If your kids are headed back to school and your house is quieter than normal, maybe now is the time to finally start that book.
While they’re in the classroom, you can join me in my writing room, First Draft Friday and eventually TellaDraft.
This week, I’m sharing with you the exact 10 questions I use with my coaching clients to turn a book idea into a first draft.
If you’re anything like me and have spent a decade thinking, “I want to write a book…”, this is your moment to grab your journal or laptop and start answering these questions.
82% of Americans say they want to write a book.
Less than 1% actually finish and publish one. (Source.)
It’s not because people don’t have something to say, it’s because most people don’t know where to start.
When you’re standing at the beginning of something big, like writing your first book, the blank page can feel scary. You have the ideas and the desire, but without a plan, most people stall out before they ever finish “Chapter One.”
That’s why, before I write a single word, I ask myself 10 specific questions.
They’re the same questions I use with my First Draft Friday group, and the same questions that can turn your “someday” book into a real manuscript this fall.
These questions are simple, but they’re powerful. They’ll give you clarity, confidence, and a direction you can actually follow.
Let’s begin.
1. How can I actually write a book draft in 12 weeks?
My First Draft Friday class is for female entrepreneurs and community leaders who want to get a message out to either grow their brand, create awareness or develop a platform for bigger stages. The way you write a book draft in 12 weeks is that you concentrate on a microbook which is about 20,000 words. If you break that into 84 days, that’s just 238 words per day. My mentor, Jessica Debry, introduced me to this method. The idea is that you read a book over a weekend and implement the strategy you learned the following week. This is perfect for course creators and business owners with a message to share.
Prompt: How many words per day can you commit to writing? (I bet you are already writing a majority of them in the content you create or the communication you share in house currently. How can you leverage this work into a book?)
2. What’s my signature story?
Your signature story is the turning point, aha moment, or lived experience that shaped your message. It’s not your whole life, it’s the one story that unlocks your “why” as an author.
Prompt: Write down the moment or experience that lit the fire for this book.
3. Who is my ideal reader?
You are not writing to “everyone.” You’re writing to one person who needs your words right now.
Think about their stage of life, struggles, desires, and what they’re searching on the internet at 2 a.m.
What did you need to read before you made you transformation?
Prompt: Describe your reader in one paragraph as if you were introducing them to a friend.
4. What problems do I solve for my clients daily?
Your book doesn’t have to invent something new. It can be an extension of the work you already do, capturing the answers you give over and over.
Search your inbox for what people ask you regularly. How do you improve your clients’ lives daily?
Prompt: List 3–5 common problems your clients have, and one solution you provide for each.
5. What is my transformation promise?
This is the result your reader can expect after reading your book. It’s the bridge from where they are now to where they want to be.
Example: “From overwhelmed entrepreneur to confident business author.”
Prompt: Fill in the blank: “After reading my book, I want my reader to ________.”
6. What services do I offer that I can teach in my book?
Your book can be a “first step” into your world. You’re not giving away everything, just laying the foundation so the reader naturally wants more from you. You want them to think, “how can I work with this author in the future?”
Prompt: List 3 services you offer. Which parts could you teach in your book?
7. What’s the process or framework I use with my clients?
This is your method. Even if it doesn’t feel fancy with a trademarked name, it’s the consistent path you walk people through to get results. In your book, it can become your structure.
Prompt: Outline 3–5 steps you use with clients. Give each step a name or short phrase.
8. How will I structure my book?
Structure is the big picture, the flow from beginning to end. Think of it as the journey you take your reader on.
We’ll go deep into structure in upcoming articles but for now, here are three simple ways you might structure your nonfiction book:
Three-Part Transformation – Beginning (set the stage), Middle (teach your method), End (help them reflect & act).
Step-by-Step Guide – A clear sequence your reader follows to get results.
Problem → Journey → Solution – Show them where they’re stuck, walk them through change, reveal the outcome.
Prompt: Which structure and prototype feel most natural for your book right now?
9. How will I outline my book?
If your structure is the big picture, your outline is the chapter by chapter guide. It’s where you zoom in and decide exactly what goes where.
We’ll spend an entire First Draft Friday session on outlining your book and I will link that in future articles, but for now, here are three ways you could outline your book:
Chapter-by-Chapter Summary – One sentence for each chapter’s goal.
Bullet Point Map – Key points, stories, and lessons listed under each chapter title.
Question-Based Outline – Frame each chapter as a question your reader is asking, then answer it.
When I wrote, The Business Diaries, I used ten secrets to share my information. It made it user friendly for the reader and gave me a clear path while writing.
Prompt: What sounds like the best fit for your book?
10. Why do I want to write this book?
This is the most important question of all. Your “why” will carry you through the days you don’t feel like writing. It’s your creative fuel.
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine:
It’s one year from today.
You’re holding your book in your hands.
The cover is beautiful and has your name on it.
You remember why you started, who you wanted to help, and the promise you made to yourself to finish.
That feeling of joy, happiness, pride, and purpose is what you’re working toward.
Prompt: “It’s one year later, and I’m holding the book I wrote. It feels like…”
A Final Word
Writing a book draft in 12 weeks isn’t about typing around the clock, ignoring your to-do list, cutting your sleep short or stressing that it’s not good enough. Instead its about getting clear on what you already do in your business or volunteer life, committing to yourself, and connecting to your future reader. These 10 questions are your starting line.
You don’t have to have all the answers typed out and ready today. But if you can answer just one or two, you’ve already moved from “thinking about your book” to actually “beginning your book.” How exciting is that?
If you’re ready to go deeper, I walk through each of these questions here. It’s the workshop version of this article, with examples and stories.
So, what’s your answer to Question #10? I would love to read your answers in the comments.
I will make this happen !!