The Book Manuscript:
One Small Part at a Time

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

An online devotional for writers

A Word From The Word

All the parts, though many, form one body. (1 Corinthians 12:12, AMP)

A Word For Writers

I opened the envelope and stared in disbelief. It was a book contract!

After I jigged and boogied my happy dance, I read the fine print. The manuscript deadline was in less than 4 months. 

What?!?

I was a new writer. It had been less than a year since my first article was published - one that clocked in at just 1,000 words and had taken me weeks to write.  Added to my inexperience were the responsibilities of a husband, two young children and a full-time job, and I did what any writer (young or experienced) would do.

I panicked. There was no way I could finish the manuscript in that amount of time.

Then I noticed a handwritten note at the bottom of the cover letter.

"Keep it modular," the editor had scrawled.  The book - a manual for the children's event -  would be structured in small how-to sections, rather than as a narrative story.

"Small parts" meant I could write one little section at a time. "How-to segments" meant I could write each small part in a linear, step-by-step approach.  If I wrote a bit at a time, those small pieces would add up to the whole book.

So that's what I did. And I finished the manuscript on time.

One paragraph, added to others, makes an article. One blog post, added with others, builds a website. One chapter, added to others, makes a book.

Any writing project can be divided into parts. I need only to write one small part at a time.

It's a principle from scripture that applies across life: different parts make a whole. And it's a principle that has helped me every day as I tackle writing projects big and small.

A Wise Word for Writers

Any writing project can be divided into small parts.

A Word to Pray

Loving Father,

Show me how to divide a project into small parts. Help me write just one part at a time and write it well.

In Jesus name, Amen.

---

More Devotionals for Writers

The Genre: Choose It Purposefully To Reach Your Book’s Readers ...

The Book Title: Choose a Short One ...

The Book Editor: The Quiet Co-Worker ...

The Book: Know Your Why Before You Write It ...

The Theme: 66 Examples of Creating a Book’s Main Message ...

The Sequel: Luke Reveals the Key to Writing One Successfully ...

The Table of Contents: How St. Jerome Arranged the Books of the Bible ...

The Publishing Platform: How to Publish Your Book Without a Contract ...

The Chapter: It Keeps Both Readers and Writers Organized ...

The Paragraph: Don’t Always Follow The Paragraph Police!

The Writing Outline: Thank Ezra for His Organizational Skills!

The Book Idea: Begin Writing a Book with a Brain Dump ...

The eBook: Meet Your Readers Where They Are – On Their Devices ...

The Sentence: Write One at a Time and You Write a Book ...

The Author: A Writer with Authority ...

The Writer's Bio: Help Readers Get to Know You Quickly ...

The Thesis Statement: Pick and Choose to Make Your Case ...

The Fact Check: Truth Is a Powerful Writing Tool ...

The Word Count: It's a Good Reason to Quit Babbling ...

The Grant Application: A Deadline Is an Opportunity ...

The PS: The Last Shall Be Read First ...

The Opening Line: Letter Writing Tips from Famed Letter Writer ...

The Hook Writing Trap ...

The End: Make It Memorable and Useful ...

The No-Waste Promise: One of the Most Effective Content Writing Tips ...

Two Words: Which of Them Should I Use?

Writing Persuasively Gets a Bad Rap ...

The Newsletter:  What's Really the Most Important News?

The Headline: Little Things Done Well Add Up...

The Writing Formula: Photocopy or Framework?

The Interview: Compassion Is the Root of Story ...

Wise Words: Devotionals for Writers ...

Get more devotionals for writers delivered to your inbox each week.

Return from The Book Contract to Nonprofit Copywriter home

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Powered by SBI! Learn more here.