Case study

This case study involves me, not because I’m particularly interesting but because I’m lazy. I have been writing books for a quarter of my life now. It is my job. Like most people, I occasionally wonder if I’m doing the right thing with my life. When writer’s block strikes and I can’t stomach any more tea or toast procrastination, I fantasise about becoming a carpenter, a tree surgeon, an advertising guru or a postman in the Shetlands. They are my usual four. 

The last time this career-angst happened, I asked myself the three why-how-what questions. This book is the result of my scribbled answers.

1. ‘Bearing in mind the spirit of living adventurously, why am I still writing books after so many years doing the same thing?’

It makes me think differently.

I’m still learning to become a better writer.

It’s a mental struggle.

I can make a positive impact. 

It is satisfying.

I learn a lot.

I can walk my own path.

2. ‘OK, I’m satisfied with that. I’ll hold off applying to Royal Mail for a while. How can I approach my writing to better encompass trying to live adventurously?’

Take more risks.

Try something new.

Write and publish differently.

Make the process more exciting.

Force deadlines on myself.

Work with interesting people.

Learn new skills.

Teach something.

Speed up.

Simplify.

3. ‘Gadzooks! That list flowed out quickly. Seems I should make some of this happen. What shall I do next that focuses on living – and writing – adventurously?’

Ask questions on social media to see if I’m alone in this or if other people are interested in the same stuff.

Write a series of articles about living adventurously so that I can figure some stuff out for myself.

Experiment with giving them away in an automated email series.

Launch the mailing list with only a few articles written, thereby lighting a small fire under my ass to hurry up before the readers catch up with me!

Turn it all into the skeleton of a book.

Return to self-publishing to give myself complete freedom and responsibility.

Knock up a mock front cover of the book. Stick it online and make the book available for sale, promising delivery of the book before the end of the year. Thereby lighting a blooming big rocket beneath my butt to get this written and to make it good enough for paying customers to be happy.

The next thing I know, I am in a late-night McDonald’s, drinking tea and launching this whole daft idea into the world before I have time to see sense and wimp out.

We have lift off.