Maybe you shouldn’t write a book. Sure, everyone’s always said you should, and yes, you’ve dreamed of it forever. But maybe your idea sucks. Your style is probably boring. And did you know you always get commas wrong? Clearly, you’re just not a good enough writer—or human being.

If you’ve tried to write a book and don’t have much (anything?) to show for it then you’ve probably had some of these thoughts bouncing around your noggin.

They could be screaming as you stare at the empty page, or perhaps they’re more subtle, silently shimmying you from your writing desk to procrastinate with yet another load of laundry. Because spraying stain remover on your toddler’s shitty Spiderman underpants is more enjoyable than trying—and failing—to put words on the page.

The thought we don’t want

We tend to gloss over that big, looming thought—maybe you shouldn’t write a book—because, well, of course you should!

It’s just imposter syndrome!

Dream big!

Don’t stop believing!

If you believe you can, you will!

Bleh.

 

All those positive mantras don’t mean much when it’s just you, your jammies, and your sub-par thoughts that sounded good in your head but don’t make any sense on the page.

So let’s just stop a moment and give this question some airtime.

Should you be writing this book?

Seriously.

Maybe it IS so hard because you’re not ready. Yet.

You might not want to hear this, but maybe you’re banging your head against the wall because the ideas haven’t had enough time to percolate.

This is where I see so many wanna-be writers struggle. They’re battling the blank page because, deep down, they don’t really understand their idea yet.

They have a sense of it. They kinda know what they wanna say. They can ramble about it for five minutes, or an hour. It’s in their heart, but when they try to say it out loud, they stumble.

The idea is not clear yet.

Stew time

Ideas need time. They need to stew in the mess of the mind and prove their worth. Their substance. They need to show they won’t disintegrate as the days turn over, but are built of strong, sticky, stoic stuff that refuses to be whittled by bombarding “but what if” arguments.

Or maybe the you’re-not-good-enough gremlins are just trying to ruin your dreams

 

I don’t know. But I do believe it’s worth finding out.

Give your idea time. Don’t beat yourself up for not writing while you wait for the idea to prove its worth.

A durable idea is easier to play with. It’s strong and agile and happy to be launched at a blank page, scrubbed off, mish-mashed, and launched again.

Writing a book won’t always be rainbows and unicorns and dancing on clouds, but a strong idea gives the writer a fighting chance. It’s easier to punch procrastination in the face and gag that shitty inner voice when you’ve got a strong sidekick.

So, should you be writing your book—yet? You tell me.

Thanks,

Liz “Punching Procrastination” Green
Editor, Book Coach, and Ghostwriter
Green Goose Writing

 
 

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