写小说畅享随性人生

标题：What Writing A Fiction Book Can Teach You About Freelancing

推荐者： 花の雪

写小说畅享随性人生

这个题目听起来有些老套——我也意识到了。在你职业步入正轨之前总是花费数年功夫在你所从事的行业拼命地汲取专业知识。

你不会以写一本书来开始你的自由职业生涯。

而我却是这样的，我的自由生活也因为写书而变得更加美好。

我没有去写老一套的说教文告诉你“如何经商”——相反，我为大家呈现的是一部惊险小说。它远远不止是我所从事的商业经营、写文章或是自由职业涵盖的内容。

写小说让你成为一名更好的自由职业者。下面是原因：

你会成为一名更出色的作家。我的微博贴，发表的文章以及参与的写作项目无不得益于我写小说的经历——即我能更好的和人们还有那些作为我收入来源的顾客进行交流。

你的生活会变得更加有条不紊。写一篇长文章（准确点儿，比如11万字）需要一定的耐心和毅力来组织文章。我在构思组织以及写那本书时学到了很多。

你会变得更专注。就同一主题写文章，甚至是小数，对于扎实我的写作功底大有裨益。现在，我在构思、着笔以及组织内容上比以前更快了。

以上三点益处并不仅仅是我的独见。我和许多不管哪一种总之曾写过书的生意人、顾问以及自由职业者进行交流，大家都都对这些浩大的工程能带给人的成长赞不绝口。

如果你有兴趣让你的自由职业人生更上一层楼的话，你可以考虑一下写一本书。

尽管强烈建议你开始写作生涯，但是首先先向你说明一下写书所必备的要素。特别是在以下这些领域里我有相当扎实的基础。

阅读方面：我认为总的来说博览群书的人会是更优秀的作家。所以我在开始写作之后把自己一年的最低读书量从57-75本增加到100本。我涉猎的书籍从做生意、市场营销以及专注于提供指导咨询的写实文学到充满打打杀杀的惊悚小说。如果你不给自己规定一定时间，你会更难下笔。

组织方面：因为我大部分时间用来涉猎书籍，所以我对不管是小说还是非小说都有自己的独到见解。我比那些不爱读书的人更晓得如何衔接句子。

语法方面：在我写书之前，语法、标点、文章风格一直是我头疼的事。我最喜欢消磨时间的 方式便是驱车当地的商业街区找 “Now Hirring”、“Open Weekday’s”这样的标识。（注意：这两个书写都有问题哦）

这些技能队友写书不是至关重要的，但是肯定会对写文章有帮助。想要在这三方面在短期内有质的飞跃最好的方法是花更多时间阅读。

那么，你希望通过写书获得些什么呢？

其一，专长。

关于“专家”这个词有一些很有趣的现象。我不是想试图玩文字游戏，可是我真的感觉一定有某个原因让人们更倾向于给某位出了一两本书的人贴个“专家”的标签。

现如今，谁都可以出版书籍，我不想强调你写本书别人怎么看，而是想重点突出你可以从这种经验中真正获得什么。

写书可以让你收获颇丰：

计划和组织能力。当我开始写作时，我将自己对《戴维艾伦要做的事情》的理解充分利用来构思安排文章。当我开始第二章节时，我意识到自己需要一个更为灵活的规划体系。我的方法会和你的大不相同，但是你可以从中形成一个能够更好为自己服务的组织架构体系。

进度安排。作为长远规划的一部分，我发现自己在有目的地划分写作时间的能力上有了巨幅提高。你也需要这么做，写一本书需要花费时间精力，如果你不花时间好好计划一下，可能你根本就做不来写书这项工作。你从写书中学到的每日坚持规划可以轻易地延续到以后的工作生活中去。

动力。我比之前更愿意创造。写书、并完成的过程会让你士气大增，这种经历是独一无二的，它会比你处理完办公桌上的一摞文件所获得的成就感更持久。（随便提一下，我永远不会在作家这件事儿上耗神）

你的收获远不止于此。你会遇到许多更细微的益处；我会列出其中的一些，剩下的你会在在开始你的大作之后惊奇地发现的。它会教给你：

如何更简明扼要地表意。对于任何形式的写作永恒不变的主题就是“简明达意”。你希望文章能直入主题。小说中，精简叙事可以推动故事的进展，为人物注入活力。而在发微博贴和发表文章时，我不会插入许多无关紧要的奇闻异事，也不会加不必要的副词。

如何组句成文。一本书通常可以被分成章节，回，或段落。我的书也不外乎是这样，我发现写文章的秘密武器之一便是“移步换景法”。这是写小说的一种技法，不过可以轻松地运用在写非小说类上。以一种鸟瞰的视角来写下你内容的框架，主要章节的简介，章节题目，然后一一填充拓展开来。一次只将精力集中在一小部分上，直到完成全书的创作。

如何签约出版你的作品。通常，写好书并不完全等同于你得到出版协议。非小说和小说的作家都需要提交查询，找好一名中间代理人，并向其投稿。在真正的财经自由作家世界里，会有忙得焦头烂额的时候，也会有相对空闲的时候。闲的时候，你可以写写博客，或是向行业/商务出版社递交文章，亦或重新开始写一本书。这些都是为你搭建平台、、、对于作家而言，这就是签约出版的秘密所在。

而对于自由职业人来说，这是获得长久成功的利器。

如果你不是一名写手，也从未真正尝试将写作作为一份长期事业，别灰心。记住，一些做好的作家不是那些学习写作技法数载的人，也不是出席写作课最多的人。

他们是那些知己所言者。

一名成功的自由作家显然心有所悟。只是考虑将所想的写下了——这对于出版还不够，但却是让你的思维火花迸发不断。可能你会发现自己动力十足地开始在能够为你带来更多顾客的博客写东西，亦或是为那些能拓宽你财路的特定小众市场开始着手创作。
不管是何种方式，开始审视你的这份工作，将其看作是一份进展缓慢的手稿。每位顾客，每部新作品都是其中的一个章节。用一种引人入胜的方式向人们讲诉你的故事。

最好的故事，不管是不是小说，未必是是那些本身就有很强可读性的文章。而是那些满怀激情有对相关问题颇有见解的人写的故事。

不要忘了：

出书是一种提升你产品和服务的绝佳的方式——亦或出书本身就能给你带来不菲收入。

要说其他的，在你的办公桌上摆上一本夺人眼目的精装书也够让身边人羡慕的。如果你还在纠结怎么把你的实战模式转化成书籍文字，给我留言哦——只有有空就会读并给与回复。同时，点击这个网站查询更多关于写书的信息，我的见解来如何搭建你的专业平台。（build your professional platform）

1. That headline sounds backwards — I realize that. Usually you spend years in your industry, soaking up its knowledge for a decade before you write your own “how to” manual.
   

   You don’t start freelancing by writing a book.
   

   But I did, and I’m a better freelancer because of it.
   

   And I didn’t write just any old nonfiction “How to Run a Business” book – I wrote a fiction thriller novel. That’s probably as far removed from the subjects of entrepreneurship, copywriting, or freelancing as I could get.
   

   Writing a fiction book makes you a better freelancer, and here’s why:
   

   1. You’ll be a much better writer. My blog posts, articles, and writing projects have all benefited from my fiction writing experience – that means I’m better at communicating with people and clients who bring me income.
      
      
   2. You’ll be much more organized. Writing a book of great length (110,000 words, to be precise) takes a certain level of patience and organizational stamina. I learned a lot about planning and staying on track from that book.
      
      
   3. You’ll be more focused. Writing about the same subject, even in fiction, was great for helping to hone my skills as a wordsmith. Now, I plan, write, and schedule my content much faster than I did before.
      

      These three benefits aren’t exclusive to my experience, either. I’ve spoken with plenty of business owners, consultants, and freelancers who have written a book – any kind of book, actually – and have extolled the virtues of these huge writing projects.
      

      If you’re interested in really taking your freelancing work to the next level, you should consider writing a book.
      

      First, though, let me give you a clearer picture of what the experience required. Specifically, I had a pretty strong foundational level of knowledge in each of these areas:
      

   4. Reading. I believe that people who read a ton of books are better writers overall. So I increased my reading level from around 50-75 books a year to over 100 when I started writing. I read anything from business, marketing, and consulting-focused nonfiction to action-packed thrillers. If you don’t read regularly, you’ll have a much harder time putting words on paper.
      
      
   5. Structure. Since I’d been a voracious reader for most of my life, I had an inherent understanding of structure, whether in fiction novels or nonfiction material. I knew how to “connect the dots” better than someone who wasn’t a reader.
      
      
   6. Planning and organization. When I started writing, I had a pretty good concept of the David Allen Getting Things Done approach to task management. But by the time I hit the second chapter, I realized that I needed a much more flexible yet usable system. My methods will differ from yours, but you can expect to develop a very helpful process of organization you can transfer to your business dealings.
      
      
   7. Scheduling. Part of the larger “planning” pie, I found huge improvements in my ability to purposefully block out sections of my time to write. You’ll need to do this, too – writing a book takes time and effort, and if you don’t make the time for it, you probably won’t do it at all! The scheduling lessons you’ll learn from writing diligently every day are lessons that carry over very easily into your working life.
      
      
   8. Motivation. I’m more motivated to produce and create than I ever have been in my life. Writing a book – and finishing it – leads to a morale boost that’s second-to-none, and it’ll last much longer than the novelty of having that bound stack of paper on your coffee table. (Plus, I don’t ever struggle with writer’s block anymore.)
      
      

   The gains don’t stop there. You’ll discover many smaller benefits that you’ll come across; some I’ll list here, and some you’ll be surprised to find when you start your book! It’ll teach you:
   

   1. How to string words together in a more concise way. A recurring theme in just about any style of writing is “keep it concise.” You want to be direct; to-the-point. In fiction, conciseness keeps the story moving forward and breathes life into characters. In writing blog posts and articles, I’m not using as many parenthetical anecdotes or unnecessary adverbs.
      
      
   2. How to “chunk” tasks. Books can usually be broken into sections like chapters, acts, or parts. Mine was no different, and one of the “secrets” I found was to write in a “scene followed by sequel” way. It’s a fiction technique, but it transfers to nonfiction easily. Just focus on starting from a “bird’s eye” view—write your table of contents, major section introductions, and chapter headings, and then fill in the rest! Focus on biting off one small chunk at a time, until the book is finished.
      
      
   3. How to get a publishing deal. Usually, writing a book isn’t quite enough to get a publishing contract. Nonfiction and fiction authors need to submit queries, find an agent, and pitch their manuscripts. In the real world of business freelancing, you know that there are busy times and, well, not-so-busy times. During those slower periods, you can work on writing content for a blog, submitting articles to an industry/trade publication, or writing another book. It’s all part of building a platform… and for authors, it’s the secret to getting a publishing contract.
      
      

   For freelancers, it’s the secret to long-term success.
   

   If you’re not a writer or have never really tried your hand at penning a long writing project, don’t despair. Remember, some of the best writers weren’t people who had studied the craft for years or who took the most writing courses.
   

   They were people who knew their topic well.
   

   A successful freelancer like yourself obviously knows something. Consider writing it down – it may not be enough to publish, but it’ll get the juices flowing for more creative outlets. Maybe you’ll find enough motivation to start a blog, which leads to more customers, or maybe you’ll start preparing white papers for your particular niche market, which brings you more leads.
   

   Either way, start looking at your work as a manuscript that’s being written very slowly. Every client, every new product, is a chapter. Tell your story, and tell it in a compelling enough way that people want to listen.
   

   The best stories, whether fictional or not, aren’t those that are inherently intriguing. Not necessarily. They’re the stories that are written with passion and a deep knowledge about the subject matter.
   

   And don’t forget:
   

   Publishing a book is a great way to promote your product or service – or the book itself can generate income for you. If nothing else, having that shiny new hardcover on your coffee table is enough to make the in-laws jealous!
   

   If you’re struggling with how to go about turning your business model into a viable book idea, leave a comment—I’ll read every one and respond where I’m able. Also, check this site for more information on writing, and my own site for information on how to build your professional platform!

2. Grammar. Grammar, punctuation, and style have all been “pet peeves” of mine long before I started writing my book. One of my favorite pastimes is driving around to the local businesses to find the “Now Hirring” and “Open Weekday’s” signs.