1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: So have you ever wanted to write a book? 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 2: Is there a novel inside you that's bursting to get out, 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 2: an essay about where we are as a nation that 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 2: you're sure will change the world. 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: Because books can absolutely do that. 6 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 2: There was a book in the sixties, actually two books 7 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 2: in the sixties. Rachel Karen's book, The Silent Spring was 8 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 2: pretty much the catalyst to the modern environmental movement worldwide, 9 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 2: and it started the Environmental Protection Agency in the States 10 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 2: and a whole bunch of other stuff. 11 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: There was another one. 12 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 2: Written by Ralph Nader in the US in nineteen sixty four. 13 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: It was called Unsafe at Any Speed And in that book, 14 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 2: NATA criticized the auto industry essentially for putting style over safety. 15 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: And what happened is the US government. 16 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 2: Then brought in a bill and National Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 17 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 2: I think or something was called nineteen sixty six. And 18 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: that's the reason why you now have seat belts and airbags, 19 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 2: because that was you know, these are the biggest wader 20 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: makers in the world, and they put safety standards in 21 00:00:58,040 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: these cars, and that's why now your car is safe, 22 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 2: the one that you drive around this week. 23 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: Bo Books can absolutely change the world. But books along 24 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: and they're hard to do. So, oh, I'm never going 25 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: to happen. Well, don't worry. 26 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 2: I'm about to tell you everything you need to know 27 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 2: about writing a book in the next twenty minutes. Why 28 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 2: because I just signed another book deal, so partly I'm 29 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 2: doing this to remind. 30 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:20,199 Speaker 1: Myself how to do it. 31 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 2: Before we get there, I got to pay some bills. 32 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 2: Here's the ads back after the break. Good day, Welcome 33 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 2: to the show. This is better than yesterday, making it 34 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 2: better every episode since twenty thirteen. 35 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: Min Am Josh Againsberg. 36 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 2: I'm a podcast I'm a best selling author, I'm a 37 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: TV host. I'm a husband, I'm a dad, I'm a stepdad. 38 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: I am a person who has ridden his bicycle across 39 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 2: the Harbor Bridge and back twice in the last week, 40 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: two big fancy business meetings, both times indeed, because cycle 41 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 2: commuting is great. As I spoke to you about last week, 42 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 2: it's really good. Got to get you down regulation and 43 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: where you can. I'm delighted you here. Thanks for being 44 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 2: a part of it, but thanks for the questions we 45 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 2: got in on Monday. I'm loving the episodes on Monday 46 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: with Audrey. It's really fun. If you've got a question 47 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 2: you'd like to ask me and Audrey, leave a message. 48 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: There's a link in the show notes to the substack. 49 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 2: Just leave a message there and hopefully you make the episode. 50 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: It'd be really fun. She's hilarious and I'm very grateful 51 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 1: that we're doing those together. So how do you write 52 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: a book? 53 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: Well, two days ago, while I was on my way 54 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 2: across the Harbor Bridge before a meeting, I sat at 55 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: the lights in front of ken Seller's at Taylor Square 56 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 2: in Darlinghurst in Sydney, and my phone's on the handlebars, 57 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: and as I waited for the lights to change, an 58 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 2: email popped up and it was, oh, the doc you 59 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 2: signed things? 60 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: So boom, and I doodle to my. 61 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 2: Name on the screen and I signed a book deal 62 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 2: on my bicycle, the way it should be. 63 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: So yeah, I inked my next book deal. It's actually 64 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: a two book deal, which I'm very happy about. 65 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 2: But they're two very different books, and the first one 66 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 2: i'm getting stuck into right now. It is a book 67 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 2: called so What Now What? The nonfiction book, and I'm 68 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: very very excited about it. There's illustrations. I won't talk 69 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: about who's illustrating it yet because I'm pretty excited that 70 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 2: there's an illustrator there, but there's a high chance that 71 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: there could be less podcasts coming your way. I'm just 72 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: going to see how the writing's going were I just 73 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 2: want to flag that right now because you'll hear why 74 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 2: in a moment. So in the interests of reminding myself 75 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 2: how to do it, and for the benefit of you 76 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 2: in case you ever need to do it or someone 77 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: you love wants to write a book, I'm very happy 78 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 2: to give to you everything you want us to know 79 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 2: about writing. 80 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: A book in twenty minutes or less. Here we go. 81 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 2: So, say you've got a target of ninety thousand words, 82 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 2: which is bang in the middle of the average length 83 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 2: of a novel. It's ninety thousand words. It sounds like 84 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: a lot, but don't worry. 85 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: Here's how it's done. 86 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: Now, bear in mind Ben Law, the fantastic author, journalists, survivor, contestant, 87 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 2: amazing human being. 88 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: Ben Law taught me how to do this. I'm simply 89 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: telling you what Ben Law taught me how to do. 90 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 2: So, so you've got a target of ninety thousand words, 91 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 2: first thing you do is sit down, open up a 92 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: document and write down twenty chapter headings that serve as. 93 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: The main beats in your story. 94 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: So chapter one, a hungry person thinks about what they 95 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: want for dinner. Chapter two, a funny thing happened on 96 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: the way to the supermarket. Chapter three, distracted by the 97 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 2: aisle of dreams. All right, you see where this is going. 98 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: So now you've got twenty lines on your document. Now 99 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 2: go back to the start and write five sentences that 100 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 2: are the huge duplo bricks of story which get you 101 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 2: between each chapter heading. For example, in this story above, 102 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 2: chapter one, the feeling of hunger wasn't something he'd ever 103 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 2: been comfortable with. What should have been a signal that 104 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 2: he needed calories to make his body work properly came 105 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 2: with an intense emotional hook, dragging him back through time 106 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: to his childhood as he watched his immigrant grandmother stirring 107 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 2: a pot of pigs, feet and knuckles, the smell of 108 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 2: the cooking both oppressive and strangely comforting. 109 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: Then, yeah, a bit of a break. 110 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 2: And then it wasn't until he was much older that 111 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 2: he realized what he ate for dinner was not what 112 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 2: his neighbors ate for dinner. It was at his friend 113 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 2: Sean's birthday party, where he saw his first barbecue, and 114 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 2: then it's a bit of a We talked about the 115 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 2: barbecue for one years later. The avoidance of hunger brought 116 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 2: all kinds of issues around eating, and you go to 117 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 2: explain that, and the last bit would be things are 118 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 2: very different now, but still there was a pang of 119 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 2: disappointment as he realized the challenge ahead of him making 120 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: good choices when as a hungry person he had to 121 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 2: buy food in a supermarket. And you do that for 122 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 2: each chapter heading all right, that alone will get you 123 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 2: six thousand words. Now from there you're at the next stage. 124 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 2: You now have manageable chunks to fill in as you 125 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 2: sit down and write. Every day, you have a roadmap 126 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 2: like you've put in your directions into your phone and 127 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 2: you look at the root overview and you can see 128 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:52,359 Speaker 2: all the left, turn right, turn drive to you on 129 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 2: a kilometers turn left, blah bla lah. You're looking at 130 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 2: the over you. But now you've got to go and 131 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 2: do the actual cycling or driving. 132 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: And this is how you do it. You treat it 133 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: like a job. 134 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 2: Essentially, you set a regular time to do it, you 135 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 2: do it every single day, and you make it routine 136 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 2: so you don't have to think about it. You wouldn't 137 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 2: think about it. Am I going to go to work today? No, 138 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: of course you're going to go to work today. So 139 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 2: maybe you want to do it off site to make 140 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,359 Speaker 2: sure that you've got a location you can go to 141 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 2: and you treat it like a job where you go 142 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 2: and you do it personally. I like to make sure 143 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: my brain's in a good space when I'm sitting down 144 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 2: to write, so I like to train before I write. 145 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 2: It gets my brain working properly, It gets everything flying around, 146 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 2: lets my subconscious sit things down, have a good talking too, 147 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 2: and get things ready to come back out of my head, 148 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 2: out of my fingers. 149 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: That really helps. When I do that, I'll get from training, 150 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: have something to drink. 151 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 2: Some to turn off the internet, put my phone on 152 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: flight mode, put on some Stonking Drone Metal, listen to 153 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 2: an episode a couple of weeks back about. 154 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 1: That and start. 155 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 2: Because if you've got a daily target, now you've got 156 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 2: a daily target of words, and at this point all 157 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 2: you're doing is filling in the blanks. You're just simply 158 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 2: filling in the blanks between those beats that we've just written. 159 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 2: And why this is an amazing way to do it 160 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 2: is because you're never going to have a moment where 161 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 2: you're stuck, because all you're doing is coloring in between 162 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 2: the outlines. 163 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: That you've already written. 164 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 2: But if you do get stuck, which can happen, tell 165 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 2: your brain, just trick your brain. It's okay, I'm just 166 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 2: going to start. I'm just going to write some notes 167 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 2: over here and maybe do it. Write some notes on 168 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 2: your phone, write some notes on a notes app, write 169 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 2: it in a different piece of software if useful at 170 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 2: this point. 171 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: Don't worry about the. 172 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 2: Quality of what you're writing too much, and most certainly, 173 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 2: don't edit yourself as you go. Ben absolutely impressed upon me. 174 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 2: Write with the door closed, edit with the door open. 175 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 2: If you're judging each sentence as it comes out and 176 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 2: then deleting it. 177 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: Oh, I don't know. 178 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 2: You're never going to get anything done. If you're afraid 179 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 2: to write something because you're worried about what another person 180 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 2: might think when they're reading it, you're preventing yourself from 181 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 2: writing your reaction to the thing that you were afraid of, 182 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 2: which is bound to be interesting and bout to be 183 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 2: something you've never written before. You can pull the first 184 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 2: part out in the edit, you can pull the thing 185 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 2: you'll frit not out in the edit. But if you're 186 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 2: writing AB and C but too worried about writing D 187 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 2: and E, you're never going to discover what's hiding between 188 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 2: F and M. 189 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: So just write it. 190 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 2: Just keep going, trust that your subconscious will give you 191 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 2: the goods, all right. If this sounds like a durge, 192 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 2: just keep writing. Look, let me put it like this. 193 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 2: Even if it feels like I'm just writing out junk 194 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 2: or nothing good's coming or this is terrible, just keep writing. 195 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: And this is the analogy I put. 196 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 2: Just imagine you're volunteering at Vinnie's, all right, and your 197 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 2: job is to go through the donation bins on a 198 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 2: Monday morning. 199 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: And what are the donation bins at Nies look like 200 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: a Monday morning? Right? 201 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,559 Speaker 2: It's been a weekend of people spring cleaning, people moving house, 202 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 2: people breaking up, relatives, dying, kids getting too big for clothes, whatever. 203 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 2: The amount of staff dumped in those big metal boxes 204 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 2: is astounding. Now, we all know there's bound to be 205 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 2: some solid gold in that big box. However, unless we 206 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 2: go through it garment by garment, picking up each plate, 207 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 2: each book, each single shoe with no pair We're never 208 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 2: going to find the Charles and Die memorial Teatowel or 209 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 2: the mint condition original Castle Gray Skull. 210 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: We can't just pick it up and throw it. 211 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 2: We have to actually sort it and go through it 212 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 2: one by one, dealing with the stink of other people's clothes, 213 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 2: all that. 214 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: You've got to do it. And it's the same when 215 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: you're writing. 216 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 2: And I called Ben before and I just wanted to 217 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 2: run by him and say, did you say something like 218 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:39,719 Speaker 2: this when you first tought me how to do is? 219 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 2: He goes, yeah, yeah, that sounds like something i'd say. 220 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 2: And this is what he said. You can't find the 221 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,559 Speaker 2: pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if 222 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 2: you don't write the rainbow. But in my experience, the 223 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 2: rainbow doesn't look like a rainbow. The rainbow seems to 224 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 2: always end up as a kind of smushy plato brown 225 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 2: or all the colors just gush together, just keep going 226 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 2: because the goal is always there. In the editing process, 227 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 2: you cut out the plato pooh brown, and you just 228 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 2: left with the gold, and people think, oh my god, 229 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 2: they just write gold sentence off the sentence. 230 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: No, there was probably one hundred words between those bits 231 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: of shit. But you've got to write them to get 232 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: to the good stuff. 233 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 2: Because if you sit there paralyzed because you're not writing 234 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 2: gold every sentence, because that's what books look like, they 235 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,079 Speaker 2: look like gold every sentence, and you're thinking, I'm not 236 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 2: writing it like that, so clearly, shit, no, you're never 237 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 2: going to get it done. You're reading something that, as 238 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 2: you're about to hear, is the final product of a 239 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 2: long process, all right, because writing it's called the wrong thing. 240 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: Much like surfing. 241 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 2: When I first learned to surf, I discovered how poorly 242 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 2: we as a community had chosen the verb we use 243 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 2: to describe this activity. Surfing should be called twenty five 244 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 2: minutes of paddling, getting smashed in the face, more paddling, 245 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 2: getting hit by your own board, getting caught inside, coming 246 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 2: up for air, getting dragged back down again, getting stung 247 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 2: by a blue bottle, musing for your spot in the lineup, 248 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 2: getting yelled at by knuckleheads, getting people dropping in on you, 249 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 2: wave pigs taking more than their share of ways, and 250 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 2: then six seconds of standing on a board on a wave, 251 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 2: and then. 252 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: Do it all again. But you only see the surfing part. 253 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 2: When people take a photo of surfing, they don't take 254 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 2: a photo of all those other things. 255 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:18,959 Speaker 1: I take a photo of Hey, I'm standing on a board. 256 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:26,719 Speaker 2: Similarly, writing wrong verb, it's missing a prefix. To be precise, 257 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 2: we should call it rewriting. Don't expect to hand in 258 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 2: the first thing you write. Plan your time. If there's 259 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 2: a deadline, mine is actually it's in six weeks from today. 260 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 2: In fact, plan to rewrite. Plans for some time there, 261 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 2: to rewrite, and put milestones in your calendar, work towards them. 262 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 2: It seems daunting, but breaking it down into small, manageable 263 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,679 Speaker 2: chunks means that you can eat this elephant bite at 264 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 2: a time. When I wrote my first book, I managed 265 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 2: about three and a half to five thousand words within 266 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 2: three or four hours. For I found it kind of 267 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 2: difficult to write stuff that. I mean, I've kept saying 268 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 2: just keep writing if it's bad, but at some point 269 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 2: it's my brain would just stop and I had to 270 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 2: stop after three or four hours, like that's it. So 271 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 2: that averages that kind of works out to about a 272 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 2: thousand words an hour. So if I only hit my 273 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 2: word target of ninety thousand words, that's ninety hours of writing. 274 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 2: If I do it three hours a day, five days 275 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 2: a week, like a job that's done in six weeks. 276 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 2: How does it make you feel that in six weeks 277 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 2: from right now you could have written the first draft 278 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 2: of a novel. As I mentioned, it's important a factor 279 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 2: in time to rewrite it, but that part is a 280 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 2: lot faster than the first pass. When I was done 281 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 2: with my first Manus group, I went back to the 282 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,559 Speaker 2: start and rewrite the whole thing, tied it up, pulling 283 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 2: out bits that were redundant, setting up callbacks and things 284 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 2: like that, because you get to the final part and go, oh, 285 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 2: this is a moment where I could link it to 286 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 2: something else, because I once said this great thing about 287 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 2: writing or screenwriting, but it works for this as well. 288 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 2: You spend the first two thirds of your movie setting 289 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 2: up all the mouse traps, and the last third of 290 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 2: the movie letting them all off. 291 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: That's it. 292 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 2: I think back to the future one. That's perfect. That's 293 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 2: all it is. So I did some of that, but 294 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 2: there's things I can't see because I'm too close to it. 295 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 2: So I tied it up, essentially made it kind of 296 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 2: look good, not perfect, but it was enough because I 297 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,559 Speaker 2: knew I was working with an excellent editor. Now an 298 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:30,839 Speaker 2: editor and this is a really important part. And you 299 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 2: can't do this by yourself. You need someone else to 300 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 2: do this for you because they see things you can't see. 301 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,199 Speaker 1: Their job is to be the Rick Ruben. 302 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 2: Of the situation, to go through the whole thing, ask 303 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 2: for more detail here, show you how, oh, these two 304 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 2: parts could tie together, and you might have missed this 305 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 2: or suggest something, Oh, maybe this should be less intense, 306 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 2: or this should be more intense, or is there more 307 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 2: emotional we can get out of this bit here, and 308 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 2: that could set up something that happens in five chapters 309 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 2: from now now when you get it back, when you're 310 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 2: working off your editor's notes, you're flying because you're simply 311 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 2: just responding to direction. We did this twice, so essentially 312 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 2: the book that I published was the fourth version of 313 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 2: my book. But where are these ideas going to come from? 314 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,719 Speaker 2: What on earth are you going to write about? How 315 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 2: are you going to color in the bits in between 316 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 2: the lines and make it great? Well, that's where I 317 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 2: am right now, and that's what I want to talk 318 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 2: to you about. On the other side of the braak. 319 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 2: It's the part where we are feeding the subconscious. I'm 320 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 2: going to pay some bills, play some mads, I'll be 321 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 2: right back, thanks for listening. Where less than five minutes 322 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 2: away from me finishing. But this is everything you everyone 323 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 2: has to know about about writing. What are you going 324 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 2: to write about? How do you feed your subconscious? Let's 325 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 2: say you're writing the book I was talking about earlier, 326 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 2: about a man making dinner, battling his own association with hunger, 327 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 2: with food and with love, and we'll see where it goes. 328 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: So before you've even written. 329 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 2: A word of this novel, you're going to need to 330 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 2: make make sure your brain has plenty of things to 331 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 2: piece together into new combinations. You can't go I'm going 332 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 2: to build some lego. If you don't have any Lego 333 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 2: in the house, I'm going to build a spaceship out 334 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 2: of lego. But if you've only got pirate Lego, you're 335 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 2: gonna have a shitty looking spaceship. I mean, it could 336 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 2: be cool, but you're gonna need some spaceship lego. So 337 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 2: before you've even in a word, you've got to fill 338 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 2: your brain with plenty of things to piece together into 339 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 2: new combinations. So spend literally this is part of the job. 340 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 2: Spend a week feeding your subconscious. Just everything you need 341 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 2: to know about hunger food, family, love, cooking, supermarkets, everything. 342 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 2: Spend a week watching somebody feed fill watch every episode 343 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 2: of Anthony Boordine, Parts Unknown. Read books about first generation 344 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 2: Australian immigrants here or overseas. Try cooking something you've never cooked. 345 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 2: Take a cooking class for a cuisine you've never tried. 346 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 2: Shop three different supermarkets that aren't a massive chain, including 347 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 2: you Romeo's IgA. I don't know how independent you can 348 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:02,239 Speaker 2: be with you know, fifty something, but that's another question regardless. 349 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,479 Speaker 2: Go to bits of the city where there's a supermarket 350 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 2: that has nothing written in English. All right, go to 351 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 2: the Isle of dreams. Buy the plasma cutter if you 352 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 2: can afford it, or have a look at the plasma cutter. 353 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 2: You know, whatever the fuck's in the Isle of dreams 354 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 2: that week, all these island dreams. 355 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: It's beautiful thing. 356 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 2: On the weekend, go eat a yum char place, massive 357 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 2: tables full of families. Watch how people talk to each other, 358 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 2: you know, around Chinese Australians on the Saturday, Jewish Australians 359 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 2: on the Sunday. 360 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: Yum Chat's fantastic. 361 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 2: Spend the week putting so much about food and love 362 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 2: and family into your brain that you're absolutely full, and 363 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 2: then do nothing. 364 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: Do nothing for a. 365 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 2: Couple of days, let it sit get your schedule sword 366 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 2: and do some gardening, stay fit, do your regular job, 367 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 2: door do you got to move what you need to 368 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 2: move out of the way to make your writing happen, 369 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 2: no matter what. And then on a following Monday clock on, 370 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 2: get to work. It's not going to look. 371 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: Like anything at first, but that's okay. 372 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 2: Your brain is just a big Bunnings bucket full of 373 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 2: hand me down lego and you're just reaching in and 374 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 2: out whatever. 375 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: But you get finding a place for. 376 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,640 Speaker 2: It to fit into this thing that you're building. It's 377 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 2: not going to look like anything. It's not going to 378 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 2: look like what you want it to look like for a. 379 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 1: While, and that is okay. 380 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 2: Now, when you're writing, this other thing is really important, 381 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 2: I want to talk to you about it. Dealing with distractions, 382 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 2: and that's something I definitely need to be mindful of. 383 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 1: And this is how I do it. 384 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 2: It's a bit of a version of the Pomo d'Oro technique. 385 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 2: So I set a timer for twenty five minutes, and 386 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 2: then when things pop into my head while I'm writing, 387 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 2: and they can be. 388 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: Very obtrusive, I pick up a pencil. I don't type 389 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 1: it out. I pick up a pencil and to write 390 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: it on a separate pad. 391 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 2: And when that alarm goes off, I set a five 392 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 2: minute time and I follow up all those things as 393 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 2: many as I can get through in that five minutes. 394 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:42,679 Speaker 2: Phone calls can wait till after I'm done writing. However, 395 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:44,640 Speaker 2: if it's a quick email or a quick text, paying 396 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 2: a bill, looking up who won WrestleMania five, whatever, I 397 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: get that done and then I get back in there 398 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 2: frontother twenty five minutes. After a couple of days of 399 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 2: doing this, I ramped up the writing time all the 400 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 2: way till I've got to like fifty five of concentrated 401 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 2: time and then five minutes of catch up. 402 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: And I was made sure. I stood up and I 403 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: stretched every hour, and that was that was how I 404 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: did it. But I clocked on and I clocked off. 405 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 2: One thing that I know for sure, as well as 406 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,239 Speaker 2: a problem with me, is that can task switching can 407 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 2: be quite tricky for me, especially when I'm so focused. 408 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: Audi. 409 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 2: You would have come into the room and she'd ask 410 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 2: me a valid question about, you know, can you go 411 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 2: get g from dancing or whatever whatever, and I would 412 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 2: stare at her as if she's ordering lunch in Icelandic, 413 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 2: which didn't go down very well because I'm just like 414 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 2: looking at her as if she's an object, because my 415 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 2: brain is just somewhere else. 416 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: So I had to learn what to do. 417 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 2: I had to learn like close the laptop, stand up, 418 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:37,919 Speaker 2: turn around, look at her, and you know, if I 419 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 2: need to ask her to say it again, say it again. 420 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 2: But like that really helped me get out of whatever 421 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 2: it was I was doing and then kind of get 422 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 2: back to it. 423 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: And that's pretty much it. 424 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 2: That's how you do it. That's how you write a book. 425 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 2: That's how you get to ninety thousand words six weeks. 426 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:54,199 Speaker 2: It's wild, but that's all it is. If there's no 427 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 2: podcast next Friday, you know why. And if you want 428 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 2: to write a book, now you know how. Let me 429 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 2: know what you thought. I'll put the link in the 430 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 2: show notes to the substeck where I have writing going 431 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:06,680 Speaker 2: up all the time. 432 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 1: You can drop me a message there. You can ask 433 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: me a question for Monday's episode. That's where you do it. 434 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 2: There's a box in the corner, click on send a message, 435 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 2: and then like in excess, put the fantastic record. There 436 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 2: will it'll come our way. I hope that was useful. 437 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 2: Let me know. If you're going to write your book, 438 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 2: let me know what it's about. Be fascinated to know. 439 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 2: Thanks heaps for listening. Here's the credits read Boy a 440 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 2: Strange Robotic Ali. 441 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 3: This episode was brought to you by Andy Maher on 442 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 3: audio post production, Becksied on video post production, Toe Hider 443 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 3: on music. My producer is Bree Steele, and my executive 444 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 3: function assistant is Monica Chapman for every episode ever. To 445 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 3: get on the mailing list or to get in touch 446 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 3: through the contact form, head to Ashurginsburg dot com. 447 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.