Years ago, I had an opportunity to host a round-table discussion at the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop. (If you haven't had a chance to attend - get yourself there!)
I'll always remember the keynote speaker said Erma was often approached by people wanting her advice on how to write a book.
Erma told them, “Many books never even get out of the box. It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your writing dreams on the line, to say, 'How good or how bad am I?' That's where courage comes in."
Agreed. Writing is not just about words. It's about courage.
Do you have the courage to get your ideas and stories out of your head and into the world where they can make a difference for you and others?
Please understand, books in your head help no one.
If you have experienced, learned or created something that could add value for others, not only do you have the RIGHT to write, you have a RESPONSIBILITY to write.
Have you thought of it that way? Writing isn't arrogant, it's an offering.
You're not saying, "I'm perfect. I've figured everything out.” You're not saying, "This book is the best ever written."
You're saying, "Here’s what I’ve seen, experienced, done or learned along the way. I hope it might be interesting, inspiring or useful to you."
Pablo Picasso said, "The purpose of life is to find your gift. The meaning is to give it away."
If there's anything I've learned in twenty years of helping people get their book(s) out of their head and into the world, it's that writing is a way of gifting back the gifts that have been given to us.
Writing is a way to live life twice.
We get to experience it in the moment, and then share it in the hope it might make a difference for others.
Writing gives life meaning and momentum. It makes every day - everything that happens - more purposeful.
As Stephen King says, "In the end, writing is about enriching the lives of people who read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”
If you’re thinking, “I want to write, but have a ‘day job,’ you might want to follow the example of John Grisham.
Before he became a bestselling author, he got up at 5 am every morning to write BEFORE he went into his full-time job as an attorney.
Jacquelyn Mitchard (the first Oprah pick for"The Deep End of the Ocean") wrote for a couple hours every day at her kitchen table while her kids were at school.
If you really want to write, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.
As Erma used to say, "Not a day goes by that I don’t hear from aspiring writers who have questions. They ask, ‘What if I fail?’ I try to reframe that for them by asking, 'What if you succeed?'"
We are all authors of our own story. We get to choose what we write on the pages of our days, the chapters of our life.
Make this the year you finish your book. .
As Paulo Coelho says, “One day you’re going to wake up and there won’t be any time left to do the things you’ve always wanted to do.”
Don’t wait for one day. Don’t put this off until someday.
I'll be hosting a Writers Weekend in beautiful Boulder on Wonderland Lake next month.
I'll be sharing best-practices gleaned from 17 years of running the world-renowned Maui Writers Conference and helping hundreds of clients publish quality books that catapulted their income and impact for good.
You'll have opportunities to write in the room - or outside by the lake - and receive feedback, encouragement, and next steps.
I'm keeping the group small (8 participants max) so you get your priorities met. Whether you're a published author wanting to outline your next book, or a first-time author wanting to know how and where to start, this weekend is the best way to kick-start your project and move it forward..
Magic happens when you write in community. Previous participants have told me this is THE best investment they've made in their writing career.
Contact Cheri@INTRIGUEagency.com for details and to reserve your spot.
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Sam Horn, Founder/CEO of the INTRIGUE Agency and TEDx speaker, is on a mssion to help people create the life of their dreams now, not someday. Her books POP!, Tongue Fu!, SOMEDAY is Not a Day in the Week and Wash Post bestseller Got Your Attention? have been featured in NY Times and on NPR, endorsed by Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Seth Godin, and presented to Intel, Cisco, YPO, Boeing, NASA and Nationwide..
