So You Want To Write a Book?
When I think back to the first time I had the thought that I’d like to write a book, I recall a very timid, young teenager. I was sixteen and had just returned from a trip to California to visit my grandmother. While I was there, she shared with me two very important things: a confession of a dream lost and her personal library.
I have spoken about this many times before, but this moment was so profound for me. By learning about her desire to be an author and see the longing in her eyes for an unrealized dream, I learned two things:
I had the ability to want things this big, too. I could desire to write a book. I could dream bigger than what I thought was possible.
~ AND ~
I didn’t want to have regrets for my life that left me looking so sad.
The first book I chose to read from her bookshelf was Love Story, by Erich Segal. It was enchanting and I devoured the book in two days. It was the perfect book for a love sick teenager missing her new boyfriend while forced to vacation with her family. Instead of moping and dwelling on my own sadness, I got lost in this love story and was forever changed. Could I write a book one day? Did I want to be an author?
Perhaps, you can relate to the same desire.
Then life happened and I temporarily walked away from my own dream. I put it on a shelf and didn’t come back to it for another thirty years. Sure, the thought resurfaced many times over the years. The longing never quite went away. I just got lost in the day to day reality of raising babies and maneuvering in and out of three marriages.
When I finally let this dream out of the box I had kept it in, It felt exciting .. and daunting. This idea of writing a WHOLE book was overwhelming, to say the least.
Then the imposter syndrome kicked in:
What did I know about writing a book?
How would I find the time?
Who would want to read what I wrote?
I wasn’t smart enough to write an intelligent book.
What would I even write about?
How do I publish?
Could I make any money?
So if you have the same dream burning inside of you, I have four tips based on my own experience:
One - You should absolutely write the book you are being called to write.
You are not given dreams and desires that are not meant for you. Just because you want to is reason enough.
Two - Learn what you don’t know.
You can do hard things. Learning what your writing process is will be a journey. Don’t expect perfection along the way and be willing to learn what you don’t know. Read books, find teachers, learn what you need to know.
Three - Baby steps will get you there.
Setting a lofty goal like writing a book will take a long time. Being able to break it out into smaller, more manageable steps will be important. Knowing how many words you want to write each day or every week will be a great way to keep yourself on task. One day at a time, baby steps along the way will get you there!
Four - Just Write
You can’t edit a blank page. This is the best advice I was given. In those moments when you are facing a blank page and don’t know where to start, just write. Put crappy words down on the page so you can get some momentum flowing. Editing is a separate phase. Don’t edit as you go, just write. Your first goal is just to get words on a page so you have something to work with.
When it comes to taking these concepts and putting them into action, we sometimes need someone to hold our hand and show us the way. I truly believe when the student is ready, the teacher appears. If you are looking for that sort of guidance, I welcome you into my own program.