Monday, August 8, 2011

Helpful Tips on Writing from author Tal Yanai


After seventeen years of studying and practicing spirituality, I decided to write my first book, a short spiritual guide for the road of life. In my head, I had clear sets of thoughts and ideas I wanted to share. However, the first attempt to put them into a book created a stack of papers resembling anything but a well organized book anyone would be interested in reading. It was then that I realized there is much more to writing a book than few good ideas.

Let more than one person edit your book

You need an editor for grammar and such, but it’s a good idea to let someone with knowledge on the subject matter read it, too. When a reviewer would ask me what I meant when I wrote this or that sentence, I knew I had to do a better job conveying the message because others would ask the same questions. This give and take with people that I trusted greatly improved the clarity and quality of my writing.

Know who you are writing for
Life Is Not a Candy Store: It’s the Way to the Candy Store started as a spiritual guide for all ages. However, as the project moved forward, reaching teens became the main purpose of the book. It meant I had to go back and change some of the writing. I had to think in terms of what issues teens deal with or are bothered by. I also had to change the examples I used in the book to fit their environment and talk about things such as peer pressure and challenges teens may face in school. Changing the target audience during the writing was the right decision, but a time consuming one, too.
Always take notes when you have new ideas
Over the years you may have had many inspiring ideas crossing your mind, but for different reasons you let them go. You will do yourself a big favor by starting to write them down as they come to you. Those are the seeds of your writing and the gifts the universe has sent to you. Always have something you can write with. Later on you will have time to develop it further.

You are the most original part of your book, so show it

Whatever subject you write on, and whatever story you tell, most likely it has been told before in one way or another. What makes your book unique is your prospective, your personality. Be passionate; let the readers see your version of something they heard about before. For example, when you read Life Is Not a Candy Store: It’s the Way to the Candy Store, you’ll feel that the book was written as a personal journey coming from the heart. It is so because I decided to connect with the readers on that level.

Finally, have fun writing

It takes time and money to publish a book, and it’s not always easy to remember, but going through the process means you are realizing a dream. Look around you.  How many people are actually doing that? Very few, if any at all. It is of no use at all to be sitting there twenty years from now telling anyone who is willing to listen that you once wrote a book. Live in the present and enjoy the moment!

In a nutshell, one of the main topics in Life Is Not a Candy Store: It’s the Way to the Candy Store is learning to enjoy life without causing pain to ourselves and others. The book explores the idea of living a joyful life by connecting to a higher power and finding a more meaningful purpose for life. By changing one’s prospective of life, one can walk on the road that leads to an emotional and spiritual freedom. Realizing that, you will see that living even a small dream is a step in the right direction.

About Tal Yanai
At the age of twenty-three, Tal Yanai moved to the Los Angeles where he found solace in a higher power and started on a spiritual path.  It led him to align himself with his soul’s essence and mission. Since that time (1993), he wanted to share his story with young people, hoping it will give them the tools necessary to overcome the pain and frustration they may experience.
Life Is Not a Candy Store: It’s the Way to the Candy Store

Tal Yanai's book Life Is Not a Candy Store: It's the Way to the Candy Store is a spiritual guide for teens. It is an introduction to basic spiritual principles that can help teenagers deal with daily issues they may face. Too many fine young people end up hurting themselves and others close to them when they are unable to resolve situations involving anger and frustration. This book gives teens who feel trapped the tools to let go of the anger and overcome difficulties.





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1 comment:

VS Grenier said...

This is such a great post and one I'm adding to my Top Ten blog posts for August.