Today I have good news that is as sweet as milk chocolate.
Loving to write or knowing how to write are not … I repeat … NOT prerequisites for writing a book.
However, what is required is a love about what you are writing. Your love for your book’s subject matter will separate you from the status quo and mundane.
Think about when you are in love: You have heightened senses, extra energy, and dreams of grandeur. All things become possible. You feel limitless. Every word and action you do must convey the deepest and most sincere of expressions.
… do you feel that way about your book idea? Or does the thought of your book idea make you feel inadequate, unprepared, and disengaged?
If it is the latter, then stop beating yourself up about not having a love or knowledge of writing. The problem is not your love of writing or writing know-how; it is what you are writing about.
Writing a book is a commitment. For days and weeks you will be in personal and intimate space with that scrolling manuscript on your screen. At times you will become frustrated and aggravated. But if you can maintain that first love with your book idea, you will pull through to the end.
Nibble on these sweet loving morsels that will help you write what you love even if you do not love to write.
- Talk your book to life: Many first-time authors tell me, “I don’t know what to write or how to write.” So as their coach, I say, “OK, so just talk to me about what it is you want to write.” They start off slow maybe fumbling through phrase-ology, but eventually, it’s as if a switch was turned on. The real, authentic them who is in love with the book idea shines through, and they are talking out their book with me over the phone. (Thank the Lord our calls are recorded!)If you do not love writing, then start talking. Grab a voice recorder or a friend and start sharing. Later on you can transcribe what you said via dictation software.
- Elevate your strength: Writing may not be your strength, but your strength is the content of the book — what you are writing about. Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Crush It!, did not even love to write, but he loved to discuss and share about wine. As a self-trained wine expert, he revolutionized the wine industry with his video blog, Wine Library TV. His book does not only focus on wine, but it expounds on how he took his strength and made it a multi-million dollar business.What is your strength? Give that your attention, not where to put a comma. You will lose valuable creative time. Besides a professional editor can make your manuscript a published masterpiece.
- Be all the way you: As a fourth grade teacher, I would teach the six traits, but we were told by curriculum specialists that voice would be the hardest trait to teach, because each writer’s voice is distinct and unique — or it should be. Getting an author to connect to his or her voice can be a challenge. Unfortunately, some authors start writing their book and they try to echo how another author sounds. This will not do, because the reader will simply say, “This sounds like so-and-so; I will just stick to reading his or her work.”Your voice should pop off the page and resonate in the reader’s heart. To build a connect you have to be all the way you. Practicing nibble No. 1 above will help with this. Whether you are a little bit country or a little bit rock and roll be it to the fullest in your writing. If you talk with slang or the queen’s English, you can incorporate it into your manuscript. Do not mask the emotions you feel when writing. Let them go without abandon. You can always reel it in later if necessary.
Mmmm … were those morsels rich and creamy? Yum! My hope is that they made you fall more in love with writing your book. I look forward to swooning over your published accomplishments!
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