where they allow themselves to look past the distractions that exist everywhere (unless they write in a sensory deprivation tank). Focusing on the distractions is resistance, a way for people to avoid the hard work of actual writing. Every minute you spend trying to find the perfect anything is a minute you are stealing from your writing. Find the place and setting that works for you and then recreate that each day. If your initial location stops working for you after a while, acknowledge that, figure out what you need to change, and identify a new location. STEP 2: SET SPECIFIC WRITING GOALS In addition to scheduling the time and place of each writing ses- sion, also give yourself a specific writing goal for each session. We recommend a goal of 250 words per hour of writing. Why 250 words? It’s approximately the number of words per page in a printed book. So if you’re writing about 250 words a day, that’s about a page a day. Yes, this is a very low goal. But a low goal is good. A low goal is not intimidating, so it will help you get started. It will also make you feel good when you surpass it, and entice you to keep writing. This is a classic sales technique—lowering the quota to inspire action—that works wonderfully with writing. The best part is that it adds up quickly: By writing just 250 words a day, you can get a 120-page (30,000- word) first draft done in about 4 months. That is fast, and you’ll do it with what feels like very little effort. As you can see, it’s all about consistency. hOW TO CrEATE yOUr BOOk WriTiNg PlAN · 129