Last week, I talked about why every professional should write a book. I said that your story, expertise and lived experience are of more worth than you probably think, and that a book is capable of doing so many things for you than you can imagine. A book allows you to establish your legacy forever; it travels much farther than you ever would. I know that some of these points make sense to you. They, in fact, may have made sense to you for years now. You know you have things to say, yet you haven’t written the book. Why is that so?

Today, I want to identify some of those things stopping you and encourage you that you can overcome them.

I Don’t Have the Time

Life is indeed busy, and the demands of work, family and friends for attention are real. You can never stop the deadline from coming, and as you deal with one commitment, another one falls on you. At the end of it, the only thing you can keep pushing on the wait list is that book that you so much desire to write. It doesn’t look like the most important thing at the moment, but you are sure you’ll one day find the right time for it. I am sorry to tell you that the time may never come unless you start to make it out now.  The truth is that books are not written in one big block of free time; they are written in small, consistent moments that add together one day. So, what do I advise?

Find a rhythm of small effort that works for you and commit to it. Choose 200 words a day, one page a week, record voice notes that you can transcribe at the end of the day, while ideas pop up in traffic, walk into a cafe for one hour, once a week to be alone with your draft. That is your best bet at ever completing that book. If you want to wait for the perfect time, you may wait forever, and that book may never be written. So, make time out for it, don’t wait for time. I’m telling you this because I know it.

Who Am I to Write a Book, Who Will Read My Book?

This is perhaps the loudest whisper of discouragement that stops us from going ahead. Your mind tells you things like, “I’m not the best in my field,” “Others know better than me,” “I’m not famous enough,” “Would anyone really care about my story?”, and so on. This is imposter syndrome, and it visits almost every other person, at least at the point they are starting out. You must, however, remember that you are the only person who can tell your story the way you lived it. No one has lived your life before, even if you are in the same profession and were born and raised in the same home. Your lived experiences are totally different, and everyone has an authentic voice that resonates with those who identify with it.

We mentioned a couple of weeks back that your book doesn’t have to be the bestseller; those are not the only types of books that the world needs. The world needs authentic voices in books, voices that communicate real, relatable experiences. Just find your own and put it out in your own best possible way. I say again that someone is waiting for your voice, for that intervention and wisdom that you offer. They’ll never hear your voice if you stay silent, so just do it!

I Don’t Know Where to Start

When you are knowledgeable with a rich catalogue of stories, it can be overwhelming to decide what to tell, how to begin and what to include. This is enough in many instances to stagnate you perpetually, but that shouldn’t be, provided you know what to do. My suggestion to would-be writers when they get to this juncture is to create a structure. I have spoken about my PRESS Framework before; you can adopt this. So, go ahead and clarify your purpose (for the book, your why), understand who it is meant for (the reader), organise your content and break your ideas into manageable steps.

It Won’t Be Good Enough

Do you know that perfectionism is the most virulent enemy of progress? I do not know if there is anything in the world that cannot get better on a second try. Please, tell me if you do. I think that no one has the most possibly brilliant book with their first draft, not even the biggest names that we all adore. Books become better and, ultimately, excellent after some revision, not hesitation. So, do not let the trap of perfection hold you back. A friend of mine has a very apt way of driving this point home – “you can always edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank one,” he would say. So, go on and be brave about putting your idea on paper. You can edit it later.

I Don’t Have Support

Writing can be a very long and lonely journey. This loneliness is even more so when you have people who don’t understand the dream around you. Some people, in fact, see writing as a joke, but you shouldn’t let that discourage you. You also don’t have to do it alone. Find a community of writers to join, or get a coach or an accountability partner who believes in your dreams. This can make a huge difference between intention and completion, because you’ll gain clarity, confidence, and momentum with the right guidance; there ’ll be no stopping you!

So, Here’s the Point to Note…

Did you notice that most of the barriers stopping you are internal and not external?

Most of the barriers stopping you from writing aren’t external. Fear will come at you as practicality, self-doubt will wear the clothes of humility, while delay will disguise itself as caution. But you owe yourself the duty to dismiss these excuses. Eat that frog and give life to your book.

If you are ready to finally break through, I invite you to take one small step by replying to this email with the word START. If you do that, I’ll send you a free resource, which I call
The Aspiring Author Breakthrough Guide to help you take a few first steps.

I’ll also encourage you to get my book Every Journalist Should Write a Book.

You’ve believed long enough that there’s a book inside you; now is the time to let it out. I am here to walk the road with you.

Have a great week ahead.

Niran Adedokun,

Writer | Communications Strategist | Book Strategist | Author of “Every Journalist Should Write a Book”