Julie Winkle Giulioni spent a couple of decades writing workbooks and facilitators guides and all sorts of different deliverables, most of which didn’t have her name on them. They were written to meet the needs of organizations. Julie also writes one of the best leadership development blogs.
So, the woman can write, she’d just never written a book until she teamed up with Beverly Kaye to write Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want. With all her experience, I assumed that Julie would have the writing process down pat. But here’s what she said when I asked for her one piece of advice for someone who wants to write a book.
“Sit down and start writing. There are countless excuses for not doing so. So many other things to do first. Conditions that should be met… ducks to get into rows…. other prerequisites that will make everything fall into place. But if everyone waited until the time was right, there’d be no books. The stars are never perfectly aligned… and that’s ok. The magic happens as you sit down and start putting words on paper (or typing words on keyboards.) Getting started is the hardest part… the rest is easy. I’m constantly amused by how I procrastinate when I have a writing assignment… and how the task grows to ridiculous proportions. Then, when I make myself just do it, within minutes I’m in the flow, the words are coming, and the ideas present themselves. There’s an element of trust and just diving into the void. But once you’re in, the fun begins and the process can take you away.”
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