Nail Your Book Writing Format Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind)

So, you’re writing a book. You’ve got the ideas. The passion. Maybe even a killer opening line. But then—bam! The formatting monster shows up. Margins? Indents? Font choices? Suddenly you’re knee-deep in settings you didn’t even know existed. Let’s work on nailing your book writing format like a pro, and let’s do it in a way that would keep you from losing your mine.

Relax. You’re not alone, and you’re definitely not doomed.

Whether you’re writing the next great novel, a business book, or a memoir about that wild summer in ’88 (you know the one), your book writing format matters. Why? Because formatting is like clothing for your words—it can either make your manuscript look like it’s headed to a job interview or like it just rolled out of bed with bedhead and coffee stains.

So let’s dress that manuscript for success.

Below are the five essential pillars of great book writing format—especially if you’re planning to self-publish. These aren’t fluff tips either. This is the real-deal, get-it-right-the-first-time stuff. Let’s go!

Nail Your Book Writing Format Without Losing Your Mind

✅ 1. Book Writing Format: Choose Reader-Friendly Fonts and Sizes

Your story might be fire, but if it’s dressed in Comic Sans or written in 8-point Papyrus, readers will run—not walk—to the next book on the shelf. Fonts matter, and not just to designers. They set the tone, affect readability, and play a surprising role in your credibility as an author.

For print books, go classic with serif fonts like:

Times New Roman (the old faithful)
Georgia (slightly softer on the eyes)
Garamond (for that subtle, elegant touch)

Stick to 11- or 12-point font size. Anything smaller screams “please squint,” and anything larger makes your book look like it’s shouting at people.

For digital formats, you’ll want fonts that translate well to screens, like:

Arial
Calibri
Verdana

Digital readers can adjust font size, but don’t make them wrestle with a weird default. Think smooth, clean, and readable.

Pro tip: If you’re using a tool like Vellum or Atticus, you’ll have presets that take the guesswork out. But if you’re formatting manually—this part matters.

✅ 2. Book Writing Format: Use Clear, Consistent Paragraph Formatting

Here’s where things can get real messy, real fast.

First off: DO NOT hit the space bar five times to indent your paragraphs. This is 2025, not 1997. Let the software do the heavy lifting.

Set your paragraph style to first-line indent of 0.5 inches. You can do this in Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, or pretty much any writing program with a settings button.

Next up: line spacing. Aim for 1.5 or double-spacing. Not only is this easier on the eyes, but it also makes your manuscript easier to edit and proofread later. Bonus: It won’t look like your words are gasping for air.

And for the love of clarity: avoid extra line breaks between paragraphs unless you’re shifting scenes or thoughts. Think tidy, not cramped. Spacious, not sloppy.

✅ 3. Book Writing Format: Adapt Layout for Medium (Print vs. Digital)

A one-size-fits-all format? Not a thing. What works beautifully in a paperback might be a formatting disaster on Kindle.

For print books:

Fully justify your text so both left and right margins look crisp and clean.
Set mirrored margins to allow space for binding (aka the gutter).
Add page numbers, but skip numbering your title page or copyright page.
Use page breaks between chapters—not just a handful of carriage returns. That’s amateur hour.

For ebooks:

Left-align your text. Justified alignment can cause awkward spacing on small screens.
Use reflowable text, meaning your book adjusts itself to fit any screen size. (No locked-in pages, please.)
Skip fancy headers and footers—they won’t show up well and can frustrate readers.
Include hyperlinked navigation so readers can tap and jump to chapters. Trust me, your future fans will thank you.

Remember: Amazon KDP and other self-publishing platforms have their quirks. Always preview your file using their tools before hitting “publish.” It’s like spellcheck for formatting.

✅ 4. Book Writing Format: Keep Chapters Organized and Navigable

Imagine trying to read a book with no chapter breaks, no table of contents, and no idea where you left off. That’s not a book—it’s a hostage situation.

Break your book into clearly defined chapters, and start each one on a new page. This isn’t just about looks—it’s about logic and flow.

And don’t skip the table of contents, especially for ebooks. It’s not just a courtesy, it’s a sanity saver. Bonus points if your TOC is clickable—nothing says “I’m a pro” like smart navigation.

While you’re at it, consider using consistent chapter headings like:

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins
Chapter 2: That One Time Everything Exploded

Even if you don’t use titles, numbering matters. Keep it clean, keep it consistent.

✅ 5. Book Writing Format: Prioritize Consistency and Professional Presentation

Formatting isn’t just about looking good—it’s about building trust with your reader. If your font jumps around, your headings change styles mid-book, or your margins mysteriously shift, it sends a not-so-subtle message: “This book might be a mess.”

Start by picking your style choices early:

Font and size
Heading hierarchy (e.g., Chapter Title = Heading 1, Subsection = Heading 2)
Margins, line spacing, and indents

Then—stick with them like your book depends on it (because it does).

Not sure if you’re nailing it? Use tools like:

Vellum (Mac only, super intuitive)
Atticus (cross-platform, built for authors)
Reedsy Book Editor (free and web-based)

Or—if formatting gives you hives—hire a pro. Seriously. A good formatter can take your raw manuscript and turn it into a sleek, bookstore-ready product. It’s not cheating. It’s smart.

Would you like to know more about writing a book? Here is a good place to start. Also, if you would like a whole book on the subject, get a great one here.

Final Thoughts: Formatting is the Secret Sauce

You don’t need to be a design expert to format your book like a boss—but you do need to care enough to get it right. Great formatting doesn’t draw attention to itself. It lets your words shine.

So go ahead, write that masterpiece. But when it’s time to format? Give it the same love and attention you gave your plot twist or killer first sentence.

Your readers might not consciously notice perfect formatting—but they’ll definitely notice when it’s wrong.

And remember: Good content gets people to buy your book. Good formatting keeps them reading it.

February 14, 2025February 14, 2025

Three Paths to Victory

Three Paths to Victory: Obey, Pray, and Remember

https://www.youtube.com/live/EeJ-G4ARY54

Today, we’re looking at Deuteronomy 4, focusing on verses 4–9. As we consider this passage, I’m reminded of an unusual question asked in the Old Testament: What is the meaning of this bleating of sheep and goats that I hear? This question was posed by the prophet Samuel to King Saul after Saul had disobeyed God’s command regarding the Amalekites.

Three Paths to Victory: Obedience, Prayer, and Remembering

Three Paths to Victory |The Path of Obedience

God had instructed Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, including their livestock, yet Saul and his people spared King Agag and kept the best of the flocks. When confronted, Saul claimed he had obeyed, but the evidence—the sound of livestock—proved otherwise. He then shifted the blame to the people, excusing their disobedience by saying they intended to sacrifice the animals to God.

Samuel’s response was clear: Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. He went further, stating, Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Obedience is one of the key paths to victory. We cannot substitute religious acts for obedience to God’s commands. As James put it, I will show you my faith by my works. A true faith produces obedience.

Three Paths to Victory | The Path of Prayer

The second path to victory is prayer. Deuteronomy 4:7 says, For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? This verse reminds us of the privilege we have to pray to a living God who hears and answers.

Sometimes God answers quickly, as in the case of a recent prayer request at a meeting when a family member was feared to have had a stroke, but by the end of the meeting, we received news that she was fine. Other times, God tells us to wait because the timing isn’t right. And sometimes, He says no because He knows what’s best for us, even when we don’t understand.

Paul experienced this when he pleaded with God to remove a thorn in his flesh. God’s response was, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. If God’s answer to Paul could be no, we should not be surprised when we don’t always get what we ask for. But He is still near, and He hears us when we call.

I recall another instance when my second oldest daughter was in college at Free Will Baptist Bible College. I overheard her telling a friend on the phone that she needed $500 but felt responsible for it herself this time. She said, I guess I’ll have to pray. Rhonda and I didn’t intervene, and even if we had wanted to, we might not have been able to help. The next week, an envelope arrived in the mail with her name on it. Inside was a check for $500 from a church with which we had no known connection. They had simply felt led to give. That is the power of a living God who hears our prayers and provides in His own way and time.

Three Paths to Victory | The Path of Remembering

The third path to victory is to remember. Deuteronomy 4:9 says, Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.

God’s people were about to enter the Promised Land, and He wanted them to remember all He had done for them. Forgetfulness leads to unfaithfulness. When we fail to recall God’s past faithfulness, we are prone to wander. That’s why it’s crucial to share our testimonies with our children and grandchildren, passing down the stories of God’s provision and power.

G. Campbell Morgan once said there are four things we should remember: the law of God, His deliverances, the close calls where He saved our lives, and His love. We must tell others about the times God has intervened in our lives so that they too can trust in Him.

One of the greatest things we must remember is Christ’s sacrifice. The hymn Lead Me to Calvary reminds us: King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be. Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, lead me to Calvary.

Jesus endured suffering beyond comprehension. The crown of thorns was not a mere decoration but a painful mockery, its long thorns driven into His head. Before that, He had prayed in Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood as He submitted to the Father’s will. The Roman scourging ripped His flesh, leaving Him unrecognizable. And on the cross, He bore the sins of the world, experiencing separation from the Father for the first time in eternity. Yet, He willingly laid down His life for us.

But the story doesn’t end there. Mary found the tomb empty, and Jesus appeared to His disciples, then to two travelers on the road to Emmaus, and later to over 500 people. His resurrection is a proven fact, and because He lives, we can claim the gift of eternal life.

Conclusion

Victory in the Christian life comes through obedience, prayer, and remembering God’s faithfulness. When we obey, we show our faith. When we pray, we acknowledge our dependence on God. And when we remember, we build our trust in Him and encourage the next generation to follow Him.

If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, today is the day. If you’ve drifted from Him, now is the time to return. In a moment, we’ll have a song of invitation. If you need salvation, rededication, or simply have a burden to bring before the Lord, I invite you to come. If you go forward in a church service someone will meet you to pray with you if you don’t want to come alone.

Let’s determine to walk these paths to victory every day.

May 3, 2024May 3, 2024

Want To Write A Book | Where To Start

I’m going to kick things off by surmising that you have a book idea in the oven, but before you preheat to 350 degrees and start baking that literary cake, you’ll want to figure out who’s coming to the party. Establishing who your audience is isn’t just a box-ticking exercise; it’s central to the success of your book.

You’re probably asking, ‘Why does this matter?’ Simply put, knowing your audience shapes everything from the tone and vocabulary of your book to the marketing strategies you’ll employ upon release. It’s about setting the stage for a conversation between you and your readers where the topic is your book.

Now, how exactly do you zoom in on your audience? Start with demographic parameters like age, gender, and interests, sure. But don’t stop there. Dig into the psychographic aspects too, like values, aspirations, and challenges. This isn’t just about compiling data; it’s about getting to the heart of your readers’ desires and fears.

Once you have a rough sketch of who your audience is, it’s time to test and adjust. Beta readers, surveys, and social media can all be instruments in your symphony of audience understanding. Through them, you can observe firsthand what resonates and what falls flat.

Right about now, you might be realizing that identifying your audience is also a process of self-discovery. Choose something that resonates with you as much as with them. After all, the best books emerge from the intersection of the author’s passion and the audience’s interests.

Uncover the Challenge: Pinpointing the Problem Your Audience Faces

I’m here to help you with a crucial step that’s going to include putting yourself in your audience’s shoes. Understanding the challenge your readers are up against isn’t just a matter of intuition; it’s an art of empathy. When you know what bothers or confuses them, or what obstacles they can’t seem to overcome, you’re on the right track to providing a solution that resonates with them.

In my opinion, the core of a compelling book is one that targets a clear, relatable problem. This isn’t just an issue to be solved; it’s a way to connect with your readers on a deeper level. If you want to make your book indispensable, you’ll need to pin down a problem that’s both significant and specific to your audience.

Now, identifying the problem isn’t something you take a wild guess at. Conduct thorough research; talk to people in your target group, engage with them on social media, and immerse yourself in the environments where they express their concerns. Surveys and interviews can also yield goldmines of insight.

Once you’ve gathered this information, distill it into a clearly defined problem statement. Choose something that resonates with you, too. Remember, the sharper the identification of the problem, the more precise your solution will be. And a precise solution is what makes your readers’ lives easier.

Now, what if you’re worried about not getting it quite right? Don’t. Your first attempt at a problem statement doesn’t need to be the last. Refinement is your friend here. Get feedback, adjust, and move forward. It’s this cycle that ensures you’re developing a book that’s truly tailored to your audience’s needs.

In the next section, I’m going to take you through how to turn these problems into opportunities. That means creating actionable steps that directly combat the issues at hand. We’re going to build a stellar roadmap for your readers that’s both practical and implementable. Stay tuned.

Crafting the Solution: Steps to Solve Your Audience’s Problem

This isn’t just about writing any book; it’s about creating a resource that genuinely helps your readers. Now what? After identifying and empathizing with your audience’s challenge, it’s time to outline actionable steps to solve their problem. You can always adjust your approach down the road, but having a solid starting point is critical.

Begin with brainstorming 5 to 7 clear, practical steps based on your expertise and the needs of your readers. These steps aren’t arbitrary; each one should serve as a milestone towards a tangible solution. Don’t worry too much about the details at this stage. The goal is to create a scaffold for your content.

Strive for a balance between depth and simplicity. Yes, your steps should be comprehensive, but also accessible. If your first step seems too complex, break it down. Each step must be actionable and specific enough that your reader can see progress as they go along.

Confirm that each step relates directly to the problem you’ve identified. If a step seems off-topic, it’s not helpful. Clear relevance is what will make your book resonate with your audience. In my opinion, relevance is what differentiates a good book from a great one.

With your steps as the foundation, you’re going to find out about building upon them in the next section, where the focus will be on transitioning from a basic outline to a full-fledged book. Choose something that resonates with you as a structure to expand upon, ensuring it can withstand the addition of complex ideas and research.

Expanding the Framework: Building a Comprehensive Book Structure

You’ve pinpointed the problem, and you have your golden steps ready to guide your readers towards a solution. But hold on, you’re not just going to hand over a list of steps and call it a day. You’re crafting a book, a resource that your readers will cling to, refer back to, and maybe even pass on to friends. And that’s where structuring your thoughts into a comprehensive guide comes into play.

Think of your initial outline as the skeleton of your book. Each bone—or step—in that skeleton is fundamental, but it’s the flesh and muscles—or chapters and sections—that make it walk and talk. Your job now is to expand those solid steps into engaging, informative chapters that provide depth and context. This isn’t about padding your book with fluff; it’s about adding value, enriching the narrative, and honing in on the practical application.

How do you make that leap? Start with research. Delve into what’s out there already. Take a good look at the tables of contents of books addressing similar topics. This isn’t about mirroring what’s already done but about understanding what resonates with your audience. Identify gaps in the existing literature that your book can fill. Maybe there’s a perspective that’s underrepresented, or perhaps there’s an area that’s been overlooked.

Then, it’s time to draw out your chapters. Flesh out the outline with relevant anecdotes, case studies, and your unique insights. Develop each step into a chapter that’s robust with actionable advice, clear descriptions, and illustrative examples. If you’re tackling complex concepts, break them down into digestible pieces. Your reader should be able to put down the book at the end of each chapter with a clearer understanding and tangible takeaways.

Remember, there’s a lot happening in the publishing world, and you want your book to stand out for all the right reasons. Emphasize clarity, practicality, and a narrative that captures and keeps interest. Bounce your drafts off trusted readers; get feedback and refine as you go along. Your first draft is just that—a draft. It’s your springboard to something greater.

Choose something that resonates with you and your readers—something you’re passionate about but also offers them real, substantial help. I really hope that you find this journey of turning your problem-solving steps into a comprehensive book as rewarding as it is challenging. As you venture through this process, remember that your first attempt doesn’t need to be your last. You can always adjust and refine. Good luck with your book-writing journey—I’m cheering for you!

Check out my book on Amazon if you would like more writing tips.

August 12, 2023

Writing A Book

First time writing a book.: nine steps that will help. It’s been a while but I’m back.

Vlog

Today I’m talking about writing a book for the first time and giving you nine steps that will help.

What Kind of Writer Are You?

The first step is to figure out what kind of writer you are. Decide if you’re someone who writes from the seat of your pants or if you’re someone who requires a detailed outline, Find out what works for you.

One is not better than the other, as long as it matches your personality.

Personally, I prefer a combination of the two. I come up with large ideas or topics and break the writing down into those sections. I use that as a heading and then just let the writing flow.

So start off using a very simple outline in your writing if you’re a “pantser.” (someone who prefers to write with no set structure or outline)

Now if you are a pantser then you do probably want to improve your structure a little bit. You need to know where you’re going and how you’re going to end up.

If you are someone who prefers very detailed writing, that’s fine. Come up with that type of outline, and write from it.

Even so, you might benefit from taking some of those sub-points and setting a timer, and making yourself write quickly until the timer goes off.

That might feel a little odd to you, but I think if you do the two together. you will find some benefits in doing that.

If you’re a pantser or an outliner, after you get through with your book, you will come back in the editing process and be more analytical.

But first of all, figure out what kind of writer you are, and don’t try to force yourself into the other. This is an important step in your first time writing a book.

The Big Idea

The second step is to get a big idea of what you are talking about. This will work for either fiction or nonfiction.

Your title might not reveal that big idea, it may be more of a curiosity-type title, but you still need to know what the big idea of your book is.

Some writers come up with their characters and start their book. Then once they get about halfway through they figure out what the big idea is and go from there.

Get the big idea.

Develop A Writing Plan

The next step is to either outline (if you are a detailed outline person) or, if you are a free-flow writing person, then come up with some type of writing plan.

This is especially important if you are writing nonfiction. You need to come up with some ideas about some of the things that you’re going to cover in your writing

Develop a writing plan for your first time writing a book.

In the past, I’ve talked about some types of writing plans that go from just an outline to turning the main points into a series of questions. You can even do that with sub-points. When you do that, then all you have to do is answer the questions.

Come up with a writing plan for your first time writing a book.

Research

Then after that, you need to research. As you conduct the research, be excited about what you’re doing.

The next thing you need to do is figure out how much time you’re going to spend researching your particular writing project.

When deciding how many days you’ll need, be sure to tame your research. If you don’t, you will research and research and research until that’s all you’ll ever do.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll have the plan and you will know what the big idea is.

Have a Routine for Your First Time Writing A Book

Set up a routine for writing. Find a special place where it is quiet. Maybe you’d prefer going to different places like restaurants, coffee shops, or libraries

Find out where you’re going to write and then set up a routine.

I have a desk at home where I especially like to write.

So the next nice thing is to set up a routine.

Now my routine has been interrupted quite a bit this summer because of some of the things that have been going on in my various enterprises. One of those things is I accepted the call to be the pastor of a new church, so getting settled in has kind of messed with my daily routine of what I was doing at home.

Now I’m back and beginning to reestablish that and I’m able to work from home.

You need to set up your routine, and I think there are two good ways to do this.

The first is to set a daily writing goal of so many words. You might want to set a goal of 500 or 1000 words a day.

Create a routine for your first time writing a book.

Another way is to decide on a certain length of time that you will write. You might write 25 minutes a day, 15 minutes a day, or 75 minutes a day.

With some writing plans, you can break your writing down to where you are doing anywhere from 10 to 15 five-minute writing sessions a day, which comes out to 50 to 75 minutes a day. That’s pretty good; especially if you have another job and you need to do your writing either early in the morning or late at night or at some other time outside of your job.

So set up a routine and have a daily goal.

I often find it helpful to set a timer for the timed writing.

If you find yourself going over the same sentence three times before you’re finished, it’s good to just set a timer and force yourself to write as fast as you can until the timer goes off.

That one works well for me.

Set up your routine where you’re either going to write a certain number of words per day or for a certain amount of time each day.

Having this set structure will be a big help for your first time writing a book.

Now the next thing is very important.

Keep Going!

Once you get that routine established, stay with it. Stay with it on the days when you feel inspired and on the days when you don’t feel inspired. Just keep going, and as you meet those daily goals, you will get that rough draft finished.

If this is your first time writing a book, it can feel daunting and overwhelming. Keep going.

Finish the Rough Draft and Edit

The seventh step is to finish the rough draft. The eighth step is to add it to your second draft or close to your final draft.

There may be a second and a third in there but just go back and edit what you’ve written.

The importance of getting that rough draft done is that it is much easier to edit something if you have something to edit.

So get the rough draft done and then start the editing.

One writer said someone gave a writing project back to him and it was marked up and he thanked the editor who said, “All I did was get rid of the unnecessary words.”

When you’re editing that’s a good little tip. You will be trimming a lot when you edit and add it to your second draft.

Once you have that done, you have your second draft, third draft, and your final draft.

Publish It

The next step is to publish your book.

Now you can publish it as an ebook and you can publish it as a hard copy. I recommend that you do both.

Several years ago, the number of sales of ebooks surpassed those of print books. That went on for a couple of years and then I think it’s gone back and forth since then, but I would just recommend that you publish both.

Now, I have no stock in any particular company, but if you’re wanting to find out how to publish, there are some options.

If you want to self-publish for the first time, Kindle Direct Publishing is a good platform to do that.

Other ones that are good are Lightning Source and Lulu. I don’t have as much information on either of those or experience with them, but I know those are good platforms.

If you’re interested in self-publishing, you could also pitch your book to a traditional publisher.

You would need to write a query letter and present some sample chapters to be able to do that.

In this modern world, there are a number of hybrid publishers where you sort of get the best of both worlds of self-publishing and traditional publishing.

A hybrid publisher will charge you for certain things that they do for you, so you need to figure out how much you’re willing to pay for the services that you get.

Now, these are not vanity publishers; these are legitimate publishers who do need to be compensated for the time they’re going to put into helping you to get your project finished.

So, first time writing a book: those are nine steps that I hope will help you.

Incidentally, if you’re interested in having someone come and speak to you on the topic of writing, I happen to be the author of the book, How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death and I would be glad to come and speak to your group on the topic of writing.

To get your own copy of the book, just click the link above. To submit a request for me to speak at your event, click here, fill out the form, and I will gladly get in contact with you. If you’d like to read more blog posts on the topic of writing, click here and you’ll find many helpful posts.

Well, I hope you have a great day. If you need me for anything, let me know.

For now, remember, YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK

June 5, 2023June 6, 2023

Breaking News!

Dr. Randy Carney has been in different types of ministry throughout his career. Today I’m going to tell you about a new and exciting journey that Dr. Carney and his wife have begun.

Interview

JCity Church is a small but vibrant Free Will Baptist Church in the town of Johnston City, Illinois. They are very active in the community.

Dr. Carney's new ministry: JCity Church, Johnston City, Illinois — Dr. Carney’s new ministry: JCity Church, Johnston City, Illinois

For 21 months, the church searched for a new pastor. Finding a pastor who can step in and work with the current ministries and members can be a daunting task.

That’s where Dr. Carney comes in. The church invited him to preach at a couple of services and spend some time with the congregation.

Randy and Rhonda Carney at their 50th-anniversary party.

After a few weeks of sitting under his preaching, the members held a meeting and voted to call Dr. Carney to be their new lead pastor.

Dr. and Mrs. Carney had been in ministry at Ezra Church in West Frankfort, Illinois for around 4 years, and were sad to say goodbye to friends they had made there.

However, after much prayer, they knew that God was calling them to this new ministry at JCity Church.

Dr. Carney jumped right in with both feet, preaching, leading the congregation, and learning about how the church interacts with the local people.

The church provides a community meal each week.

The church provides a community meal once a week, joins the ministerial alliance for gospel music “sings” on fifth Sundays, has provided refuge as a storm shelter (Illinois is in “tornado alley”), feeds school children during the summer months, has provided a community Thanksgiving meal, and many other amazing outreach activities.

Dr. Carney’s experience, education, and knowledge will be a valuable asset to the church and community at large. He’s been raised in church and has been in ministry for over 50 years. For much of that time, he was a lead pastor or associate pastor.

He has also worked in education, having started a Christian school as well as written a curriculum for schools.

The love and compassion that JCity church shows fit right in with Dr. and Mrs. Carney’s views, beliefs, and actions.

In the future, Dr. Carney would like to start a class called “Discipleship Explosion” at the church.

He has pioneered many new ministries in former churches.

Dr. Carney is a great listener, and he likes to encourage people to embrace their passion and discover God’s purpose for their lives.

The Carneys are a great fit for this church’s ministry and we all look forward to the great things that they will accomplish together for the Kingdom of God!

For more information, or to attend a service online or in person, you can visit the church’s Facebook page or their website at JCityChurch.com.

Dr. Randy Carney is available to speak at your event. He is knowledgeable about a vast array of topics. You can request him to speak on his website, as well as learn more about him.

Have a blessed day!

~Katrina L. Richmond
Assistant to Dr. Carney

May 18, 2023May 18, 2023

How to Write a Book Now!

How to write a book now. Hello everyone. Welcome to another blog based on my video series “Walking with Randy” where I talk about writing, speaking coaching marketing, and marriage. Today I’m talking again about writing.

Vlog

Susan’s Story

Susan wanted to write a book. She had wanted to for some time, but she had not been able to get it off the ground.

She had not only put it off for a couple of months, it actually had been three years since she had the idea for the book, but she just could not start.

Susan's writing career wasn't going well — Susan’s writing career wasn’t going well

She had some times when she was writing on paper, and she wound up with crumpled papers in her wastebasket.

Then she had spent some time using a typewriter, but again, wound up with piles of wadded-up paper in her wastebasket.

Then she moved on to word processing programs on the computer, but it was just a hodgepodge of materials here and there.

She had been throwing away all of her attempts.

Then she read about some time management techniques.

Schedule Time to Write

What I’m talking about today is, if you want to write a book now, you must schedule writing your book. If you don’t do that if you don’t plan you are almost guaranteed to have days, weeks, months, or maybe even years of uncompleted projects toward that book. Time can slip by without you having a book to your credit.

Pick a Topic

Well, how can you write a book now? As I said, you must schedule but first of all, you have to start so you have to pick a topic.

You can do this, just in a day’s time or you may already have a topic in mind. Either way, if you don’t pick a topic, you can’t start.

Define a Problem

Once you’ve decided on a topic, you’ll need to define a problem.

Now here’s where perfectionism will come in and it will get you aren’t careful.

Your stated problem does not have to be a perfect statement, just define a problem and have a working statement to use as you start working on this book.

Brainstorm

Your next step will be to brainstorm some steps to the solution for this problem. Try to come up with seven to nine steps. If you come up with more than nine you might want to try to combine some somewhat. If you have more than 20, you’ll definitely want to combine some of them.

A nonfiction book is a good book to start with, and I would suggest that you try to have five to nine steps toward the solution.

Once you have done that, you can consider each of those steps as a chapter for your book.

You’re off to a good start.

Do Your Research

Now the next thing is to research.

Once you have the five to nine chapters picked out, do some more research on your topic. Look at other books on the topic, look at their tables of contents. Have you left out something that should be in your book? If so, just go ahead and add it in.

By now you may have trimmed some of your ideas by trying to combine some ideas in order to narrow down the number of steps, but you also may be adding in some more information that you need.

The Key To Writing a Book Now

Here is the key to how you can write a book now.

You’ve done all the preliminary planning and you’ve done some brainstorming. This could be done in a day.

Then you have done some research and have tamed the information that you found while doing your research. If you don’t tame your research you will be researching for years.

Now, here is the secret. Take a calendar and mark a certain date to start.

When that day comes, you will write every day. You will write using one of two different methods.

Timed Writing

With the first method, you will decide on the amount of time that you have to write each day. It might be 25 minutes, it might be 50 minutes, it might be 75 minutes or it could be as much as 90 minutes.

Whatever amount of time you choose, you need to commit to writing for that period of time, every day.

Then before long, you will have come to the end of the rough draft of your book!

Word Count Method

The other method is to not write for a particular period of time but to write a certain number of words a day.

You may have committed to writing 500 words a day, 1000 words a day, or 1500 words a day.

Word count is one way to reach your daily writing goals.

If you want to get the rough draft of the book done in a month’s time, you will probably need to write 3000 words a day.

The key is that you have written the word “start” on your calendar, and you start that day and you write every day.

You can decide what your business days are. I take Sundays off myself or many times I take Saturday off too and just have my business days or writing days be Monday through Friday.

You can determine what days work best for you and then you write every day.

How to Tame Your Research

At first, you’ll have to stop researching and start writing but you will probably come to places where you’ll find that you do need more research.

But don’t stop right then to go find the answer. Just put some x’s or some asterisks or, I’m told that if you put “TK”, a word processing program will find those. Make sure you don’t have a space between the letters. That should work well with a word processing program. When you see the “TK” marked, you’ll know that’s an area where more research is needed.

The difference with this research is this time it will be very focused. You’ll just be trying to find the answer to the question regarding what you need to add to that section of your book.

Be sure that before you do the extra research you do your daily goal first. Don’t stop writing to do the research. Put in those codes and then later you can do more research and put it in where you put your codes.

That’s how you tame your research.

Next Steps

You can write and publish your book now.

So once you have your research, pick a day to start writing. Write every day until you come to the end of your rough draft. Then you will be over the hump and you will be able to figure out how to finish your book.

You can hire someone else to edit or you can do it on your own. Then it’s time to get your book ready for publishing.

You can pitch to a traditional publisher if you wish, or you can self-publish. More and more people are self-publishing nowadays, and it’s certainly something that you can do and you can learn to do well.

Or you might do what some people would call getting a relationship with a traditional publisher.

Whatever route you choose, you can get your book not only written but published as well. You will have the basic book.

The key is to start scheduling now. Take your calendar and write the word start. on whatever day you want to start and then do it.

That’s how you write a book now.

If you’d like more writing tips like these, just click here to be taken to my blog posts about writing.

Within a very short period of time I will also have a special gift for you on that page. it will be a free one-page roadmap to writing success,

For the ultimate guide to writing, consider purchasing my book “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death.” It’s available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions.

If you’d be interested in having me speak to your group about one of the several topics I cover, like marriage, speaking, or coaching, click here to be taken to the page where you can request that

It’s been good to share with you today. I hope you have a wonderful day. Until next time, I’m Randy Carney reminding you that YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK!

April 23, 2023April 23, 2023

Simple Solutions to Stress-Free Writing

Simple solutions to stress-free writing.

Hello everyone, and welcome!

Vlog

I haven’t been quite as active with these posts lately as I’ve taken a break and done a little writing myself. But I’m getting back into this where I talk about writing, speaking, marketing, and marriage.

Today I’m again talking about writing. Specifically, some bold solutions for stress free writing.

Lily Needed a Stress-Free Writing Experience

Lily was frustrated. She had been writing on her novel for a month.

Then her friend Alex called and asked her how her writing was going.

Lily expressed her frustration at not making as much progress as she had hoped.

Alex said, “Well, why don’t you take a break?”
Like many of us would, she replied, “I don’t have time to take a break.”
Alex answered, “I don’t mean take a break for a week, maybe just an hour or so. Just take a little break. Clear your mind, relax, and come back and start writing again.”

Lily Needed a Stress-Free Writing Experience

Lily was doubtful if that would work, but after they hung up, she took his advice and she went out to a nearby park.

She started walking around and looking at nature and enjoying the sights and sounds.

After that much needed break she went back to her house feeling very rejuvenated, and she started writing. Then she wrote more and more, and it was hours before she finished.

Lily’s story reminds us of the need for solutions to stress-free writing. So here are six simple solutions for stress-free writing.

Writing is A Process

First of all, understand that writing is a process. It’s not just something where the perfect product comes out right away.

When you do this, you will be editing, and you will be perfecting the process.

Some of us are what we call a frustrated perfectionist. This is something that I have to deal with, but I have been able to learn how to do it. In other videos, I’ve talked about how sometimes I will just set a timer and start typing away. The timer forces me to get my thoughts down and move on instead of writing the same sentence over three times.

Just keep going. Later, as I look at what I wrote, I find out that many times that first sentence wasn’t so bad.

I might find things to shorten and tighten and things to eliminate and reword but perfectionism can keep you from getting anything done and will take a long time.

You need to realize that it is a process, and you will be able to edit after you write.

My favorite quote is “You can’t edit unless you have something to edit.”

Realize that writing is a process that there is improvement with practice. The more you write, the better you get. Then once you produce one book, you will be able to produce another one.

The second book will be easier than the first provided you do quickly enough that you don’t have to learn everything all over again. But you improve with practice.

Start With A Plan

The second tip for stress-free writing is to start with a plan.

Jot down ideas of what you want to write about. Then you can create an outline or you can create a mind map.

If you’re not familiar with a mind map, that’s where you start with a blank sheet of paper and in the very center of it, you write down your main topic or your working title and you draw a circle around it. Then radiating out from that circle. take other ideas that come to mind and place them in little cartoon speech balloons.

A mind map can help with stress-free writing.

So you can write your first point into your balloon, and then you’ll have related ideas that will be subject points.

It’s just the main idea in the center and then you have some of the main ideas related to the main ideas coming out from the center.

Each one of those will be within a circle and then you will have related circles that come off of each of those main ideas. That will be your mind map, and then you can turn that into an outline.

Then when you get ready to write, you can use whichever one you prefer.

Eliminate Distractions

The third tip for stress-free writing is to eliminate distractions.

Get in a room by yourself.
Turn off your social media access.
Turn off the ringer to your phone and anything else that might distract you.

Then go ahead with your writing.

Take Breaks

The fourth tip for stress-free writing is to take breaks

I like writing in five-minute to twenty-minute writing segments. Sometimes I can go 50 minutes at a time, but I don’t recommend going much more than that at one time without taking a break.

Many people find that writing for 20 or 25 minutes and then taking a five-minute break turns out to be good for them. But be sure to take breaks just like Lily did in our story at the beginning.

Write in Small Chunks

Another helpful tip for stress-free writing is to write in small chunks. Don’t think about the overwhelming totality of your project, just figure out the little parts.

Just think about small chunks and write that.

Also. you do not have to write in order of your outline. You can jump around. That’s one of the great things about composing.

When you are writing, find what interests you at the moment and focus on that part of your project.

That will “prime the pump” for you and then you can go to other sections that are necessary, but maybe not as interesting to you.

But write in small chunks.

Use Software

The sixth tip for six simple solutions for stress-free writing is to use software.

You can use dictation software if you are comfortable with that. That’s one idea for using software.

Using speech to text software can help with stress-free writing.

Another one is to speak your book or do it in a video like the one above. Then you can take the audio and put it into transcription software where it will transcribe many of the words that you spoke. (Speech to text) Of course you will have to clean that up and you will have to edit it to turn spoken speech into written speech but doing that can be very helpful.

In fact, many of the blog posts that you see on my site at Randy’s blogs.com are first composed orally in videos just like the one in this post. After that, my team and I come together and produce the written blog posts.

Then there is editing software like Grammarly, which will help you with your grammar, your sentence structure and things like that.

There’s another one I am not as familiar with, but I’ve heard of it. It’s called Hemingway editor. You might want to check that out.

At the very least, use the spellcheck, check and grammar check that is on your word processing programs. Most of those word processing programs today do have that capability.

So, there you are: six simple solutions for stress-free writing.

I hope that this has been helpful to you.

If you would like more writing tips like the go to www.randysblogs.com.

For the ultimate guide to writing, consider purchasing my book “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death.” It’s available in both e-reader and hard copy formats.

If you’d like to have me speak at your event, fill out the form here and I will be in contact with you.

That’s all for today. Until next time, I’m Randy Carney reminding you, YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK!

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

The Absolute Necessity – Version 2

Greetings!

For the past few years, I have been the interim pastor for Ezra Chruch of God. It was a very rewarding and blessed time for me.

I have moved on from Ezra and this past Sunday and next Sunday I will be preaching at a different church.

Due to that, this is sort of a “repeat” of a sermon I preached at Ezra back in December of 2022. You can find the blog post for that sermon here

Below you’ll find the video from April 16, 2023

April 16, 2023 sermon video

God bless you! Have a wonderful day.

March 14, 2023March 15, 2023

Tips on Writing a Book for the First Time

Hello. I hope you are doing well. Today I will give you some tips on writing a book for the first time.

Welcome to another blog post. My posts discuss writing, marketing, marriage, and coaching.

Are you interested in venturing into the world of book writing? Look no further! As a published author, I will give you several tips to help you if you’re an aspiring author.

Tips on Writing a Book for the First Time

Choose a Topic for Your First Book

Of course, a topic is the basic building block of any book. Eventually, you’ll need to come up with a title, but for now, all you need is the topic you want to write about.

Chapter Ideas

Next, you’ll want to come up with a list of chapter ideas for your first book. Using the process of brainstorming, ideally, you will come up with 12-20 possible chapters.

What do you do if you happen to get stuck?

If you’re having problems coming up with a list of ideas, think about some steps to get from one place to another.

If you’re writing a nonfiction book, you may have some steps to get from a problem to a solution. Each of those steps could be a chapter.

Another way of looking at it is you can get from pain to pleasure and your chapters would be the steps for doing that.

Decide what steps will get your readers to the solution.

Some people would picture that as being on one side of a stream with a series of stepping stones to get across. The stepping stones would be the steps to the solution.

This may not formulate your entire book, but these steps are usually anywhere from 7 to 12 steps to get from a problem to a solution or from pain to pleasure.

If you’re writing fiction, you want steps to get from a conflict to a resolution.

Review Your Notes

After you have the steps figured out, go back and look at your first brainstorming notes and see if there are some things that don’t fit in with a particular step. Then just add them in wherever you want.

Research Your Topic

Once you have that done, you have a good start, especially if you’re writing a nonfiction book.

To have a good nonfiction book, you need to survey other books on your topic.

Go to Amazon and search for books on your topic. Look at the table of contents. You may find some things that you have left out of your original list. Be sure to look at several different books to be sure that you have a broad view of the topic in question.

If so, add them in. You want to cover the topic thoroughly.

The next step in tips on writing a book for the first time will show you how everything starts to fall into place.

Make a Plan

Once you have your list of chapter titles, it’s time to come up with a plan.

You should schedule one to three days per chapter. I like doing a chapter a day. If you do a chapter a day, working Monday through Friday, you can have the rough draft of your book completed in 4 weeks.

You’ll need to invest 75-90 minutes a day while working on that rough draft.

If you choose to only work 20-25 minutes a day, each chapter will probably take you 3 days.

The standard chapter length is between 6 and 10 pages.

What do you think is one of the most important tips for writing a book for the first time?

Time Management

Time management is one of the most important tips for writing a book for the first time.

There are 2 different ways of handling time management.

The one I prefer is writing fast and furious for a specified amount of time. I like to do it in 5-minute bursts. Sometimes I do 6 minutes and sometimes I do 10.

With this method you write furiously, not stopping to edit.

When you do this, time becomes the constant, and the word count is the variable.

You will have a good book length by doing it this way.

Other people can not bear to write that way and save the editing for later. If you want to write and edit at the same time, (which bogs me down too much) you’ll have to set your daily goal as a word count goal.

Choose a method that works best for you.

In that case, the number of words will be the constant and the time will be the variable.

Either way will work. It just depends on what fits you best.

Put that into your plan.

If you write for 75-90 minutes a day or write 1,000 to 3.000 words a day, you can have the rough draft of your 200-page first book done in 20 days.

If you’re not writing that amount daily, it will take you 3 times as long to get your rough draft done. That’s still a good amount of time, though.

I hope that this has been helpful to you.

My book can help you with your first book.

For more writing tips, click here. The link will take you to the writing portion of my blog, where there are many posts on the topic.

For the ultimate resource for tips on writing a book for the first time, consider purchasing my book, “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death.” It’s available in both an e-book and a hard copy.

If you’ve already read the book I would appreciate a review on Amazon.

If you’d like to have me speak at one of your events, click here and fill out the contact form and I will get back to you.

Thank you for reading. Until next time, this is Randy Carney reminding you YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK!

February 8, 2023February 8, 2023

How to Get Through Writer’s Block: Seven Actions to Overcome this Malady

How to Get through writer’s block: seven actions to overcome this malady.

Welcome to another blog post, where I talk about writing, speaking, coaching, marketing, and marriage. Today I’m speaking about writing again – specifically, how to get through writer’s block.

Well, if you want to get through writer’s block, just keep reading. I’ll give you some tips for some ways to overcome that.

Overview of Overcoming Writer’s Block

Look at your plan.
Then, I will talk about writing a different section.
Write two pages of a list of reasons.
Ask yourself some questions.
Set a timer.
Do some free writing or fast writing on an unrelated topic. Take a break. (Just make sure your break is not days long.)

Look at Your Plan

So first of all, look at your plan. Is it just a word or two?

I actually am making an outline for myself. I don’t like to go beyond just the second level. In that case, you’d have your Roman numerals that would be your main points and then you would have just one below that which some people outline with letters others do Arabic numbers.

Reviewing your book plan can sometimes help you overcome writer's block. — Reviewing your book plan can sometimes help you overcome writer’s block.

I do Arabic numbers because it’s easier to think of a list of numbers than it is a list of letters.

But anyway, some people go then beyond that with various points below the Roman numeral part and then the first part after that, and then a list of sub-points down below that, and then sub-points below the sub-points for you use whatever works for you what is best for you.

If you have writer’s block, you might not have gone down far enough. If you’re like me and you just like to go down maybe one level, this may be the time when you would want to go in and include some more sub-points.

I’ll give you some ways of doing that.

Go to a Different Part

Another idea for overcoming dreaded writer’s block is to just go to a different section of your book.

Now if you’re writing fiction, you might not have it planned out that far, but there are ways to do that with fiction, where you can derive any section that you want to write.

Sometimes that will help you if you’re not as excited about a certain chapter but you might be more excited about a later chapter.

Try going to a different part of your book.

Now if you’re doing nonfiction, if you plan your book out correctly, you should be able to go to a different chapter or a different section within a chapter, and sometimes that will help you.

You get the momentum going and then go back to the part that you had been dreading.

List Reasons Why is Your Project Important

The third one works especially well if you’re doing nonfiction. Get two pieces of scratch paper and just as quickly as you can, start listing a bunch of reasons why what you’re writing about is important.

Try to come up with two pages of reasons. Once you have come up with two pages of reasons, then you can go back through and pick out some of those and you’ll think, “Oh, I should have had those in my chapter anyway.”

Then go back through your chapters and put some of those ideas in.

Now you have also “primed the pump” by doing this.

Ask Yourself Questions

Here’s another very valuable one: simply ask yourself some questions.

In my book “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death,” I show you a way that you can plan out your whole book around just a list of questions.

Push through writer's block by asking yourself questions. — Push through writer’s block by asking yourself questions.

If you have done it that way, then all you have to do is look at the question and answer the question. Then I talk about some ways that you can have some things that help you even get started with that.

If you are at a little bit of an impasse, then ask yourself a question. If you have written an outline or even if you just. phrases, go to those and turn them around and make them questions, and then just answer the questions.

Oftentimes this will get you going where you can get on through writer’s block.

Write Quickly

Now some of us have different personalities. You may be someone who is fine with going through and writing something and doing your editing later.

Maybe you are more comfortable with perfecting your paragraphs as you go along. That’s okay if that’s your personality unless it hinders you from getting your book done.

If that’s you, and that’s what’s causing your writer’s block, then consider just forcing yourself to go through it in a non-perfectionist way and just force yourself to write something.

You may say, “Well, it’s not any good.” Force yourself to go ahead and write anyway.

Then you can go back and edit it later.

Set a Timer

Something that can help you to force yourself to write is to set a timer. It can be just a simple kitchen timer.

Set your timer and then write just as quickly as you can. Just force yourself to write as quickly as you can. Then when the timer goes off you can go back and edit and polish what you wrote and get it just how you want it to be.

This technique, where you go write as quickly as you can for a certain amount of time, is called free writing.

Craftspeople like carpenters and plumbers do their tasks very, quickly, and very well because they have such experience doing it.

Write on A Different Topic

Another technique, which also involves fast writing, is to write about a topic that is unrelated to your main project. Just think of something to write about.

Think about using a timer to help get past writer's block. — Think about using a timer to help get past writer’s block.

If you’re using the timer, I would recommend setting it for five minutes. Then sit and write for five minutes on an unrelated topic.

When you get through you may find that you have overcome writer’s block because now you have been able to write something.

Then you can go back to the original topic of your book or chapter. Then just go ahead and write some of that.

Take a Break

Or maybe it’s time to take a break. Oftentimes when you come back after the break, you’ll be ready to write.

I just want to caution you to make sure that break is not one or two days long.

But sometimes it’s good to take a break and then come back to your writing.

A short break can't hurt — A **short** break can’t hurt.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you. If you’d like more tips, please go to www.randysblogs.com.

If you’re interested in having me speak at an event, go to www.randycarney.com. You’ll find some information there, along with a contact form for you to complete.

There is also the book I mentioned earlier “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death.”

I hope you have a great day and a wonderful week.

I’ll talk to you again. This is Randy Carney reminding you, YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK!