Jim Woods is the co-author of Ready, Aim, Fire! and Hit the Mark! (with Erik J. Fisher). He is an accountant that is transitioning into writing full-time. You can connect with him on his website and on Twitter.
Describe the process you go through when writing.
Jim likes to brainstorm and get a game plan for what he’s going after. If you just go on emotions, you’re starting things but not going anywhere.
He’s starting to study about having multiple passions.
If he’s driving, he’ll use Dragon Dictation to capture ideas.
As he approaches an e-book, he looks at like a bunch of blog posts, but closely connected.
Jim has tried to use Evernote, but it doesn’t work well with his personality. He just e-mails the different files (audio, text, etc.) to himself, making sure to put a subject line that is descriptive.
He knows that he can’t handle too many projects at once, so he does one big project and one smaller project.
Use what works for you. There is no one-size fits all.
[Tweet “It is good to also have a physical and digital way to capture ideas. – @jimwoodswrites”]
What brainstorming and research tips do you have?
Research is dangerous because you can over-research.
Use as few resources as possible. Steven Pressfield recommends 3 really good resources.
See how the research applies to you or someone else. Tell stories.
Just follow the “beginning, middle, end” format.
[Tweet “Don’t overthink the brainstorming idea. Don’t let it stop you from starting – just dive in. – @jimwoodswrites”]
How can we use goals with content creation?
Jim and Erik J. Fisher co-wrote the book, “Ready, Aim, Fire!” that talks about goals.
Jim recommends to buy the book, “Do the Work” by Steven Pressfield.
If you’re not sure of something, join the club. Doubts are common – it’s just a matter if we admit it.
Parting advice
Creating art is a hard life. We want to be accepted, but be sure to start with yourself. Make sure you really like what you’re doing, and everything else will fall into place.
If you’re struggling too much, it’s okay to back away.
Do you have any processes or tips for creating content?
Thanks to those that left a 5-star review in iTunes: Greg Hickman, Missionary on Fire (Joe Consford), and filmmakerdoc (Doc Kennedy).