There comes a time in a new writer’s life where they’ve Googled ‘How to Write a Book’ and gotten pages and pages of answers. It gives a framework from A to Z and every letter in between.
From personal to broad strokes, frameworks are out there. It’s more important for each writer to glean what useful information they can from other sources, but when it comes down to write, the writer — let’s call her Kelly — has to develop their own method. Kelly is different from every other person out there with her own life and time commitments and way of thinking.
She may not be able to follow Stephen King or Maya Angelou’s writing routine. She may not want to. But the basic premise of writing a book is broad to specific enough that you can take it and make it what works for you. Once you have the framework to follow, you’ll know where you are on the ‘Write a Book’ journey.
- Number One: Belief
No one has ever accidentally written a book. No one who believes they are incapable or unworthy of writing a book is going to write a book. No one who routinely tells themselves that they are bad at writing and that they suck at writing is going to write a book.
I know we all have varying levels of inner critics in our head. But we can’t listen to that fearful, negative voice if we want to do the brave work of telling our stories. We don’t have to listen to that voice, and we shouldn’t let it talk to us like that.
That negative voice is one of the things that keeps us trapped in the dreaded Writer’s Block. I did a live workshop on how to beat Writer’s Block and you can get the replay of that if you sign up here.
But if Kelly believes that she is capable and worthy to write their book, even when she feels like giving up, Kelly will do it.
- Number Two: Desire
People who believe they can write a book are different than people who want to write a book. My sister is perfectly capable of writing a book, and she believes that she can, but she doesn’t want to. She chooses not to.
She is aware that with her current schedule and commitments as a wife, mother, and coach that writing a book doesn’t make sense for her now. It takes more time and energy than she is willing to commit.
Because writing a book requires a lot of time — not as much as some people might tell you.
- Number Three: Idea
You need ideas, and for me that is the simplest of all. I did a training on all the ways I come up with ideas in my group for writers — The Introverted Writers Club. But my number one tip for you is to stop judging your ideas.
Stop thinking that your ideas are bad or unoriginal. Perhaps the ‘lost heir to the kingdom’ trope has been done before. Who says you can’t do it again?
How can you make it fun or different? How can you make it yours? And besides trying to come up with a totally original idea, focus instead on writing a book that you enjoy.
There is merit to creating for the simple pleasure of creating, without making a product for the market.
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