Let’s start at the root of the problem. You’ve been wanting to write a book for a while now. You have the idea, a few pages are written here and there, maybe even a chapter or two saved on your laptop. So, what’s stopping you from finishing it? Do you believe that you’re a future author? Do you know that you have a book idea for a reason? There is a purpose to everything. If you don’t believe in your book then your pages will never have life. The following five steps will push you back into becoming a FEARless author.
1. Start Believing Let’s be honest. Who told you that your book ideas aren’t good enough to be published? Who told you that you can never be an author? Who is putting those doubts in your mind? Was it that dang, old imaginary ugly stepmother, again?? Or, is it you? Spend about 10-15 minutes evaluating yourself. Be honest and real. Did somebody really say, ‘Your writing
sucks?’ Or did you say this? Never forget that YOUR book is special and UNIQUE to you. Start speaking, “My book is a masterpiece,” “My book is great and will be published in 202?,” Or, a simple, “I’m an author.”’ Repeat this ALOUD every day until you start believing.
2. Set a Schedule Writing a book is a goal just like planning a vacation, a party, or even losing weight. We plan to fit back into those perfect jeans from years ago. We change our diet or begin exercising. We plan weddings, parties, or vacations years in advance. We set monetary goals, days off from work, and schedule deadlines that will ensure a flawless vacation. Why not do the same for finishing your book? Schedule your writing time in your planners. Set a DO NOT DISTURB sign on your office door and dedicate 30 minutes to an hour to writing. You set the frequency but, be sure to schedule time for at least one day out of the week. There are 365 days in a year. If you wrote a page a day, your book could be finished by this time next year. A page a day may be difficult for many, I get it. Then, set a timer and just write once a week. Writing something is always better than writing nothing.
3. Procrastination Blocker I bet you didn’t know that I am the QUEEN of procrastination. So much time and awesome opportunities have passed me by while I waited until later to finish assignments, tasks, books, and even jobs. Waiting until the last minute truly gets nothing accomplished. As you continue procrastinating, instead of writing your book, understand there is another person who has similar ideas for a book but finished their version while you procrastinated. It hurts
me whenever I see my book or movie ideas on Amazon or in the theatres. Don’t let this become you. The best way to stop procrastination is by just doing it!! Set small goals and promises to yourself. Even writing a page a week is better just than thinking about writing for a week. We must become more proactive in achieving our writing goals. Remember: AUTHORS JUST DO IT!!
4. Conquer Fear Remember when you were a kid? You were fearless, you’d jump off of the roofs, fall from trees, climb fences, and would break or sprain countless body parts. You’d always run wholeheartedly to catch the ice cream truck that was blocks away. Stanger Danger was easily forgotten because nothing could stop you from having fun or getting your ice cream. As a child, the only thing you were afraid of was a punishment from your parents, older sibling, or the occasional Boogie Man visit as you tried to sleep. However, for some reason, as we get older our list of fears increased and we become hesitant to take a dare or accept a challenge. Fear umbrellas a multitude of emotions, especially the ones previously mentioned in this chapter. Some years ago, my Pastor, William Gates, preached about fear under an acronym, False Evidence Appearing Real.
Many times, we allow our brains to imagine all types of what-ifs that discourage us from reaching our dreams and goals. This definitely applies to writers, our creative minds are excellent at making up scenarios that “could” lead to our failure. Remember this is usually FALSE!!! Begin to break these negative and fake thoughts by repeating, “FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL!” And keep writing. Find a person you trust; family, friend, mentor, or colleague, and ask them to read one page of your writing. Ask them to evaluate it with pure honesty. Fear is something unreal and we are the ones that empower it. Using a person you can trust to critique your writing will demonstrate that your writing is better than you think.
5. Don’t QUIT No matter what, don’t stop writing. It’s ok to take a break and come back to your chapters later. Promise yourself to come back and continue writing on a particular time and date. Put a reminder in your phone. Encourage your family, friends, and social media followers to
remind you to write on the day you scheduled. Writing isn’t the hard part, finishing is the battle. By making writing a priority, your goal to be a published author becomes a reality.
The main point is to KEEP WRITING. I’m sure you’ve got that by now. My latest book, Becoming a FEARless Author was written with you in mind. If you need a push to start and finish your first or fifth book, you need Becoming a FEARless Author. I address everything any new writer or published author needs to finish their book.
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