- Alex & Books Newsletter
- Posts
- A&B #36
A&B #36
Alex & Books #36
Hey friends,
Happy Sunday (ps: don't forget to wish your mom a Happy Mother's day today)
.
I'm only 26 but I wanted to share an important lesson I constantly remind myself: You may not always feel like reading a book, eating healthy, or working out, but you'll
Lifting weights, eating better food, and reading self-improvement books will fix a lot of your problems.
— Alex & Books 📚 (@AlexAndBooks_)
9:59 PM • May 5, 2021
doing it afterward.
Here's something else I learned: Did you know over 2.2 million books are published every year? That's 6,000+ books every day. In other words, there are a ton of awesome books out there for you.
And here are a few threads I wrote that you might enjoy:
Alright, let's talk books.
📚 Book Lessons:
If you're a writer or aspiring author, I highly recommend reading How To Write Good (Or At Least, Gooder) by John David Mann. It's short, insightful, and comes from someone who's written 30+ books. You can get a free copy of his ebook here.Here are 3 lessons from it: 1) To Be A Great Writer, Read Great BooksReading and writing go hand-in-hand. To be a great writer, you must be a great reader."Reading is feeding nutrients to your mind. It’s going to play a big part in shaping what you write. If you don’t want to write mediocre stuff, don’t read mediocre stuff," writes John.John encourages aspiring writers to read the best books in the genre they wish to write a book in, as well as reading books about the craft of writing such as On Writing by Stephen King. 2) 3 Tips To Overcome Writer's BlockWriter's block is a common obstacle for writers, here are a few helpful ways to overcome it: Take a break. Sometimes going for a walk or doing a workout will trigger that "aha" moment and you'll come up with the answer you were looking for. Do more research. The more detail and insights you have, the more you inspiration and facts you have to draw from. Go for the low-hanging fruit. In any piece of writing, there are parts that are going to feel relatively easier to write. If you're stuck, tackle the easy parts, you can get to the more difficult writing another time.3) The Secret To Writing Is RewritingHere's something all writers know: No one is a good writer. As Hemingway said, "The first draft of anything is crap." The secret to writing well comes from being a good rewriter. That's where the magic happens.In his book, John shows readers how bad his first draft of The Go-Giver was and how it got better after each revision. Even after writing 30+ books, John says his first drafts are still bad and that it's only through rewriting them that they become amazing pieces of writing.
✅ Actionable Advice:
1) Read more great books.
Find and read the bestselling books in the genre you want to write a book in.
Read On Writing by Stephen King.
2) Get over writer's block by:
Taking a break to allow your mind to relax and come up with an answer.
Doing more research.
Going after the low-hanging fruit and writing the easier sections first.
3) Don't worry if your first draft sucks.
The first draft of anything will be crap.
Don't edit while you write. Write now, edit later.
Remember that the magic of writing comes during the rewriting process.
🎧 Podcast Update:
This week's podcast is with John David Mann. John has coauthored over 30 books including The Go-Giver, The Latte Factor, The Slight Edge, and many more bestselling books. In our conversation, John shares advice on:
The 3 ingredients for good writing
How reading books makes you a better writer
The writing process John used to write 30+ books
6 tips to overcome writer's block
And much more.Listen to the podcast here.
📖 Reading Lesson:Here are 50+ harsh truths about reading.
⭐️ Weekly Quote:Books are a place to lose ourselves.And a place to find ourselves.(source)
🙏 Support:This week's newsletter is made possible by The Daily Upside.Not only is it a great and free business newsletter, but they're also giving away an Apple Watch to one lucky subscriber. Join their newsletter for more details on how you can win.Sign up for free here.
Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next Sunday!Read on,Alex W.
Reply