Could you be the next Hemingway, Steven King, or ...

I am reviewing tools to improve a writer's grammar, prose, and sentence structure. I have found many free and paid products out there and was curious if I was using the best tools for the job.

So what does this have to do with your finances? Good question. Glad you asked.

The fact is many people talk about writing a book yet few do. And of the few that start writing their ideas on paper even fewer ever publish.

Think about it. You have no excuse not to start NOW!

Because of Covid-19, many of you are unemployed or underemployed and have time to start on a new project.

I wrote this article with the help of the Hemingway app. There is a free version – online only. The website is www.hemingwayapp.com .

Type in the browser window, then copy and paste into your word processing document, such as Word. You could also use this to tighten up your WordPress post.

Hemingway also tells you the readability of your document and word count. For example, Hemingway says this post has a certain number of words and a readability index of Grade 4. This means that this article should be readable by anyone who has at least a 4th-grade education.

Another tool I find helpful is a mind mapping tool. Some people like to have everything online and there are plenty of options out there. One I sometimes use is found at gitmind.com. To the purist, a mind map should be on paper. It is just simpler and the ideas will flow easier with nothing but pencil and paper between you and your ideas.

The reason for the mindmap is to build the flow of the story. Where does it start? Where does it end? Is it a mini-series? Is it a children’s book? Is it a scientific, mathematic treatise? This is your idea and maybe you have more than 1 book in your mind.

Get these thoughts on paper and into a mindmap. Now that you have the framework for the book, consider the audience and the format. If a children’s book then maybe you need pictures. Pictures may mean a graphic artist or you might want to try drawing your own pictures using a tool like Canva.com.

Next formatting. Is it a textbook, children’s book, murder mystery? Finally, time to decide how you are going to create the first draft. Will it be handwritten using pencil and paper or will you use word processing software like Word?

Now it is time for you to decide. Do you decide to take the plunge and start mind mapping that book idea? Or do you continue to do nothing and let your great concept never reach its intended audience?

And in today’s world of shopping giant Amazon.com, it is easy to create and publish your book. You can decide on digital-only or digital and paperback versions.

There has never been a better time to start that next chapter of your life.

And with a bit of luck and some advertising, you can make money with your book.

I believe in you!!