Writing a book. What did I do?

Each writer has his or her own method and mine will not work for everyone or every genre. But, for those of you who have contacted me with an idea and a goal to write a book - this blog post is for you.

• I roughed out a timeline for finishing and made it generous, hoping that I could bring it forward.
• Before writing a word of the book, I made notes regarding the message I was trying to relay, thought about the feelings and themes I was trying to evoke, and, more significantly, tried to work out what the project meant to me.
• When ready, I wrote every day. 
• I aimed for 1000 words per day, whilst wanting and hoping for more.
• I broke the day into sections – before coffee (300 words), before lunch (up to 600 words), before finishing I wanted to have 1000+ words down. 
• I did do some research along the way, but my priority was getting the words down.
• At the end of each day, I recorded my total word count and how many words I had managed. Keeping an eye on whether I was on track to make my target date was motivating.
• Early on, I drafted a blurb outline and re-visited this sporadically.
• At around that time, I drafted my introduction and conclusion and consulted these frequently to help with the overall cohesion of the project.
• First draft done. Smiled with exhaustion.

• Then came the editing:
• First pass for strength of writing. 
• Second pass, word frequency.
• Third pass listening to the drafts with Word ‘Read Aloud’ function.
• Sent off for proof copies (by this stage it had become two books)
• Fourth pass. Reviewed the print books, pencil in hand. Tightened paragraphs that didn’t flow. Edited computer document.
• Fifth pass reviewed the word document – spelling, grammar, dialogue tags, missing question marks, comma use.
• Sixth, seventh passes – Read through keeping an eye on individual sentences as well as overall story. Looked for consistency between books 1 and 2.

• 
  

At my desk

• Dreamt it. Talked it. Reviewed it. 
• Chose launch date.

Now waiting.

 

But you are in Italy, Signora: Book One

Prelude to an Italian Spring 

and 

But you are in Italy, Signora:Book Two

Diary of a Tuscan Beginner

out on November 1 2025.

I hope that helps. Let me know. 😍

Please find below links to my 5 books (including Books 1-3 in my 'French at Heart' series). With thanks.

The links should take you to where you need to go, wherever you are in the world, to make a purchase.

• But you are in France, Madame: One family, three children, five bags and the promise of adventure living in the French Alps
• Weaving a French Life: An Australian story
• Love, fear and a return to France: A family memoir
• With bare feet and sandy toes: Growing up in Australia in the 1960s & 70s
• Talk and Play with your Child in French