The Best Advice I Can Give You

What got you started with writing?

What inspired you to write the book you're working on right now?

What has been the most rewarding thing about being an author?

These are three of many questions others would ask me about my journey as an author. I try to give them the best answers, without sounding impersonal, insulted, or insensitive.

In addition to the above questions, some also ask me, "I want to write a book. What advice do you have for me?" Since I am a mostly straightforward person (almost to a fault), I give a simple answer: Sit down and write something. Although that's still my answer, my next piece of advice is a bit more dramatic. 

DISCLAIMER: This is not for the faint of heart.

Are you ready??

Have an occasional meltdown.

Such was the case for me Wednesday afternoon. I'd worked hard all day, including tweaking more of The Unknown Beautiful Missing Piece. Once again, I stalled. I've dealt with this for the past few weeks. I was nonetheless happy with what I'd done in the limited time I had that morning. 

I'd attended a webinar that afternoon to whet my appetite for an opportunity to grow professionally. I was really overwhelmed afterward. I wondered if it was going to be just another thing I'll fantasize about to my own personal detriment, that will be unfeasible, no matter what, so much so I should forget about it.

I continued in this fatalistic mindset the rest of the afternoon into the evening. 

Then I snapped. I said things, some of them repeatedly. I knew none of them were true. I was so wound up I almost couldn't eat.

I eventually calmed down and ate dinner. I'd had just another moment where I wondered if all the hard work I'd done since 2011 was going to pay off. For the past five years or so, I've gotten up as early as 3:30 or 4 and got to writing...something...anything, and continued doing related things, such as self-promotion, networking with other authors, or learning more about writing until the late afternoon.

To any aspiring authors reading this, to those who really want to write books, you will have moments where you feel like no one is interested in your writing. You may feel invisible, insignificant, inadequate, just an extra person taking up space in this world, always getting the short end of the stick. You may think your ideas are lame and pathetic, that you keep running around in circles, getting nowhere, that you're spinning your wheels and always will till the day you die. In those moments, let it all out, repeat some things if you feel you need to, eat dinner, and get a good night's rest. When you wake up, in your renewed mental and emotional strength, show up again, and write even better and deeper than before. You'll surprise yourself at what more you can think of and do, how strong you really are. For what it's worth, I have to tell myself these same things, sometimes a few times a week.