Writing

Four ways to outline a nonfiction book: traditional, web, 3 chapter chunks and pyramid, plus guidance on book length and how to start writing.

How long it takes to write a book by word count and page count, with average timelines for first-time authors and tips to finish faster.

What a children's book editor does, how editing needs differ for picture books, chapter books, and YA, and how to choose the right editor for your manuscript.

A four-step guide to writing a foreword for a nonfiction book: introduce yourself, explain why the book matters, close full circle, then sign.

How the hero's meeting with the mentor keeps a story moving, shown through the Wizard of Oz humbug reveal, with five steps for non-fiction writers.

Using the Cookie Thief story told by both Zig Ziglar and Wayne Dyer, Bryan Heathman explains why the best stories you tell should be your own.

Why bestsellers need both a strong idea and a smart launch, with tips on planning, Amazon optimization and avoiding promises of shortcuts.

The Road of Trials is where the hero faces test after test. See how Dorothy's fight with the Wicked Witch maps to it, plus five steps to outline it.

Using Dorothy's poppy field in The Wizard of Oz, Bryan Heathman shows how a hero's darkest hour drives transformation, with five steps to write one.

Why writer's block may be more of a void than a block, plus 5 practical ways to refill your creative well and get back to writing.

The final part of the Hero's Journey series: Dorothy returns to Kansas changed, with 5 steps for ending your hero's journey in a non-fiction book.

On a writing retreat in Mazatlán, Bryan Heathman dreams up a poolside talk with Hemingway that clears his writer's block on the Hero's Journey.

Dorothy trades the Golden Cap for her way home in this Hero's Journey installment on crossing the Return Threshold, with 5 steps for non-fiction writers.

How non-fiction authors can borrow the three phases of the Hero's Journey, departure, transformation and return, to structure a book around one story.

Practical steps for writing a bestseller, from finding your story idea and building characters to choosing a title and growing an author platform.

Using Dorothy's flight to Glinda's castle, this part of the Hero's Journey series explains the Magic Flight and how non-fiction writers can use it.

A walk through every stage of Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, a Fight Club example, and how to apply the structure to non-fiction books.

Bryan Heathman explains the Story Inventory System: build a bank of ideas and stories, then pull from it to write speeches and books with less guesswork.

Use Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey to structure a non-fiction book: departure, transformation and return, plus how to build a story around one reader.

A practical guide to writing a memoir: what a memoir is, who reads them, how to structure your story, and tips for editing, publishing and marketing.