If you think your writing isn’t good enough to write a book, if you’re worried you don’t have good enough grammar, or if you’re not a real writer, listen up. Because your writing doesn’t have to be as good as you think to write a great book. Seriously.

I hear this all the time:

"I have an idea for a book, but I don’t think I can write it. I write like a sixth-grader."

"I’m not sure my writing’s good enough."

"I like writing, but my grammar sucks."

"My writing’s okay for blogs and emails and stuff, but I don’t think it’s good enough for a book."

That first one—about writing at sixth-grade level—came from a guy I spoke to last week. He’s a fitness expert, a successful business person, clearly brilliant at his work, and full of passion.

And he thinks he can’t write.

I will stand on top of a mountain and beat my drum and say this over and over again:

YOU DO NOT NEED TO WRITE WELL TO WRITE A GREAT BOOK!!!

I know. Sounds stupid, right?

 

Let me explain:

  1. Most people think “good writing” is that crap they were forced to read in school. You know, the stuff penned centuries ago by dead philosopher guys and emo poets wearing berets.
     

  2. That stuff has incredible value, but most people hate reading it.
     

  3. These days, most folks enjoy books that sound like a conversation. They love feeling that the author is talking directly to them.
     

  4. Conversational writing isn’t “good writing.” It doesn’t follow proper grammar rules. It uses broken sentences. It starts paragraphs with and and but. It includes phrases like yo-diggety and boo-yah. (Well, it doesn’t have to if that’s not your style! But slang is welcome.)
     

  5. When people read conversational writing, it feels comfortable. Familiar. Trustworthy. And they more easily relax into the information. They more readily trust the author. They get more benefit from the book.

So, “not good writing” = easier to write and easier to read.

 

I’m not suggesting you purposefully write like a dumb-dumb or litter you pages with random >$ punctuation %! marks ~:.

But most people hugely overestimate how “good” their writing must be to create a great book.

Don’t worry about grammar! Don’t worry about writing like a sixth-grader! You can always get a book coach or an editor to help with punctuation and writing flow.

As a human being with something interesting to say, your job is to put the idea on the page.

You can tidy it up later. You can get help to make it as clear and compelling as possible.

But DO NOT HOLD BACK because you think your writing isn’t good enough.

Your ideas have value. Share them.

And chances are, your writing ability is closer to “good” than you imagine.