How You Can Write a Book in One Month!

As we kick off the new direction of "The Truth in Ten" - this isn't just the brief story of how I wrote "The 109 Rules of Storytelling" - this episode is a call to action which might just inspire you to write a book of your own!

[TRANSCRIPT]

"How I Wrote The 109 Rules of Storytelling (and why you can write a book tooAnd Why You Can Too)"

Hey everyone - welcome back to the show. Today's episode is a little different.

No guests. Just me, a cup of coffee, and a story. A story about how I ended up writing The 109 Rules of Storytelling.

And why, if you've ever wanted to create something meaningful - this one's for you

Let's rewind to earlier this year…

In the run-up to Earth Day, I set myself a challenge.

I decided to read 20 books in 20 days from the Penguin Green Ideas series - a project I called Green Sparks. One book a day. No skipping. No cheating. Just…reading. Reflecting. Sharing.

And somewhere in that blur of tiny, powerful books - one title in particular jumped out at me:

Michael Pollan's 64 "Food Rules".

It's brilliant. One-liners. Nuggets. Espresso shots of advice for how to eat well and live better.

And my ADHD brain loved it.

Big ideas. Small words. Short sentences. You can flick through it in one sitting, and still feel like your life has changed a little.

That's when a thought hit me:

Why not do the same… but for storytelling?

You see, I've always loved the simplicity of rules.

Years ago, when I was working at Adobe, I created The 80 Rules of Social Media.

That thing went viral. It helped people make sense of a chaotic new world.

And ever since then, I've had this dream - to write a companion piece for storytelling. A list of quick, practical, punchy rules I could share anytime someone asked me:

"How do I tell better stories?"

Partly to help others…

Partly to save myself repeating the same advice over and over. (Let's be honest.)

So I started writing. First, a blog post.

Then I printed it out. Looked at it again.

Suddenly, the list began to grow. 40 rules. Then 60.

Then… wait, what?

109??

Surely that's too many.

But 110? That just felt obnoxious.

So I stopped at 109.

At first, it was just a list.

But then something unexpected happened: people cared.

I started sharing a few of the rules on LinkedIn.

And the response was incredible.

Encouragement. Questions. DMs. Reposts.

My followers - you, maybe - helped me see that this could actually become… a book.

A real one. Something future leaders could use, gift, pass on.

So I leaned in.

I found an amazing environmental photographer to contribute images.

I started obsessing over fonts. (Yes, fonts!)

I wanted this book to feel different - like a luxury coffee-table book.

Elegant, inspiring, immersive.

Enchanted forests. Fireflies. Lakesides.

Nothing like a typical business or tech book.

At one point, I thought - maybe this isn't just a book… maybe it's a journal.

What if readers could write their own stories alongside the rules?

Better yet - what if I built a custom GPT to be their storytelling coach?

An AI guide to help bring the 109 rules to life.

I tested every self-publishing format I could find.

Hardback. Softcover. Matte paper. Glossy paper.

I ordered samples, took notes, iterated like a maniac.

I designed the whole thing myself - using basic Photoshop and PowerPoint.

No team.

No fancy agency.

No budget.

Just persistence.

My mum - a former editor - kindly stepped in and helped fix all my grammar and typos.

(Thanks Mum.)

And suddenly… I had a book.

A real one.

Written, designed, and produced from scratch… in just over a month.

It still blows my mind.

Not because it's perfect - it's not.

But because it exists.

And the lesson I've learned - the one I want to leave with you today - is this...

You don't need permission to create something beautiful.

You don't need a publisher. A budget. Or a big team.

You just need an idea.

And the courage to start

So if you're sitting on a book, a poem, a podcast, a painting, a plan - anything -

Don't wait.

As Roosevelt said:

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

And I'd add:

We can change the world - simply by sharing our stories.

Thanks for listening.

If you want to check out The 109 Rules of Storytelling, or explore the custom GPT that goes with it, head to [insert your link here].

And if you're working on your own project and need a bit of encouragement - send me a note.

I'd love to hear your story.

Until next time,

Keep it short. Keep it sharp. Keep it human.

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The Truth in Ten is a cross between a podcast series and a storytelling masterclass. Each future episode will shines a light on one of "The 109 Rules of Storytelling", with stories about people who shared a short story which changed the world in some way. Full of advice and practical storytelling tips, this is a show for anyone who wants to make a difference by sharing their story.

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