ways you can organize a book depending on the type of book and the topic.
However, I will tell you my method that has always allowed me to develop my writing and organize my books in ways that feel the most natural and organic.
Personally, I tend to go by my own intuition on the topic at hand rather than following a broken down outline based on time.
Therefore, when I write a book I normally use a program like google drive and create a new document for each chapter / topic. This helps me to write about each topic fully and observe an overall natural progression rather than dictating it from the beginning.
I have found that if I decide the progression from the beginning I may lose out on some topics or have to remove certain thoughts. Also, it makes it incredibly complicated when I decide that I want to rearrange the book without having a full overview of what is laid out.
My ideas and my mind don’t follow any specific timeline as I write, therefore, I don’t expect my writing to fall within those guidelines. While I am immersed in a story, I do follow a precise timeline. However, where that timeline ends up being placed in the book can change and fluctuate as I continue to write. Therefore, if all of the stories are fully expressed within their chapters I can better understand the best placement for them.
Additionally, I don’t always finish a chapter in one sitting. I can pick it up and then switch to another one on the same day, and return back to either chapter at a later time. I can fully immerse myself in that moment again and not become distracted by any other thoughts or stories by having each chapter separate.
For example, in “Laid To Rest: The Hopes, Haunts, and Humors from My Life Above a Funeral Home” each chapter began with a story from my Mom’s childhood, and those years varied. At the end, we decided the best route to take for organizing the stories and it wasn’t by age!
This makes for an interesting growth throughout the book in regards to my Mom’s age at the time of the story, her perspectives, and her experiences! It is a progression that is not formulated by a number, but a progression of hope.
I use this method in order to allow the book to come to fruition in a manner I think will resonate with readers in the most natural way possible. As hope grows, stories become more inspiring, and more engaging in an optimistic manner.
This will ensure that the stories and the book won’t feel forced, or overly structured.
The book will feel approachable, organic, and meaningful, allowing my words to make the most impact as possible and leave the ultimate feeling of hope.
Therefore, this method allowed me to stay true to our values, our authentic voices, and our core message.
What do you think of this method? Are you willing to give it a whirl?! I’d love to hear about the stories that you’re working on!
It’s time to write!
-Rose