Writing a book? It starts with your why!

When writing a book, many people get stuck between starting and getting it finished.

Some get stuck because they’re too scared to voice their thoughts. They worry about what people might think. Then they stay the world’s best kept secret and their book never happens.

Others get stuck with no clear structure or purpose for writing their book. This means they have lots of words with no clear focus, and perhaps a touch of overwhelm to boot.

Many people stay in one of these stuck phases. They pray and wish for the magic switch of motivation to be tripped, and for everything to simply happen.

The good news is that I do believe there is a switch that can be tripped, moving your book from a nice to have to actually making your book happen.

As Simon Sinek says: “It starts with why”.

And that’s why one of the most important questions we ask in the Get Started workbook is this: “Why are you writing your book?”

I’ve had many conversations with people who tell me that the universe has nudged them to write their book. When they start to talk about it, they get positive affirmation that it’s needed. And often they have signs from various sources that it needs to happen.

Your why starts with you. WHY are you writing YOUR book?

When you have a strong why, it drives you and it makes sense of everything.

A strong and connected why knows that your book will change your life, your business, and it will impact the lives of many more.

A strong why connects the logical part of your brain with your heart and your soul. Without this, it is unlikely that your book will be given priority. Instead your critic will be advising you to stop wasting your time, but your critic won’t be giving that advice based on up to date information.

Without a strong why you won’t give your book the quality time it deserves, and your proposed publication date will keep moving back and back until even you won’t believe it is ever going to happen. You will be pulled into the drama of life, unable to set boundaries and explain to those you love just how important this book is to you and them.

You may well then stay stuck in your business and stuck with your book. Ultimately you’ll be unable to help the people who your book is meant to help.

So… Do you know your why?

Most people’s ‘whys’ come from their journey or story.

One Librotas client, Lindsay Maclean recently did her first TEDx talk. Lindsay has a powerful story and journey that has led her to creating the iElevate method. This is the method that she trains in organisations and uses as a tool in schools to impact on the lives of youngsters. And, not surprisingly, it’s also the method that is the basis for her book.

Lindsay’s why is driven by the things her teachers told her at school, her experiences in the workplace, and her mum who battled with mental health issues. The thought of others suffering unnecessarily is the reason why her book has become a priority and has become a non-negotiable in her life.

Azmina Jiwa is another client, whose experiences of not feeling worthy led to her own quest to investigate tools and techniques to help her. This journey has resulted in her own personal transformation and writing her first book, Freedom To Be Me.

Azmina is a dedicated mother, grandmother and confidante to many friends, but she found it hard to make her book a reality until she tuned into her why. Writing her book ensures that she leaves her life lessons behind as a legacy. It is important that her story is heard and inspires others.   

If your ‘why’ is due to your journey, think about the people that are waiting to hear your story. Some people will only learn from your lessons because your story is the one that resonates most with them.

If that’s not your why, then think about the younger you. Think about the pain you could have avoided if only you had known what you know now.  The interview with Lesley Pyne that I shared last week is a good example of this.

If that is not your why, then consider the fact that the book writing process will mean that you’ll get to know your own material on a whole new level. You will speak with greater clarity and confidence and you will be resourced to serve more people.

When you have a strong why, you’ll know who you are writing for and get out of your own way for their sake. You’ll stop worrying about what people might think. You’ll learn to own your opinion and have confidence in your own voice. You will develop greater confidence in your decisions and be better at taking feedback and or criticism as well as praise.

It is your choice – you can get caught up worrying about “What if people don’t like what I have to say?” OR you can focus on “What if they love it?”

Now, for some, fear of success is another thing that holds them back, but that is for another article. Most people we work with either want more success or they need the book to manage their success more effectively, giving them more time for the things they love.

How important is your book right now?

One of the questions I ask most people when they have a Book Strategy call with me is this: How important is writing your book on a scale of 1-10?

What is your score?

What would need to happen to make it one digit higher?

When you know your why, it’s much easier to make the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ happen.

If your score is 7 or above, then let’s have a chat about what you’d like to have happen next.

Lastly, how would you feel if you didn’t write it? 

What happens if you die with your book inside you?

How would you feel if you didn’t write your book or someone writes it before you?

And worse still they didn’t write it as well as you could.

Are you going to be OK with that?

If it is not OK, then please get in touch. Being an author is a journey. You can take the scenic route or the direct route, and it’s important that when you get lost, you ask for help. We are here to support you in any way we can. One of the most affordable ways to get super focused access to us is our annual writing retreats. For more information click here.

If you have found this article useful please comment below.

Perhaps you might be ready to tell us about your book and your why for writing.

There are no wrong answers, just answers that feel right and motivate you.