You ARE a Writer

One of the excuses people often use for not writing their book is, "I'm not a writer." Okay, I'm here to tell you that that's a lame excuse. Of course you're a writer. We're all writers these days. You might not be the next Virginia Woolf or Alice Walker or Stephen King, but you ARE a writer! How do I know? Because you're on the Internet. You have email. You probably do more online than read my blog or my newsletter. You most likely write things, like emails to friends, family and colleagues. You write letters to clients and prospects. You write notes to your children's teachers. You write articles for your homeowners association's newsletter. You probably have a blog, a Facebook page and a Twitter account. You get the picture? You're a writer! Now, stop using that excuse.

What we want to do is turn you into an author. You are an aspiring author with a book inside just clawing to come out. Unfortunately, you've allowed the excuse that you're not a writer to come between your desire to have a book and seeing your dream fulfilled. You really need to get over that. Seriously!

Here are 7 tips to get you in the mindset of a writer:

1. Make a commitment to yourself that you will write your book in 2011. Write down that commitment on a piece of paper and post it in a conspicuous place so you can see it everyday.
2. Pull out all of those notebooks, sticky notes and ideas. Open up that document on your computer that you started three years ago and re-read what you wrote back then.
3. Make time to write EVERYDAY. That's right ... everyday. Decide to write a certain number of words, pages or hours per day and do everything you can to stick to it.
4. Write as if no one will read it except you. This way, you'll get over trying to make your writing sound so literary. This is how you will develop your own voice. Just write.
5. Think about your book all the time. Yes, all the time. How can you describe a particular scene? How will you explain a certain concept? Think about it, but don't over-think it. When you get an idea, write it down.
6. Speaking of that, keep a small spiral-bound note pad with you at all times so you can jot down those random thoughts; trust me, they'll come in handy.
7. Finally, give yourself a break. Becoming an author is a process, a journey. It should be enjoyable, so let it flow.

How cool will it be when this time next year your book is published? Yeah, think about THAT!