Aspiring authors across the globe too often focus on the wrong things when getting started with their book. They put the proverbial “horse” before the “cart” and end up going nowhere.
Or worse yet, they’re told they need to just sit down and write. To crank their book out in a weekend. To slap together some old blog posts or fill in a template, and call that a book.
This is not what being a transformational author is about. Rather, we give ourselves fully to the process of writing because we understand that writing a book will change us, the author, first.
Here are the three mistakes every author must avoid… and what to do instead.
1) Mistake #1: Writing Too Soon
When it comes to writing your book, writing is not the first thing to do. If you start writing without a vision, or a plan of some sort, your book will never make it. Writing without clarity on who your ideal reader is, the problem you’ll help them solve,or how you want their life to be transformed by what you write… is like going up a creek without a paddle. You’ll exert a ton of energy trying to get somewhere, only to end up being stuck in the same place.
What to do instead: Before you write a single word of your book, it’s essential you do the important work of getting the foundation built for your book first. Once you answer the key foundational questions for your book, you’ll gain the clarity that may have eluded you. This will give you focus, motivation and passion to write with ease and have impact with your words.
2) Mistake #2: Focusing “Out There”
Writing a transformational book that deeply impacts readers’ lives and helps bring change to the world is an “inside job.” So it’s important to avoid the mistake of putting your energy and focus into the outside world as you write. If you do this, it’s likely you’ll end up facing “bright, shiny object syndrome” and constantly be chasing something external to validate what you want to write from within.
While it’s true you may need to do some research to support the points in your book, don’t delude yourself into thinking that your book is going to be birthed by all the research you do. This leads to analysis paralysis and keeps you in a never-ending state of researching and researching instead of getting your own words onto the page.
What to do instead: Practice writing straight from your heart. At first, this may look like opening a page in your journal and putting pen to paper without thinking about writing content for your book. Simply practice allowing what’s inside of you to flow out. If something feels a little scary to write, take a breath, and have the courage to write exactly that. Just a few lines of courageous writing like this in your journal, will make it easier to write that inner place for your book with more courage and consistency.
3) Mistake #3: Believing the Voices in Your Head
If you’ve ever heard yourself say something like, “Who am I to write a book?”, or you’re fearful of what others might think about your book when it’s published, or concerned that your book might’ve already been written by someone else… fear not. These voices in your head aren’t true. You would not feel this yearning to write your book if you weren’t 100% destined to do it. You already have everything you needed inside of yourself (see mistake #2) to write your book. The Universe doesn’t place it on your heart and soul as some sort of awful joke.
The voices in your head are only trying to keep you safe. But that doesn’t mean they are right. Their job is to protect you, even from challenges and fearful things that aren’t real. Don’t make the mistake of believing what they say. They’ll keep you trapped and hostage to never having the experience of achieving the life-changing and life affirming goal of becoming an author.
What to do instead: When the voices in your head start to spew thoughts of self-doubt, self-criticism, fear, or unworthiness…notice them. As you do this, bring your awareness to the thought and ask yourself, deep in your soul, “is that true?” Every time you stop to hear what those voices are saying, and question their validity, you decrease their power and increase your confidence. This boost in confidence lays tracks for new, more supportive voices to speak to you in your head. And these positive voices are the ones that will help you get your book written!
