Gretchen Reuben is the author of bestsellers Better Than Before and The Happiness Project. Her tribe follows her both in print and online. She also produces her own podcast Happy with Gretchen Reuben, where she talks about good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft and is named an all-time best podcast on iTunes in 2015. She started her career in law when she realized she wanted to be a writer.
She says of her transformation from law to writing, “For my transition, it wasn’t one moment, it was a series of events that happened over time.” At one point, she considered that writing could be a job for her instead of a hobby. Also, at this time, she went over to a friend’s house, and after talking with her friend, she realized that she wanted the same activity for her work and fun time. With an idea in mind for a book, she came to the realization that “if I was to ever try, now was the time to try.”
Gretchen remembers the ecstasy of getting an agent because, for her, that felt like the most significant milestone in her writing career. She was thrilled that someone would put money on her writing career and ambitions.
As for her writing process, Gretchen has never deviated from her original procedure. She does not recommend this to everyone; however, this is what she has found works best for her writing endeavors. Using mostly books and a passion for a topic, she fervently engages in going down the rabbit hole of investigation.
Listen in to find out why Gretchen focuses on using stories from her own life, how she grounds her writing when using specialized terms and how she came up with her idea for her book, The Happiness Project. Learn how novel and challenge make people happier, how she finds time to write, and the easiest way to make an action a habit.
Show Notes
[01:51] Moving from working in a law office in the Supreme Court to becoming a writer. [03:21] Gretchen realizes that if she is going to make a career change, now is the time. [05:02] Toughest part of her transition when working on her book. [06:30] Her writing and research process for each of her books. [09:02] Turning research and investigative notes into readable material. [11:42] For Gretchen, taking notes is a way for her mind to connect the dots of a story. [14:53] When writing, she focuses on using clear direct language and using stories from her own life. [18:39] How being on a crowded bus after running through a rainstorm gave her the idea for her book. [21:32] What is happiness and where can you find happiness in your life? [23:30] How Gretchen finds time to write her books. [27:00] Her personality framework and how she categorizes people. [28:30] “You’ve got to have a consistent habit if you’re going to be productive” and the Four Tendencies Framework. [33:18] Advice for new writers who are in the process of writing their first book. [37:20] Engage with Gretchen on social media!Links and Resources
Self-publishingschool.com Spsfreetraining.com Circle of Profit Recorder Plus Visit Gretchen on the web Gretchen on Instagram Connect with Gretchen on LinkedIn Take the Four Tendencies QuizSPS 237: Rise Of The Reader & How To Market Bestselling Books with Nick Hutchison
SPS 236: Startup Santa: From Toymaker & Inventor To Author with Brad Pedersen
SPS 235: $80k/year In Royalties For 6 Years From One Book…How This Teacher Did It with Rob Plevin
SPS 234: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Unleashing the Power of Authorship
SPS 233: Be Seen: Discovering Your Voice & Booking Speaking Gigs Grow Your Brand with Jen Gottlieb
SPS 232 How I Sold 25,000+ Copies Of My Children’s Book with Delanda Coleman
SPS 231 How To Get Famous & Sell More Books By Getting On TV with Clint Author
SPS 230 Using AI / ChatGPT To Write & Publish Your Book with Jonathan Green
SPS 229 Grow An App Using A Book And Teaching Kids About Money with Scott Donnell
SPS 228 Post Pardon Me: Writing A Book About Postpartum And Other Difficult Life Experiences with Suzanne Yatim Aslam
SPS: 227 Marketing Secrets, Affiliate Book Launches, And Gorgeous Book Funnels with Julie Chenell
SPS226: The Journey To 110,000 Copies Sold & Relaunching Your Book…How I Did It with Sean Cannell
SPS 225: Why Affirmations Don’t Work & How To Use Afformations Instead with Noah St. John
SPS 224: The Engineer Approach To Millions Of Copies Sold with Todd Sattersten
SPS 223: The 2 Week Vacation Test & Scaling From 6 To 7 Figures with Austin Netzley
SP 222: How To Host An Epic Book Launch Party with Nick Gray (The 2 Hour Cocktail Party)
SPS 221: Mastering Marketing, Book Promotion and Hypnautic Writing with Dr. Joe Vitale
SPS 220: The Story Blender: How I Sold 1 Million Copies Of My Novels with Steven James
SPS 219: Selling 1M+ Copies Of Multiple Books & Getting Your Book In Airports with Jay Papasan
SPS 218: Portable Stories, Great Case Studies, And Writing Books People Share with Joey Coleman
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