Working at Home on the Internet

Guest Writer: Barry Moltz, Author of the New Book Bounce!

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Barry Moltz is a reknown author and expert about entrepreneurship. He has given speaches to audiences large and small throughout the country as well as teaching entrepreneurship at the Illinois Institue of Technology. And he works from home (and airplanes).

So, here is Barry’s story in his own words.

Radio Silence: Bounce! At Home

When people ask where I live, I tell them 5F on an American Airlines Super 80 plane. I did 100 flights last year speaking and consulting. (My wife says I only hang my clothes in Chicago). So after 100,000 miles traveling last year, how do I write another book? Where do I write it?

I have not worked in “real office” environment since 1999 when I sold my last business. At that time, my wife forbid me to start another one for 10 years since I had dragged her through so much mud. As a result, for the last 9 years, I have worked out of my home. Well, I really work wherever my cell phone, laptop, wi-fi and iPod are. When I do heavy writing however, it is always in my home office on the lower level of my house in Chicago. We do not call these basements in this town. Since every lot a house is build on (I think since the Chicago fire) is 25 feet wide by 125 feet long, all the vertical real estate is valuable. My “basement” has carpeting, a fireplace, bathroom, show, and wet bar …this is not your parents’ basement!

In the 3 years it took to write the new book, Bounce! I mostly did it on Fridays. I would lock myself in my office for 4 hours at a time. I would turn off the cell phone and turn off email. It is the Internet equivalent of ‘radio silence” I would turn up Ali Farke Toure- he is a Mali musician. For the last two books, he is the only one I can write to. I do not know why since I do not understand a thing he says ( I think he sings in French), but his brand of African music always put me in the creative state of mind I needed to write the books. Ali Farke Toure provided me the trance like focus to block everything else out. My clients also knew that Friday was writing day. Schedule the time in your calendar- I write on Fridays! Don’t call me or look for me. My editor kept me on schedule and we had review dates I had to meet.

Many people say they could never write a book. I never thought I would write one, now two (and I have started the third already on customer service) So how do you write a book? ..One word at a time they say. I am of the mind that you just keep writing after the outline is down on paper. Don’t edit yourself out- there is plenty of time for you and others to do that. My best friend was always the MS Word function called “RECOUNT” so I could see how many words I had written that day. (BTW, when I finished writing my first book, the total words was 66,666- not a good sign. I had to add or delete some work). Progress? 2,000 words was a good day (we needed 75,000 for a rough draft)… 500 was, well, a not so good day. Just write.

I practiced what I preached in my book. Not worrying about if I had success or failure in writing in a particular day- I just wrote as part of the overall cycle and kept “bouncing” to the next chapter. I also tried to “strived for minimal achievement” and I did not get caught up in the enormity of the task. I would focus on one section at a time and not worry about an entire chapter or getting it right perfectly the first time. Focusing is becoming an increasingly difficult skill since there are so many distractions, but it also can become relaxing when you relieve yourself of these things by shutting them off and telling people to stay out. We all need to let go a bit more.

The most fun about writing is the research. I used a combination of my travels, experiences and people I met as sources for the book. Many times people come to you because they are attracted to a subject. Many times you go to them because you start to view everything in the lens of the book.

Think of writing a book at home? Just start. Just write. Read it over and write some more. If you have passion for a subject you will be surprised how easily 75,000 words comes to you. This article was 752 words.

I would like to thank Barry for sharing some insight into the world of professional writing and what it really takes to get a project like the book Bounce! off the ground. Although I am only midway through my copy of Bounce!, I have found some great stuff that may just help me in my endeavours to get ahead in my home business. You might find something for yourself in the pages of this great resource for entrepreneurs too.

February 11th, 2008 at 06:40am | Posted by Joe | Guest Writer's Articles, Work at Home | 5 reader remarks | Print This Post