Wherever you are on your book writing adventure, you’ll find what you need here…
What to do if you’re just starting out on your Author Adventure: planning, preparation, and dealing with your Inner Dickhead
Two questions get fired at me often:
How can I become a better writer?
What books do you recommend I read to get better at marketing my business?
My answer to the first question is: write. Write every day and don’t worry too much if what you write is sometimes crap. You’ll get better.
Write. Edit. Improve. Repeat.
And read everything you can get your hands on, good and bad.
The thing about tiny beetle steps is, eventually they add up to great big leaps.
We get hung up on the great big leaps. We strive for massive improvements, to become an overnight success, and wish for miracles to happen fast.
The reason we fail to make the changes we want and achieve the results we desire isn't willpower or laziness or lack of ability; it's because what we're trying to do is at odds with who we believe we really are.
When you sit down to write a book and you realise how much bloody hard work is involved, and you're staring at the Blank Page Of Doom in despair, you're stuck.
How about if I told you I have a secret weapon that could be the key to defeating procrastination, anxiety, fear, and generalised woe?
It's *whispers* an outline.
Let me ask you again: why aren't you achieving your goals? Do you know what's missing? Which tiny beetle steps you need to take?
You can create a sacred space even in a shared office, a busy home, or a public café; it just takes a little ingenuity and a certain amount of hard-headed resolve.
Here's my top tip for you, if you're a serial non-fiction book-buyer: make notes as you read. Write down three actions you'll take in your business or your life now you've read the book – then take those actions.
Don't just read; do. Of course, some books make it easier to do that than others... Like my new book How The Hell Do You Write A Book.
Perfectionism keeps us all stuck, and it may well drive us into an early grave.
Dr Brené Brown calls perfectionism “the 20-ton shield”. She says “we carry it around thinking it’s going to protect us from being hurt. But it protects us from being seen… It’s a way of thinking that says, ‘If I look perfect, live perfect, work perfect — I can avoid or minimise criticism, blame, and ridicule.
Have you ever been stuck? Staring at the Blank Page of Doom in despair?
Yep, me too.
Have you ever blamed it on "writer's block"?
Yep, me too.
Here's the thing, though: there's no such thing as writer's block.
It's a made-up myth, a lie we tell ourselves to get out of doing the work.
Most of us are starters, not finishers. We're entrepreneurs, so we're easily excited and enthused by new ideas and big plans and the next shiny thing — but when it comes to finishing what we started...? Writing that book? Launching that course?
I'm often asked where I get all my ideas for writing from, and how I can keep telling stories. People wonder when they'll get hit by the inspiration fairy.
Truth is, you won't be.
