"You should write a book!"

Maybe. Maybe not. How do you know if you should write a book?

“You should write a book!”

Has anyone ever told you this? If you’ve been through difficult or unusual life circumstances, have a compelling personal story, or are just a storyteller at heart, you may hear this a lot.

But should you actually write a book?

Maybe.

I’ve written more than two dozen books. Some by myself, others in collaboration with others. Most were traditionally published, the rest self-published. Oh, and one or two are sitting unfinished in a drawer or a folder on my old laptop.

Many people say, “I could never write a book,” and sometimes, that is true. Because writing a book is hard work, and you’ve got to not only have something to say, you have to be willing to learn to write it well. You’ll have to be motivated to do the work of writing it. But I believe anyone with the dream of writing a book can do it. And should. If it’s your dream to write a book, you should do it.

But like any worthy dream, there’s a cost. And the question is, are you willing to invest in yourself and your dream?

There is a difference between writing a book, and getting it published. Today, we’re going to talk about the writing. Next week’s newsletter will look at publishing.

Becoming a writer

Writers write. I’ve had people ask me about writing, and even report that people have said to them, “You should write a book.”

Which, can I just tell you, is what people sometimes say when they don’t know what to say. When you have life experiences that they don’t quite know how to respond to, or you’ve been through something really crazy, and the person hearing just a little of your story is simply sure how to respond? They will say, “You should write a book.” Sometimes, it means maybe you should. Sometimes, it’s their way of changing the subject!

So when people tell me that others have told them they should write a book, I first ask: forget what others say. Do you want to write a book? Sometimes, they do, but are afraid to say it. But sometimes, they don’t really want to write a book. Or they want someone to write it for them.

But if they say, yes, I want to write a book, my next question is:

What are you writing right now?

A lot of people who say they want to write a book actually want to have written a book. Because writing a book takes time and effort. It means being willing to show your work to others and learn from their feedback. It means spending time staring at a blank screen. It often means taking a writing class or workshop to learn more about your craft.

So when I ask people who think they should write a book what they are writing right now, I sometimes get excuses. “Well, I don’t really have time, I plan to write, I want to, I don’t write just now. But I want to.”

I mean, even if it is just notes or a journal, what are you writing right now? Because if you don’t like to write, just even for fun, it will be hard to write a book.

But if they continue to look at me blankly, I say, well, okay. What are you reading these days?

If they say “I’m not much of a reader” then I tell them, I’m so sorry, but if you are not a reader, you should not write a book. You could hire a collaborative writer like me to write your book for you. But you should probably not try to be a writer if you’re not a reader.

A non-reader who wants to write a book is akin to someone who never listens to music aspiring to be a concert pianist. I heard a radio interview with an author today who said part of how she became a writer was by reading a lot. You develop an ear for good writing by absorbing it. If you don’t read at all, you should not write a book.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com

But if you are a voracious reader, and you enjoy writing (even if it’s just well-crafted social media posts), if you have journals or a laptop full of ideas and thoughts—then you’re on your way to becoming a writer. At least you’re getting words on the page somehow. You have to begin somewhere, and writing is a good place to start becoming a writer.

A writer is someone who writes. They try to creates beauty with words. Even if your stories are hard and painful or even violent, if it resonates with readers, that’s beauty. And the creative process of crafting those stories is in itself beautiful. And yet, things can get messy. Think of an artist’s studio, or that pianist practicing scales.

Many would-be writers have trouble claiming that identity. “I am a writer” feels awkward in their mouth, somehow presumptuous.

But if you write, whether or not you get published or not (because that’s a whole other thing), you are a writer. Embracing that is the first step.

Is it hard for you to call yourself a writer? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Starting to write

If you are feeling a pull toward writing, start simply. But simply start. Don’t quit your day job, but don’t quit making time to write.

Commit to writing a certain number of words per day, or a certain number of hours per day. Give yourself permission to write really, really rough drafts. Just think of it as practice, as a little writing workout. Use one of the following writing prompts, just for fun:

• Write about a meeting between you and your younger self. What age is this younger self, and what do the two of you talk about? What advice do you give? What questions do you ask. Write it as if it were a scene in a novel.

• Write about a really good day in your childhood. What made it good? What happened? What did you see, smell, hear, taste and feel? Who else was there, and how did they make it an especially good day? Was there perhaps one difficulty that made the really good day imperfect—but still really good?

• Write three paragraphs explaining something complicated in a very simple way. Think of something you’re good at: a sport, a hobby, a technical skill. Distill it to its essence, introduce your reader to it in a way that is accessible.

Finishing what you write

Writers write. But they don’t always finish things. It’s fairly easy to start writing. It’s actually much harder to finish writing something, be it a song, a poem, a novel or even a short story.

An excellent first step to writing: blogging or writing a newsletter like this one. Or even a carefully crafted Instagram post. You can practice getting short assignments completed. You can test your skills. You can make mistakes, which is how you learn. You can share your work, which feels vulnerable and intimate. But also lovely—when you connect with a reader.

Another step toward becoming a writer: enlist the help of a writing coach or writing group. Seek out a guide or fellow travelers on the writing adventure.

If you’re a subscriber to this newsletter, you can join the Powerful Story private Facebook group, where I offer tips on writing and publishing. In that group, you can ask questions about writing, get encouragement from other writers and be inspired to keep working on your writing.

As a subscriber, you’ll also get a free download of the Start Your Powerful Story Workbook, which will help you think through four important questions as you begin to shape your book:

• What is Your Message?

• Who is Your Reader?

• Who Are You?

• Who Else Is Writing about This?

This workbook will jump start your writing process, and give you clarity on your ideas, audience, expertise and the conversation that you’re joining by writing your book. This newsletter will also unpack these four questions in future issues.

Many would-be writers want to jump ahead to getting published. But the place to start is with the writing. Learning and honing your craft, reading books on writing, practicing.

Be sure to join the Facebook Group or leave a comment on this newsletter to talk about writing!