A man went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self-help section?” She answered, “If I tell you, it will defeat the purpose.”

“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” –Mark Twain (1835 – 1910)

“A man’s got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book.” –Ernest Hemingway

I love public speaking and have been at it for years. Of all the things I’ve learned, here’s the most important to remember:

Our audience, like us, wants to be nice.

You see, I believe people are inherently good. They want to think well of their fellow beings, including public speakers. True, you’ll stumble upon a few misanthropes (who always seem to sit in the front row), and, true, they may throw you off your game. Most attendees will give you a fair shot, however; they will try to like you. Even when they don’t, they will walk out of the door with something of value, however infinitesimal it may seem. Like a seed, that something will grow over time. They need you, the speaker, to make that possible.

Have faith. It will happen.

Read more on public speaking:

• How to write a speech
• Write a powerful speech or presentation

By Doris Kearns Goodwin

I think this is an incredible book and incredibly relevant during this election season. Not beach reading, but well worth it. I have learned so much about Lincoln, the person, as well as about the political process; in many ways, not a whole lot has changed.

In Team of Rivals, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln’s political genius as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer who rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase and Edward Bates. Lincoln brings the three into his cabinet and somehow overcomes their animosity and marshals their talents to help preserve the Union and end slavery.

Now, I’m not comparing Obama to Lincoln per se, but it is interesting nonetheless to see how these two politicians, seeming from out of nowhere, gained prominence. Takes a lot of confidence, intelligence, drive, political acumen, connections, etc. Takes a lot of hard work, too, to be in the right place at the right time. (Both, btw, were dismissed as being too inexperienced to be president.)

Both were/are brilliant orators, had/have first-rate minds. And both faced/face absolutely dire circumstances when assuming office. Lincoln: a civil war; Obama: an economic meltdown.

Don’t let the page count (944) turn you off too much. The book’s well written, and while there are too many names and places to remember — we’re talking a big cast here — you at least know the story line and will be able to follow along.

Goodwin won a Pulitzer for another of my favorite history books: No Ordinary Time:Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. The CD version is great, too.

1) Identify when you will write
Writing a novel in 30 days, let alone 365, is a whole lot easier if you have the time to write. It’s important, therefore, that you identify some blocks of time in which you can work. They may not be at the same time every day. For example, weekdays and weekends have different schedules.

2) Block out your 30 days
Once you know your windows of opportunity, schedule them. Working in advance is critical so that you don’t let daily interruptions (which often disguise themselves as false priorities) get in your way.

3) Start writing before you start writing
Some of your best writing will come to you when you are NOT in front of your computer. This work isn’t part of your daily word count, but it can help you hit the ground running because you know what you will write before you start writing.

4) Automate the process
Don’t waste your time deciding where you will write, what pen you will use, etc. To futz is to procrastinate, and you don’t have time to waste. I recommend you become a creature of habit. Sit in the same place, use the same pen, etc. It’s a way of training your body and mind to perform under conditions you set.

5) Don’t worry
I don’t always follow this advice, but it really is true. Worry saps energy and time is energy. Further, worry has no place in your project. Your goal is to write a book in 30 days. Not a great book, just a book. Once done, you can take another 30 days (or more) to polish it.

What we play is life.
– Louis Armstrong

What we write is life as well. So be lively, have fun; let your words
bring out the child in you.