- 28.07.2024
The seemingly impossible goal: writing a book
When I recently published my third book, a lot of people told me they wanted to write a book too, but it seems like a huge goal!
Yes, at first it can seem overwhelming to write 120+ pages, but with the 6 key factors to success, you can develop a solid strategy:
𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: Why do you want to write a book? What is your motivation? Just the desire to call yourself an author may not be enough. What value do you want to convey to the reader? A strong motive for your goal is the key to achieving it.
𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: What strengths can you bring to writing a book? Are you a morning person? Use this time to write. Write about a topic that you enjoy and that is close to your heart.
𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿: Do you take full responsibility and decide to write a book, or do you wait for the perfect moment? That moment doesn't exist, sorry! Instead of waiting for a call or someone to tell you to do it, take responsibility and make the decision yourself.
𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: How do you keep your focus on such a big goal and at the same time manage your energy and time? I write books in the winter because I'm naturally more indoors and the darker days help me focus. Finding a strategy to manage your focus and your time is crucial.
𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲: Who will support you along the way? Can you discuss the content with someone and get feedback? My support was my partner, who read a few paragraphs, but also the publisher. This support was perfect and sufficient for me.
𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵: So you stare at this blank A4 sheet. And now what? Thinking about the whole book can lead to writing paralysis. I break down the total number of characters I want to write into weekly milestones. Having small goals feels more motivating and achievable than thinking about the whole book.
What about the days when you can't write for some reason? That happened to me too; I deleted more than I wrote. Then I knew it wasn't a writing day for me, so I waited until the next day.
What if you're not a natural writer? I used to hate writing at school because I thought it always had to be about elaborate long sentences. In 2009, I started blogging about my bike races and wrote as I spoke. That helped me overcome my fear of writing.
Writing a book is not an impossible goal. If you take the above 6 key factors into account and are serious about it (purpose), nothing will stand in your way of becoming an author.