You want to write a book, too?
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 was on a trip to California to visit my grandmother. She was a single mom of 10 children who put herself through college. When I tell you this woman was amazing, I tell no lies.
While I was there this particular summer, she shared with me two very important things: a confession of a dream she once had and also her personal library. She had always wanted to travel the world and write stories like James A. Michener. I actually tried to read one of his books, but they were so long that I found them a bit tedious. My grandmother was an avid reader though and told me I could read any book from her shelves.
I have spoken about this many times before, but this moment was so profound for me that it bears repeating. By learning about her desire to be an author and seeing the longing in her eyes for an unrealized dream, I learned two things:
I could also have the desire to write a book. I could dream bigger.
~ AND ALSO ~I didn’t want to have regrets at the end of my life, feeling as if I missed an opportunity.
So when. I finally decided I could maybe write a book …
That’s when the imposter syndrome kicked in:
What did I know about writing a book?
I am raising children and working full time - I don’t have time to write a book!
Who would even want to read what I wrote?
I am not smart enough to write an intelligent book.
What would I even write about?
How in the hell do I get published?
Could I make any money?
So if you have the same dream to write your own book, I have four tips for you:
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. The desire to write a book means you have a story that needs to be told. It doesn’t matter if 4 other people have written a similar book. Your audience needs to hear it the way you will tell it.
Think about how many books you’ve read on the same topic or within the same genre. It doesn’t matter that someone else has already done it.
YOU have not told YOUR story in your voice ... yet.
Another thing to mention here is that you can simply write a book without any expectations for what it becomes. I actually wrote my first children’s book for my son. It’s a super cute story called Luke the Litterbug all about a little boy who litters so much that he turns into a beetle. I never published this book but told it to my son as his bedtime story for years. Sometimes, just writing the story for you or someone you love will be enough.
Writing takes practice. Your first ones will be crappy. Nothing may come of it other than the fact that you will be able to say - I wrote a book. The confidence that comes from that will skyrocket you to the next and another and another.
Two - Learn What You Don’t Know.
You can do hard things. Learning what your writing process is will be a journey. You will stumble. You will make mistakes.
Maya Angelou said: when you know better, you do better.
So, don't expect perfection along the way, and be willing to learn what you don’t know. You don’t have to know all the things to accomplish things. You just need to commit to reading the books, finding the teachers, using your resources, and learning what you need to know.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to get published, how to have your book edited, or where to start.
You have to write it before it can be published.
You can learn from people who know what you don’t yet know. You can learn new technology. You can learn to use new tools. You can do whatever you set your mind to. But first … you have to write.
Three - Baby Steps Will Get You There.
Setting a lofty goal like writing a whole book will likely take a long time. So maybe Stephen King is knocking out new stories in 6 months, but I guarantee his first one was not that fast. Your first book will take you longer. Your learning curve will take time. Creating a new process and forming a new habit takes time.
My first real book after the children’s book was a novel called Divine Tragedy. It took me a year and a half to write it. I waited for big pockets of time before I sat down to write. I waited for creative inspiration to hit before I would write anything. My divorce book was done in 5 months.
Here’s what I can tell you from those three very different experiences. Being able to break it out into smaller, more manageable steps is crucial. For me, setting realistic word goals were most important.
Knowing how many words you want to write each day or every week will be a great way to keep yourself on task. I easily set out to write 10k words each week at one point. Let me let you in on a little secret. That’s not super realistic with two small children at home. But finding 15 minutes to write every other day? That’s doable.
In 15-minute increments, in stolen moments, and one day at a time, those 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.
Editing uses the right, more logical side of your brain. Writing uses the left side which is the more creative part of your brain. You want to make sure that you’re not trying to do both at one time. You want to step fully into the creative zone and write, write, write. Then in another phase, you will sit down and be analytical and logical and you will edit in a separate stage.
This is the best advice because it will get words on paper and it will help you get that first crappy manuscript draft done. And then you get to edit it.
Don’t worry - every first draft is crappy. Your only goal during the writing phase is to get it done.
When it comes to taking these concepts and putting them into action, we sometimes need some accountability or 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 new program.
Become an Author - Faster than you think
This program is so special.
It’s two things: one part book club & one part learning how to write your own book.
You will get to watch my process and learn from me. I will teach you what you need to know to create your own manuscript. You will also get to read my next book as I write it.
I am ready to write my next book! This one is going to be so fun and entertaining. Way less serious than the divorce book was. This is going to be all about dating later in life. Dating mid-life after life has kicked you around a little bit and you’re dipping your toes back into this arena to find love or just a warm body. No judgment. It is going to be anecdotes and stories about dates gone wrong and dates that ended up going really well. Lots of humor and lots of fun.
You get to read this as I write it!
The program is built in a 6-month container with the first two months being weekly lessons. I am going to teach you as I write. You will learn how to knock through imposter syndrome. I will teach you what you need to know about the different publishing options at the end. I will teach you how to set aside time for writing and how to make time when you think you do not have the time to write a book. I assure you - you do.
For 8 weeks, we will have weekly lives lessons followed by monthly live Q&A sessions. Where are you getting stuck? What do you need help with? During this time, you will get to read my book as I’m writing it. Each of you will become my accountability partner. This is key to getting any piece of work done. I will hold you accountable and you get to do the same for me. Just think by the end of this year, you could have your first book done.
You will learn my process AND what you need to know about creating your own. So it is a book club in that you get to read mine as I write it. You’ll get your own signed copy at the end. You also get to read each other’s books.
The other exciting thing about this program is that it is going to be a community of new authors. You are not the only one who wants to write a book and doesn’t quite know how. You will be in a group of writers just like yourself starting out.
One of the things I did not know the first time I set out to write a book is this. When you‘re in this editing phase and you’re ready to start getting a step closer to publishing your book, you need readers. Clearly, I knew you need readers for a published book, but I didn’t realize how important beta readers were to the entire process. In those early stages, you need someone to just read it and say “yep, that makes sense” or “I like the direction you’re going” or “have you thought about this?” This community we are building gives you those beta readers built in.
The other aspect of “you need people to read your book” is when you publish your book, reviews are crucial to getting to that best-seller status. When you have a newly published book, getting folks to read it is the first challenge, and then reviewing it is the second and more difficult challenge. So we are all committing to each other within the walls of this program that we will read each other’s books, we will leave reviews and we will help each other get to best seller status. So by participating in this program, you will get to read other people’s stories and leave reviews for them, but I am committing to each of you to read your book.
Which means, you have to write your story first.
So by participating in this program, I will teach you how to get there and I will show you how I do it. It’s called Published, It’s not your average book club.
I am excited to welcome you call into this program. It’s going to be super fun.
For those of you who said at the beginning of 2022 that your resolution was to write a book this year, this is your sign and the time is now.