If you have a book idea, you’re like tens of thousands of other aspiring authors.
But when you actually write things down and turn that idea into a reality, you become a published author.
The problem is that ideas don’t inspire change. They don’t raise money and don’t sell high-ticket products and services.
Ideas marinate. Sometimes they fester.
But they don’t take action.
To write a book is to act. It’s to commit to the idea. To believe in its poignancy.
Do you believe in your book idea?
Do you believe in its potential to bring healing and redemption to others?
Or is it just another “possibility” that you’ll sit on for decades, wondering if it could ever be anything?
The truth is, you haven’t written your book yet for a number of reasons.
It’s time to call them out and dismiss them for what they REALLY are.
Are you ready?
Or will you avoid facing the truth behind your unwritten book?
What Book-Writing Really Is
Writing a book is so much more than putting words on paper.
It’s the fulfillment of a calling.
When you write a book, you are taking deliberate redemptive action.
What do I mean by that?
First, your actions are deliberate.
That means they are done on purpose. There is no gray area about the “why.” You are doing what you’re doing for a very important reason.
Second, writing a book is redemptive.
Your stories, teachings, and explanations are intended to repair something that is broken. It could be the reader’s leadership style. Organizational structure. Thought process. Physical or mental wellness. Spiritual journey.
A nonfiction impact book seeks to redeem the wounds and brokenness in the world.
Finally, your choice to write a book is an action. Rubber meets the road. Money is laid on the table. Hands do what lips do.
You’re no longer talking about doing something.
You’re actually doing it.
More importantly, you’re coaching others to do it, too.
The first reason you haven’t written your book is because you’re afraid of the consequences.
The Consequences of Writing a Book
What are the consequences of writing a book?
There are several.
First: Change.
If you write a book, your world could dramatically change. This would be frightening for almost anyone.
What is another consequence?
Loss.
By confronting brokenness and darkness, you could lose things you currently value.
A job. Relationships. Current opportunities.
When you stand for something, you inevitably stand against other things.
What will your book ask you to stand for?
Accountability.
When you write a book, your name is attached to it.
And when you write an impact book designed to scale your business and elevate your brand, you’re doubly committed to the book and the attention it brings.
That means accountability.
You’ll be expected to live up to the words you’ve written. To act out the values you’ve endorsed.
And if you fall short, you’ll be expected to humble yourself, admit wrongdoing, and then make it right.
That would scare most people, no doubt.
The Unknown.
Lastly, writing a book and launching it into the marketplace leads to many unknowns.
How will it be received?
Will it alter or transform the main work of my business?
What will people think of the most honest, personal passages?
The answers to these can’t be known until you cross the literary Rubicon. You have to write it, test it, and publish it before you find out the truth.
That can be terrifying.
The False Reasons You Haven’t Written Your Book
Maybe you’re not on board with this.
“That makes some sense, David,” you may say. “But not for me.
“Because I’m not afraid.”
Fine.
I’ll let you have that.
Then what is your alternative reason for not writing your book?
“Because,” you say. “I’m too busy.”
No, you’re not.
You’re just unwilling to make your book matter as much as the other things you’re prioritizing.
“Because I don’t know how to start.”
Every writer struggles with this. Figuring out where to start is a common creative block.
But it isn’t an unknown problem. We’ve solved this.
There are thousands of resources to help you with this, including coaches and communities where you can brainstorm in a healthy, supportive environment.
“Writing wears me out, and I’m already tired.”
I hear you, brother and sister. Writing is tiring.
But so is spinning your proverbial tires, wondering and wishing and hoping and praying that your life magically changes into what you want it to be.
Many things are tiring but totally worth it.
You have to decide which is which.
“It’s because I’m not a great writer.”
How do you know?
Have you written something, shared it, and found out the truth?
Or is this a personal thing, a distaste for your own creative voice that you’re afraid unwilling to confront?
The real measure of your writing isn’t how you feel about it.
It’s how readers feel.
And no matter how wounded or jaded you are, there’s a decent chance your writing means something to people and could be the thing that changes their lives for the better.
Answer the “Why”
None of the reasons given above is the real reason you haven’t written your book.
At the same time, I wouldn’t be so harsh as to call them “excuses.” I don’t think we give these reasons flippantly or childishly.
Rather, I think our fear is so embedded in our subconscious selves that we truly believe what we’re saying.
“It’s true,” we complain, “I am overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.”
Underneath this “reason” is a wound that is begging to be left alone.
But you can’t.
Not if you want to answer the call to bring redemptive, impactful change to your niche in the marketplace.
You have to treat that wound with a hard and honest “Why.”
So you’re overwhelmed. Why?
Because writing makes me feel stupid.
I’ve tried before and failed, and it makes me feel like garbage.
Now we’re getting to the truth.
We’re not afraid of writing, but of the feelings that writing has created in us in the past. We hate the way writing has wounded our identities.
How about this: You’re too exhausted to write. Why?
Because writing takes time and energy that I don’t want to devote to it.
I’ll have to make a sacrifice that I don’t want to make, even though I know it’s what I should do.
You’re not afraid of writing your book.
You’re afraid of the cost of writing your book.
See the difference?
Identify, Confront, Overcome
There is only one way to defeat these fears that block us from fulfilling a major life purpose.
It’s a 3-step process, and it can be used to beat any fear that is blocking you from finding success.
1. Identify
Dig deeper into your “reasons” for not writing a book.
Ask “Why?” and answer it honestly.
Identify and diagnose the fear that is stopping you.
2. Confront
Decide that the threats of this fear are not nearly as severe as they seem.
Call the fear a liar. Remove its fangs and its ability to paralyze you with terror.
Journal. Pray. Meditate.
Drench yourself in truth, self-affirmation, and hope.
3. Overcome
Lay out 3-5 steps you can regularly, habitually follow to conquer this fear. They must be easy and repeatable.
The goal is to create a new routine and reprogram your behavior from “afraid” to “confident.”
Take these action steps one at a time, refusing to quit for at least 30 days.
Then pause and reflect on your growth, and make adjustments to your plan as necessary.
How I Help Clients Beat Their Fears
No one is immune to this fear.
Each of us is touched by events in our personal stories that create lasting wounds.
That’s why a writing coach can’t just order their clients to “try harder” or “stop stressing.”
My approach combines reflection and action, moving clients forward so they are 100% ready to go when their drafting phase begins.
Throughout my 30-day Book Plan phase, we:
- Journal about writing successes and failures
- Ideate the best and worst possible outcomes of our books
- Create daily and weekly writing routines, and hold one another accountable
- Collaborate on structure and strategy so no one is ever “blocked”
- Invite spouses and loved ones to periodically participate in group sessions so they are invested in the process
- And much more
If you feel this approach would be helpful for you, I’d love to talk.
You can book a strategy session call with me anytime. There are no commitments or risks: Just a conversation between two writers about book ideas.
You can do so by clicking the link below.
[Book a call with David to discuss your book idea]
What do you think?
What is your writing fear?
What is holding you back, or previously held you back, from writing your book?
Share in the comments below!