The Little Book That Helps You Write Your Book

Many writers who struggle to start or finish their books are simply being rational human beings. Writing is something they want to do but so is watching television, catching up with friends, browsing social media, exercising, pursuing meaningful relationships, and any number of other worthwhile activities. Writing is difficult and does not provide much immediate gratification. Without sufficient motivation, it just doesn’t make sense to invest much time in writing.
For others, perfectionism and other thought patterns can cause us to doubt our abilities and to fear doing anything that might not measure up to our own standards or those of others. We fear being recognized as the flawed human beings that we all are (imposter syndrome), and so we avoid taking chances. In doing so, we merely exist until we don’t, we accomplish little of significance, and we leave little behind.
To move from safety to significance requires an awakening to the truth, the desire to truly live, the belief that significance is possible, the ability to take decisive action, and a commitment to persevere no matter the cost. It helps to recognize that everybody lives in fear of not being enough: smart enough, strong enough, good-looking enough…. We are not responsible for being enough; we are responsible for using what we have to be significant.
Think of the books you have read that helped you in some way. They were written by ordinary people who expressed what they had to say from their unique perspective. No one else could write those books, and no one else can write your book.
We each have today and a limited number of days in the future to do something significant. It is time to find the joy of a life well lived. Following are a few paradigm shifts that help:
• acknowledging that we are all flawed humans
• accepting that some people are not going to like or agree with what you do
• believing that it is okay to fail as long as you learn, persevere, and start again
• appreciating the gifts that God has given you and sharing them with others
For many people, a dream of what life might be like as an author provides the initial inspiration for wanting to write. However, it takes more than a dream to get most people to take action. We find the motivation to do hard things by developing perspective, assigning value to things, and believing that the value gained from hard things is better than the value gained from other options. While dreams are nice, they tend to be ephemeral and forgotten rather quickly.
The first of the seven secrets to finish your book sooner rather than later is to transform your dreams and intentions into your vision so you can determine if you need to write your book and why.
Your vision for what life could be like after you finish your book can inspire you to take action and provide the motivation to persevere and overcome obstacles. To maximize the impact such a vision can have, it helps to capture it in detail using present tense verbs as if you are already there. For example, “I am an author. I regularly receive messages from people who have found help in my book….”
What has been holding you back from writing your book?
What is your vision for what your life could be like after you write your book?
What could writing your book help you to do?
Throughout this book, you will find questions like the ones above that are intended to spur your response. You can enter your answers in the space provided, or use a notepad, journal, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or some index cards. Take some time to answer each question. Feel free to repeat yourself as you answer different questions, and don’t spend too much time editing your answers—you have a book to write.
Each of us has unique purposes for our life and shares common purposes with others. These usually are related to our roles and relationships with other people—what we feel we should accomplish as a parent, spouse, employee, citizen, etc. Others flow from our beliefs about who we are, what we believe our talents and abilities are, and what we believe we exist to be and achieve. Some people believe they understand their purposes very clearly, while others find their understanding evolving over time. Since you are investing your time in completing this book, one of your purposes probably involves writing a book to impact other people.
Authors impact their readers in a variety of ways, including the following:
• By providing helpful information
• By explaining complicated topics
• By motivating them to take action
• By enabling them to do something
• By influencing them to consider another perspective
• By persuading them to adopt a different opinion
• By entertaining them with stories
What are your unique purposes currently?
What common purposes do you share with other people?
How do you hope to impact your family, friends, and other people with your writing?
Now that you have captured your purposes and your vision for what life could be like as an author, you have the opportunity to see how your life currently aligns with them. While this can be a rather sobering exercise, it helps to keep in mind that life is a journey, and we do not always have the freedom or resources to do exactly what we want.
Similar to a journey, getting from where you are to where you have envisioned requires planning and action. Just as good travel planning can cut down on the time and inconvenience required—and make the trip more enjoyable—so planning your writing can get you where you want to go quicker while helping you avoid bad experiences along the way. A major part of your planning is to establish recognizable milestones for your journey…