Writer’s block is tougher than you.
It strikes when you’re tired, busy, and unmotivated.
But there’s a way to outsmart it and outmaneuver it:
Remembering the purpose of your book.
How does this work?
Read on to learn the truth.
If you’re trying to write a book, especially for the first time, there’s something you need to know.
Danger is out there.
Something truly debilitating to your efforts.
It’s not a bad habit.
It’s not a distraction.
It’s something else entirely, and it’s NOT what you think.
Last week, I blamed high school English teachers for our fear of writing.
But they aren’t the only villain in this story.
Someone – or really, some thing else – has the potential to kill our motivation to write.
Published books.
What? you ask. Why?
Shouldn’t published books be a good thing?
An inspiration?
Yes and no.
It’s all about the timing.
As a general rule, you should look at published books BEFORE and AFTER your core drafting phase.
The process looks like this:
Book-writing process:
Why the complicated list?
I’ll tell you, and it’s the same reason you shouldn’t look at other people when you go to the gym:
Comparison.
Just like the guy or gal throwing 400 pounds in the air, professionally published books create an impossible standard.
When you look at a finished book, you don’t see an author’s first draft.
You see their twentieth.
You’re also not just looking at their words.
You’re admiring the cover art (which was probably created by a professional).
You’re fawning over the layout work and font choices.
Drooling on the marketing copy on the back.
Idolizing the perfection of someone else’s editing.
See, a published book is not a book.
It’s a packaged product.
It is curated, designed, and polished with the utmost care and attention to detail by a team of diverse, experienced professionals.
You, on the other hand, are a lone wolf (unless you’re in a community like The Workshop), trying to hammer out an idea into book form.
You’re busy.
You’re fighting distractions.
You’re struggling to keep everything organized and on track.
But a finished book has NONE of those problems anymore. It’s done.
And it’s beautiful – impossibly so, at least compared to your scrappy draft.
That said, there ARE times when you should look at published books as inspiration and guides.
When?
There are actually numerous steps in the writing process when I deem it “safe” to look at published books as a north star to guide you.
They just happen to mostly be when you’re NOT writing or sharing your writing with others:
A quick word on each.
👉 It’s good to look at published books during Planning because it gives you a goal to shoot for.
You also use these books as market research so you know what kinds of books your prospects are already reading, buying, and sharing with their friends.
👉 It’s also helpful to look at published books during Testing as a way of checking whether or not the book you’ve drafted is aligned with your market research, target reader, and business brand.
You do need to defend against frustration at this stage.
When you look at a published book and compare (there’s that evil word again!) it to your first draft, it’ll be easy to cave to disappointment.
Many aspiring writers complete books, only to leave them unfinished because they fell victim to discouragement.
Don’t join their fallen ranks!
👉 Next, look at published books as you Edit.
This will help you with shaping and structuring subsections of chapters.
It’ll also help you know how to sharpen sections or passages that lack clarity or poignancy.
Good writing inspires good writing, if you have the right attitude.
👉 Finally, study published books you wish to emulate as you Publish.
Identify 3-4 comps for your book and share them with your book cover designer.
Study the back covers for ideas about layout and copy.
Scour the interior formatting for details like spacing, margins, font, and sizing.
Note the “front” and “back matter” that you will likely add in this phase.
In a nutshell, use published books as a tree of inspiration, picking and consuming only the fruit that will nourish your writing spirit.
To avoid choosing the deadly, toxic fruit, however, you must discipline yourself.
When should you avoid published books?
Anytime you will be working against the tsunami of negative energy that comes for all creators.
Those two times are primarily:
The forms of negative energy are different and require their own brief breakdown.
But trust me when I say that published books are like other wishful fantasies we engage with our eyes: They may feel pleasant in the moment, but ultimately lead to emptiness and defeat.
When you’re writing, you’re already pushing back against all forms of writer’s block:
Each of these self-spoken lies will stymie you in your creative efforts.
When you add Comparison to the mix, suddenly each one becomes a self-defeating judgment:
Looking at published books during the Drafting phase will do nothing good for you.
It will only taunt you with how far you have to go.
It will merely remind you of how messy the process is, and how badly you’d like to just skip it.
Because writing is messy.
Your sentences come out fragmented, overlong, or ugly.
The phrases don’t seem to work, and the right images never come to your mind when you need them to.
You’ll write an entire chapter, only to look back and think, “That’s not what I meant to say at all!”
And even though that draft could still be useful in ways you can’t imagine, a feeling of dread overcomes you and you’re tempted to delete the whole thing.
Comparison is the one-hit kill that wipes writers out.
You must avoid it at all costs.
We must also dodge the specter of published books during our own launches.
Why?
Because we’ll be tempted to covet the polished packaging of our rivals, rather than invest in marketing and promoting our own work.
We’ll fall prey to comparison yet again thanks to “shiny object syndrome.”
What do I mean?
Many published books look great but ultimately leave readers disappointed. A fancy cover or slick formatting job can’t make up for a terrible story or boring lesson.
But fantastic books with incredible content are often wrapped in forgettable covers. Heck, your cover will probably have a single object on it like your logo or a professional photograph of you.
It won’t take anyone’s breath away.
But does it make readers an irresistible promise?
Does it deliver on that promise?
If that’s the case, you need to put the blinders on and market this book harder than you’ve ever marketed anything in your life.
Don’t you dare think about anyone’s published book other than your own.
If you’re able to avoid published books while you Draft and Launch, you will be much better positioned for success than you otherwise would.
Yet if you can keep the right 3-4 books on hand as inspiration when you will actually benefit from them, you’ll capitalize on the benefits of these books without inheriting the drawbacks.
So tell me: What is the effect of a beautiful, polished published book on YOU when you’re trying to write a book?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
I blame English class and English teachers.
This is bold for me.
I am an English teacher.
At least have been for 18+ years as of this writing.
But it’s still true: English teachers are to blame for the collective terror of the American writer.
When you write, a thousand assorted rules and guidelines flow through your mind.
Don’t start a sentence with “And” or “Because!”
Don’t use the first person!
Don’t put a comma there!
Don’t, don’t DON’T!
Worse, every English teacher has their own nit-picky preferences that aren’t actual rules.
They’re preferences.
Stylistic choices.
Guidelines.
Yet for many of us, these “rules” were declared as holy gospel.
And if you broke them, you were punished and shamed.
You can probably guess by now, but I have to say it regardless:
Most of the aforementioned “rules” are not really rules.
There is no rule that says you can’t start a sentence with “Because” or “And.”
There is no rule against using the first person.
Are there times when these are less than ideal? Yes—a lot of the time.
But they aren’t carved in stone.
Worst of all, English teachers tend to forget the most important rule of writing.
It’s a rule that 99.9% of English students don’t learn: Write for your reader.
Wait, you ask. Who is “the reader?”
Great question. And the answer for many of us with High School Writing Trauma is the same: The teacher.
In the classroom, the teacher is God. Their preferences are glorious, their rules are sacred.
You must do as He or She sayeth.
So for 99.9% of us, we grew up writing for one hallowed person at a time: Our English teacher.
This is so far from reality in the marketplace.
When you write, you’re not writing for a judge or overseer. You’re not doing so to score well on a rubric or earn high praise in the margins.
You’re creating content meant to inspire, entertain, inform, and motivate the specific person you’re marketing to.
In other words, you’re writing for a new target reader: The person your business helps with their pain and problem.
Everything you do must be targeted toward them, and only them.
Not your teachers.
Not your professors.
Not the invisible perfectionist troll living inside your brain.
Just your ideal customer, client, and reader.
This is a major first hurdle for many traumatized writers.
If the ghost of Mrs. (or Mr.) So-and-So is lurking over your shoulder when you write, it’s time for an exorcism.
It’s time to tell that critical voice to leave you alone because you’re about to do something much better than earn a grade.
You’re going to make an impact.
You’re going to transform broken lives.
You’re going to create something so important that a rubric doesn’t exist to score it.
Goodbye, mean English teacher.
Hello, self-confidence.
Let me tell you about Michael.
Michael is a talented veteran of the aerospace industry.
He is a pioneer of several manufacturing techniques that minimize waste and cut costs, leading to higher revenues and more jobs.
Yet Michael is frustrated with his work. (more…)
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?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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:
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 is your writing fear?
What is holding you back, or previously held you back, from writing your book?
Share in the comments below!