A book coaching client quipped to me recently, “I know what I do with you is not therapy but gosh, writing a book brings up a lot.”
She might have used a stronger word than gosh. 🥰
I said,
“You become the person who can write your book by writing it.”
Meaning the only way to become the author of your book is to write it and be changed in the process.
But what we want is to already be the person who can write that book.
We don’t like having to change and grow and write at the same time.
Thus the journey of self-discovery and self-growth that writing a book brings up.
Many of my writers are surprised at how intense this inner work can be.
For example, I work with many writers who are super-high achievers. They are smart, amazing people who are used to knocking most balls out of the park, watching them sail away into the bright blue sky.
Then they start to write a book.
Uh-oh.
They come to our sessions frustrated, muddled, with the sweetest looks of confusion on their beautiful faces.
They don’t understand why they can’t knock their book out of the park in the same way they do so many other things.
Their inner work is about letting themselves be clumsy beginners and understanding that writing a book is a whole new skill they have to learn, and it’s going to take time.
Other writers I work with need to do the inner work of believing what they have to say is worthwhile.
Or that being uncertain is a huge part of the writing process.
Or that there is no right way, that nobody knows better than you, there is only what works for the book (that’s my inner challenge).
What helps you do this self-discovery so you can keep writing?
From the national best-selling author of The Woman’s Comfort Book and Why Bother.
5 Ways to Start
Your Non-Fiction Book
You can write your book faster, easier, and better.
I’ve written 9 books with about a million copies sold.
I’m not one of those creepy people who make it hard to unsubscribe or email you again nine years after you’ve unsubscribed. Giving me your email is like a coffee date, not a marriage proposal.
The support of a book coach and a community of writing pals can be super useful. Therapy can be amazing. Writing retreats can give you the succor and space to go deeper.
Here’s what else helps:
✍️ Stretching to connect generously with your reader.
Knowing there’s someone you want to serve, and knowing who that is, can help enormously to keep you committed to growing into your project and your author’s heart.
Your reader can be your north star.
✍️ Embrace learning.
You do not need to know everything that goes into your book when you start it. You are allowed and yes, please encourage yourself to learn and grow, even if it doesn’t seem related to the book itself. It’s all good fodder.
Learn as you go and pay attention to what you’re learning.
✍️ Acknowledge the secret benefit of writing a book.
Writing books has changed me more than most anything I’ve ever done in my life except being married to a wonderful person who sees all of me and loves me.
In the end, it’s about letting writing a book grow you.
Change you.
And accepting that is part of the deal of writing a remarkable book.
The sweetest part as far as I’m concerned.
