Each year, I take a long weekend away from work and family to get together with two writer friends. We stay at an inn in the country, chatting over cups of tea and farm breakfasts. We talk about everything—relationships, money, work, dreams.
On one of our visits, my friend Judi was telling us how she loves the actual process of writing—she likes sitting down at her computer, thinking, typing, and refining her message. She said she even loves the feel of her fingers on the keyboard.
I don’t feel the same way.
While I sometimes have moments of having something flow straight out of my brain and on the to page, I actually sort of hate the act of writing. I do a lot of stopping and starting, re-writing and re-jiggering as I go. It feels more like the lurching steps of a toddler and less like a horse out to run.
I also often have to get pretty churned up to actually sit down to write—I feel the weight of a deadline growing closer, or a nagging to get something down on paper so that I can get it out of my head, or a desire to get something in the can so I can feel accomplished.
But enjoy the feel of my fingers on the keyboard? Not so much.
However, having written is a feeling I truly love.
That feeling of accomplishment and clarity is what compels me to write.
In fact, one of my favorite quotes on writing is from William Faulkner, who said, “I never know what I think about something until I read what I’ve written on it.”
I hear from a lot of people that they’d like to write a book one day. Which is an exciting – and achievable – goal. But the thought of actually writing the book is enough to keep that goal in the realm of dreams and not a reality.
I get it. It’s daunting. The average book is about 75,000 words—that’s a pretty high number. And unless you’re my friend Judi, the process of writing is not likely something you look forward to.
That’s why asking yourself if you really want to write a book isn’t quite the right question to ask if you really want to stop dreaming and start doing.
The better question is: Are you someone who wants to have written a book?
Here are some very good reasons to answer yes to that question:
- You want to open doors for yourself by creating what is essentially a business card on steroids
- You want to establish yourself as a thought leader and put yourself “out there” in a bigger way (even if you’re nervous about doing these things)
- You want to get down a big idea and give it structure and a life of its own so you no longer have to manage all the different pieces that are floating around in your head
- The thought of seeing your last name on the spine of a book makes you feel alive
If some part of you is dreaming of having a book with your name on the cover, I can help.
I have an online class, called Write Your Book Like a Boss, that teaches you the insider details of the book-publishing process AND helps you get out of your own way and actually do it (and enjoy the process!).
The class consists of eight recorded classes, three bonus calls with publishing experts (including a National Book Award-winning editor!), and an hour of one-on-one time with me to hone your idea, map out your process, and troubleshoot anything standing in your way. It’s a loving and empowering hand at your back to steer you in the direction of your dreams.
You take the class on your own time—all classes are recorded and available to you on-demand. You can do the equivalent of binge watch and motor through them in a week, or listen one week at a time, or whatever works best for you.
And because I’m guessing if you’ve read this far, you’re also wondering how much it costs, I’ll tell you: It costs $499.
(The other book writing classes I’ve seen typically have a zero on the end of that price, so I am confident that it is a great value, and a unique combination of learn-on-your-own-time and personal attention!)
You can read all the details about it and sign up here.
And if you have any questions, reply to this email and ask away! I love talking to folks about their book idea and will be happy to help you figure out if the class is right for you.
This pricing is only good through July 18 – so you have two weeks to decide if now is your time to make your book a reality.
I will run the class again in the future (January 2017, to be exact), but I can’t guarantee that this will still be the price.
Again, the URL to get the full scoop and sign up is here.
Here’s to your being the kind of person who does what you’ve always dreamed of doing.
