I Believe in My Idea, But I’m Stuck & Can’t Get Started
You have a wonderful idea for a book. You’ve even shared that idea with friends, acquaintances, and mentors who’ve said, “You should write a book about that.” The affirmation is there. But when you sit down to write, you feel stuck.
You overthink it. You underthink it. You don’t know what you think.
You write a few sentences, and suddenly, your great idea feels jumbled, rattling around in your brain like a penny in a tin can.
Why does this happen?
Who knows. Every creative person struggles with this at some level. And with our culture the way it is, filled with noise and everyone telling you how to do something and make sure it’s great and right, and professional, you find yourself chucking your typewriter across the room and going out for some takeout.
You do use a typewriter, don’t you?
I’m here to tell you you’re not alone in feeling this way. But there’s a way out. There’s a secret passageway. You can escape and find your way into that mythical place where the idea flows off of our quill, pen, typewriter, or whatever it is you’re writing with these days.
Let Go of the “What you’re supposed to do” Mentality
I’ve coached many writers who’ve been told how they should write their book or book proposal by either an editor at a publisher or a friend who’s a published author. They’re grateful for the advice but find themselves in the same place. Stuck and frustrated.
To get unstuck, you must first clear your head of what you’ve been told. Every writer is different. And what works for some people won’t for another. That’s common.
Use Your Own Voice, Not What You Think People Want
The second thing you must do is give yourself permission to write in your voice, not someone else’s, and not in the way you think people want to hear from you. A friend of mine wanted to experiment with a bit more rambling storytelling. But an editor instructed her to stick to a formula that worked: intro story, commentary, and takeaway.
And there’s nothing wrong with that, necessarily.
But doesn’t that feel a bit stiff and predictable? Here are two quick hacks for your writing quiver. Never be stiff or predictable. Replace those ugly words with these: surprise and delight.
Write to Phoebe
The third thing you must do is write directly to someone. Write with your audience in mind. Not your entire audience. That’s too broad. Single out one person in your audience; let’s call her Phoebe. Write to Phoebe. Who is Phoebe? What does she look like? How old is she? What are her interests? Why does she love your work? What is she hoping to discover or learn from your big idea?
Now, what do you want to tell her?
When you focus on one person within your audience, your writing resonates with intimacy, relatability, and uniqueness.
A Practical Summer Challenge to Inspire You to Slow Down & Revitalize Your Life
