A lot of you who are listening are working on books. I’d like to share a method I’ve been using to write my upcoming Daily Writer book, which will release this coming October. This process is very doable for anyone.

I’ve been doing my Daily Writer podcast since November 2020, well over a year now. As you probably know since you listen to this show, I release a short episode each weekday, then do an interview on Saturdays. On Sundays, sometimes I do a short episode, bonus content, another interview, or something else.

Here is what you may not know: each weekday episode is actually the first draft of a daily entry in my Daily Writer book. This will be a book of daily meditations for writers. Each quarter has a specific theme, and each month has a sub-theme within the quarter.

Each meditation is about 200 words (give or take). I write in Scrivener, and so far, I have a little over 80,000 words of content for the book—the vast majority of which was produced as episodes for this podcast. That’s the equivalent of two full-length books, or three shorter ones.

In order to get rough drafts of these daily meditations done, I often dictate them while driving or taking a walk. I have a seed of an idea that I’ve written ahead of time, I dictate it, clean up the writing for the podcast, then, of course, I am editing them again for the book.

But… it all starts with the daily podcast. It has forced me to write these whether I feel like it or not. And because I know people are expecting these every day, I have to produce.

A big reason I started this writing podcast was to force me to create these daily entries. Now I’m getting close to having 3/4 of the first draft finished.

So, my encouragement to you is that if you have a book you want to write, but you’re having trouble making time to do it, an EXCELLENT way to get it done is by outlining it ahead of time, then writing it as tiny little chunks for a podcast. Or you can just talk it out on the podcast, then organize it into a book later.

Either way, the regularity of the podcast will force you to produce, with the added benefit of getting feedback from listeners as you go.

Daily Question: Have you ever considered using a podcast as a way to force you to create content for a book?

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One of the best and worst things ever invented was the smartphone.

It can be the worst thing because of all the distractions lurking on your phone. The notifications, games, email, and social media beckon to you every second. If smartphones were designed to be addictive, they are doing a great job.

Yet, it’s also the best thing because of the convenience. This is especially true when it comes to options for getting your writing done faster. If you have never tried dictating your content, you are missing out on a fun and easy way to be a lot more productive.

I often dictate material for this podcast, as well as my books and blog. It works like this. I have a rough outline of what I want to say, then I go for a walk and dictate. When you use the speech to text button on your phone, it magically creates text out of what you’re speaking. If you take a little time to learn commands like “new line” or “new paragraph,” it’s even more effective.

The app you use doesn’t matter that much. I usually use the Scrivener app. It syncs perfectly with the desktop version of the app. But you can use the Notes app, an email app, Evernote, or any other app where you can input text.

Dictation usually requires you to clean it up later, so the editing can take a little more time. But I consider the editing a second pass on the material, which, of course, improves it. Another added benefit is that if you dictate while walking, your brain will be more energetic because you’re moving while you’re thinking and talking.

If you’ve never tried dictating content for your book or blog, give it a shot. I think you’ll enjoy a different way to create material, and it will also save you time.

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