Did you notice the exclamation point in the title? I never use them — I have a phobia about them to the extent that if I read more than a single exclamation point in ten pages of any book I’ll throw it across the room.

But — I am excited about the new version of Scrivener. It’s finally here.

If you’re unfamiliar with Scrivener, visit the site to learn more. For Windows users, the Windows version will be out next year.

Here’s what I love about Scrivener:

* It keeps everything in one place

* I can work on my projects in chunks, so that I don’t lose ideas (I use it for everything)

* It’s easy to drag and drop chunks around until I have a structure I like. I outline, but invariably I make many changes to that outline…

* Easy export — new in V2, export to ePub

Here’s a tip. I’ve been using Scrivener since it first came out, and am very comfortable with it, but there’s a learning curve. That said, learning is SO worth it. You’ve got everything you need to learn — a great manual, and videos too.

I love Scrivener.

BTW — I have no affiliation with the product, I just love it.

Want to write a novel? Many writers are gearing up for NaNoWriMo on November 1, but you can start your novel at any time.

Just decide that that’s what you’ll do.

Yes, you can decide, without a single idea of HOW you’re going to do it, that you’ll start your novel today.

Here’s how.

Write a series of titles, suitable for your genre.

For example, if you’re writing historical romance, you could write:

Lady Annabelle and the Deadly Duke

The Enchanted Duchess

A Gentleman’s Temptation

And etc. — I could keep this up all day, and I’m sure you could too.

By the way, those three titles are off the top of my head — they’re not actual titles — at least I hope they aren’t.

Did you see what happened here?

Firstly, I chose a GENRE — a type of novel, historical romance, in this case.

Next, from my reading in the genre, I created some titles which are suitable for the genre.

If I were doing this for real, I’d brainstorm between 20 and 50 titles, before I chose one. (There are many reasons for doing this, I’ll go into them in a later post.)

The BEST title would jump out at me: I’d get an instant dose of inspiration, with an idea for the plot, the main characters, and some scenes.

Hey presto — within half an hour or less, I’d be well on the way to writing my novel.

Write within a genre, if you want to sell your novel

Here’s a tip about the novelist’s craft. Writing within a genre is important. When they want to buy a book, readers know what they want. They have favorite authors, and in some genres, like historical romance, readers will buy every book their favorite author releases.

Publishers release a certain number of genre novels each month. If they’re heavily represented in a genre, they may release five or more each month. They need authors, so genre publishers are always looking for new voices.

So — what are you waiting for? Start brainstorming your novel.

Apropos of NaNoWriMo, the wonderful Scrivener people have released a preview version of Scrivener 2, which will help you if you’re writing your novel this November.

Also apropos of NaNoWriMo, I wrote a series of NaNoWriMo Quick Start posts in my writing blog, starting in September 2006. Check the blog’s archives to find them — they’ll help you in your NaNoWriMo journey.

The Write A Book Collection — the ultimate toolbox for writing and selling your books

These days it’s crazy to spend years writing a book, without having any idea as to whether or not you can make money from it. If you want to write, you can – you have a global market, which is hungry for information and entertainment. And YOU can provide it… even if you’re a brand new author.

As you may know, I write and sell many writing guides. I also sell information products in many other areas than writing.

I want to show you how you can do the same, if you wish. Your dreams of writing a book can be the spark which changes your life.

I’ve collected everything I know about writing and selling your books into my brand new Write A Book Collection: it’s the ultimate toolbox for anyone who wants to write and sell books in 2010 and beyond.

Are you writing a book? It can be a long journey from the first word to the last page. Some procrastination is natural; but too much can lead to you giving up and never completing the project.

I’ve been writing books since the late 1970s. I’d love to think that I had the creation process down pat, but each book is different. You’re always facing the blank page and occasionally, you run out of courage.

Here are four ways to stop procrastinating.

1. Eliminate Desperation: Relax, and Let Your Book Evolve

You can’t create when you’re tense. How desperate are you to complete your book? You may be extremely desperate if you’re under contract. This stress kills your creativity.

Your first step is to learn some relaxation techniques. You can find relaxation CDs and DVDs everywhere, and you can even download MP3s online.

Make daily relaxation your goal. When you stop being desperate, your creativity blooms.

2. Journal With a Purpose: Ask Yourself Questions

It’s very useful to journal about your book. Write down any and all questions you have about your book. Your questions may be related to the book’s content, to its promotion, or to other things which are going on in your life.

I like to journal early in the morning, answering a question I’ve asked myself the evening before. I’m amazed that this simple process works so well. Try it.

3. Create Space for Your Book: Sit Down to Write Every Day

Schedule your writing time every day, even if you only have 20 minutes.

Then, sit down at your desk at the appointed time. You don’t have to write, but you can’t do anything else either during this period. Disable your Internet connection — no checking email or Facebook.

4. Create a Goal You Believe in, With a Deadline

Goals without deadlines are just dreams. Create a deadline which is shorter than you think you can manage, because this will make you stretch as a writer.

Try these four simple tactics. You’ll be amazed that you write your book without procrastination.

The Write A Book Collection — the ultimate toolbox for writing and selling your books

These days it’s crazy to spend years writing a book, without having any idea as to whether or not you can make money from it. If you want to write, you can – you have a global market, which is hungry for information and entertainment. And YOU can provide it… even if you’re a brand new author.

As you may know, I write and sell many writing guides. I also sell information products in many other areas than writing.

I want to show you how you can do the same, if you wish. Your dreams of writing a book can be the spark which changes your life.

I’ve collected everything I know about writing and selling your books into my brand new Write A Book Collection: it’s the ultimate toolbox for anyone who wants to write and sell books in 2010 and beyond.

There are many insider secrets in the world of publishing. If you’re writing a book, or want to, read this article and discover four valuable secrets. These secrets will not only help you to write your book, they’ll also help you to get it published.

It’s been almost 30 years since my first book was published, and I can still remember my excitement. There’s nothing more thrilling than seeing your first book on bookstore shelves.

Secret 1. It’s All About Book Buyers

Did you notice that I said book “buyers”, rather than readers? Your book needs to sell, firstly to an acquisitions editor at a publishing house of course, and then to bookshop buyers. Whether or not your next book is published depends on the numbers: how many copies of your first book were sold by bookshops.

This means that you need to take marketing your book seriously. If you show you’re keenly aware of the importance of book sales, you’re more likely to get a publishing contract.

Secret 2. You’re the Only Expert on Your Book

You’re the only expert on your book, because you had the original idea: the inspiration. Your name will also be the only name on the cover.

If you remember that, you won’t ask people for advice who aren’t qualified to give it (friends and family), and you’ll take advice from those who are qualified (your agent and editor) with a grain of salt.

Secret 3. Think in Terms of a Series, Because Publishers Do

I always encourage my writing students to consider writing a series, rather than writing a standalone book. There a two reasons for this.

The first reason is that publication takes time. If you complete your first book and wait until that’s published before you write your second book, you could be waiting years.

The second reason is that any publisher who offers you a contract wants to know that you’re prolific, because it takes time to build an author’s name. If you’re already writing Book Three when a publisher shows interest in Book One, you may well be offered a multi-book contract.

Secret 4. Sell Your Book While You’re Writing It

Never wait until you’ve completed a book before you try and sell it. You should be promoting your book as soon as you get your idea and write an outline.

So there you have four publishing insider secrets which will help you to write your book and get it published.

The Write A Book Collection — the ultimate toolbox for writing and selling your books

These days it’s crazy to spend years writing a book, without having any idea as to whether or not you can make money from it. If you want to write, you can – you have a global market, which is hungry for information and entertainment. And YOU can provide it… even if you’re a brand new author.

As you may know, I write and sell many writing guides. I also sell information products in many other areas than writing.

I want to show you how you can do the same, if you wish. Your dreams of writing a book can be the spark which changes your life.

I’ve collected everything I know about writing and selling your books into my brand new Write A Book Collection: it’s the ultimate toolbox for anyone who wants to write and sell books in 2010 and beyond.

Writing a book always takes longer than you think it will. However it shouldn’t take forever. In this article we’ll look at four easy tips which will help you to get your book written, and probably more quickly than you think possible.

I’ve written many books, both for print and for digital publication. I love writing books because I love the feeling of getting into a process and having lots to write. However, whether you love to write or not, these tips will help you.

Here they are.

1. Remember That Writing Is a Process

The temptation when you’re writing is to go back and constantly tinker with what you’ve written. You write six words, decide that they’re the wrong words, so you delete them and write several other words. Then you’ll decide that those words are totally stupid, and you can do better… so you delete them again.

That’s the fast road to madness.

Start writing, and keep writing. You can always fix it later, during the editing process. Keep a forward momentum when you write.

2. Avoid Obsessive Re-Reading

A book which takes several hours to read has taken several months, and sometimes several years, to write. Considering that you’ve only got a certain number of hours each day to write, avoid re-reading what you’ve written as much as possible. Re-reading wastes time you should be spending writing.

Reread the last page, but no more. Then start writing.

3. Outline: Just Do It

If you don’t outline, get into the habit. Your outline can be a simple list of what you intend to cover in the book. If you don’t outline, chances are you won’t finish the book because you’ll lose momentum.

I know many novelists who maintain that if they don’t know happens in the book, the reader won’t know either. Unfortunately, if you don’t know what happens you’re writing without a safety net. You’ll paint yourself into a corner, or you’ll wander off on weird tangents.

4. You Don’t Need to Start at the Beginning

If you remember this one simple rule, you’ll write many more books. Once you’ve written your outline, feel free to write whatever chapter or scene strikes your mood on a particular day.

If you’re writing a novel, and want to write a scene which takes place in the middle of the book, feel free. Alternatively if you’re writing nonfiction, there’s nothing stopping you from writing Chapter Eight before you write Chapter One. It’s completely up to you.

Try these four tips. They’ll not only help you to write your book, but will also help you to build good writing habits.

The Write A Book Collection — the ultimate toolbox for writing and selling your books

These days it’s crazy to spend years writing a book, without having any idea as to whether or not you can make money from it. If you want to write, you can – you have a global market, which is hungry for information and entertainment. And YOU can provide it… even if you’re a brand new author.

As you may know, I write and sell many writing guides. I also sell information products in many other areas than writing.

I want to show you how you can do the same, if you wish. Your dreams of writing a book can be the spark which changes your life.

I’ve collected everything I know about writing and selling your books into my brand new Write A Book Collection: it’s the ultimate toolbox for anyone who wants to write and sell books in 2010 and beyond.