What is YOUR greatest source of joy? What do you find fun and exciting? How can you connect that source to the “task” of writing a book? How can you align joy with the process of writing a book, something which will presumably bring joy into other people’s lives?
This conversation also falls under the category, especially for first-time authors, of writing the book that you’re MOST passionate about rather than the one you think you “should” write.
Look – you only get to be a first-time author once and the experience can be more daunting than joyful if you let it. Rather than trying to write the right or “perfect” book, why not ease yourself into being an author?
Because VERY few of you will only write one book despite what you may be thinking now. I understand from you moms out there that it’s similar to childbirth… during birth #1 – “Never again!!!” but then, inevitably, the memory of the bad parts fade and more babies follow.
Connect With Your Life
It is possible for you to engineer an enjoyable book writing experience for yourself by connecting it to something that sparks joy in your life.
If you’re a service-oriented person, write a book that will serve a specific population of readers with knowledge or skills they desperately need to improve their lives.
If you’re funny, write a book that makes you laugh – you’ll have fun doing it and your readers will likely follow your lead once it’s published. If you’re obsessed with superheroes, turn your life into a real life comic novel and make yourself the hero with special powers (I’d choose invisibility).
If you love to travel, take us around the world with you, whether through the locations in a fiction novel or via a nonfiction travel guide of your favorite places.
Mindset Shift
Change your mindset from “writing a book” to “writing my FIRST book (of many)” and you’ll give yourself permission to be less than perfect and to enjoy the process! The act of writing a book might be outside your comfort zone, but the subject matter or style of writing doesn’t have to be.
Humor and entertaining people sparks joy for me.
I love to smile and laugh, and to make others do the same! From these emails to my blog posts to social media and my books, you’ll always find my version of funny incorporated into the writing. It’s just who I am and I try to bring it into every part of life whenever possible – because it makes everything more fun.
There’s no judging joy. Find yourself and connect it to your book writing process! What sparks joy for YOU, especially as an author?