So...You Want to Write a Book?
But you don’t know how to start… and it feels daunting.
Welcome to the haunted house of authordom where you will be spooked on a regular basis with terrifying reasons not to begin or if you’ve begun, not to finish. Procrastination hell.
Thoughts might go around in your head like a video on fast forward with no STOP button. Thoughts like: ‘I’m not gifted enough; my story wouldn’t interest anyone else; I don’t have time or money; I can’t handle that type of rejection; I’ll die (of shame, embarrassment, etc.); Who do I think I am?’
Here’s another secret: if you hear people on the outside of your life questioning you on any of these matters, know that they are saying to your face what you’re telling yourself on the inside. You have to deal with your fear. We all do.
As if that’s not enough, you’ve watched movies of failed writers—there are so many. You might also have heard that writers have committed suicide or that writers suffer terrible depression and/or writer’s block.
Enough already.
I’d like to paint a different picture. One that I hope offers you reassurance and comfort so that you understand from the start, it’s not about YOU—it’s about what wants to be created through you. The question is only if you’re willing-not if you’re good. The story and editors will take care of that part.
Secondly, the story is more afraid of you than you are of it. It’s afraid you won’t write it or that you’ll try to change it to make it more marketable. I’ve certainly argued with my story characters from time to time but giving in is always the best choice. You have to prove yourself worthy of the story before it will come out of hiding (it’s been inside you a very long time).
Next, just write. If you love it, just do it! It’s a blast to be in the flow. I benefited from reading ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron. I couldn’t have written what I have until I learned that a) every one of us is an artist and b) writing even gibberish for 30-minutes each day (she calls it Morning Pages) will ease you into the process. So if you’re terrified that you’re making a HUGE commitment, back off it a bit. Just promise yourself that you’ll write something every day and it doesn’t matter what it is.
Finally, think about how you’ll feel at the end of your life if you don’t do it. That’s true about almost anything. When my mother passed away very suddenly at age 65 (I am now 62) I got a strong message—DO NOT ALLOW REGRET TO OVERWHELM YOU. I knew I wanted to write—that if I lived this life without writing, I was going to miss out on something BIG.
Oh, one last thing—there is tremendous support for you. You can’t see it, but it’s there. Just watch. Life will arrange itself to give you time and material to write. Once you show your intent, it will open doors for you that you can’t imagine. And the truth about writer’s block? There is no such thing. If you can’t think of something to write, don’t. The story lives in you. All you have to do is listen.
Vivian Probst
Welcome to the haunted house of authordom where you will be spooked on a regular basis with terrifying reasons not to begin or if you’ve begun, not to finish. Procrastination hell.
Thoughts might go around in your head like a video on fast forward with no STOP button. Thoughts like: ‘I’m not gifted enough; my story wouldn’t interest anyone else; I don’t have time or money; I can’t handle that type of rejection; I’ll die (of shame, embarrassment, etc.); Who do I think I am?’
Here’s another secret: if you hear people on the outside of your life questioning you on any of these matters, know that they are saying to your face what you’re telling yourself on the inside. You have to deal with your fear. We all do.
As if that’s not enough, you’ve watched movies of failed writers—there are so many. You might also have heard that writers have committed suicide or that writers suffer terrible depression and/or writer’s block.
Enough already.
I’d like to paint a different picture. One that I hope offers you reassurance and comfort so that you understand from the start, it’s not about YOU—it’s about what wants to be created through you. The question is only if you’re willing-not if you’re good. The story and editors will take care of that part.
Secondly, the story is more afraid of you than you are of it. It’s afraid you won’t write it or that you’ll try to change it to make it more marketable. I’ve certainly argued with my story characters from time to time but giving in is always the best choice. You have to prove yourself worthy of the story before it will come out of hiding (it’s been inside you a very long time).
Next, just write. If you love it, just do it! It’s a blast to be in the flow. I benefited from reading ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron. I couldn’t have written what I have until I learned that a) every one of us is an artist and b) writing even gibberish for 30-minutes each day (she calls it Morning Pages) will ease you into the process. So if you’re terrified that you’re making a HUGE commitment, back off it a bit. Just promise yourself that you’ll write something every day and it doesn’t matter what it is.
Finally, think about how you’ll feel at the end of your life if you don’t do it. That’s true about almost anything. When my mother passed away very suddenly at age 65 (I am now 62) I got a strong message—DO NOT ALLOW REGRET TO OVERWHELM YOU. I knew I wanted to write—that if I lived this life without writing, I was going to miss out on something BIG.
Oh, one last thing—there is tremendous support for you. You can’t see it, but it’s there. Just watch. Life will arrange itself to give you time and material to write. Once you show your intent, it will open doors for you that you can’t imagine. And the truth about writer’s block? There is no such thing. If you can’t think of something to write, don’t. The story lives in you. All you have to do is listen.
Vivian Probst
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