I’ve attempted to fill this site with lots of information about writing a book. But I’ve noticed that there are people who say they want to write a book, but who never quite get around to it. It seems like they’re always waiting for something.
Waiting for inspiration
Waiting for inspiration is one of the surest ways I know to keep from finishing a book. Listen to American artist Chuck Close: “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and go to work.”
Waiting for perfection
Perfection is an ever-receding target. No matter how hard or how long you work, there will always be a little more you can do to make your book better and it will still be short of perfect. Make it great, then let it go.
Waiting for the market
If you’re waiting for a clear signal from the market about what to write about, you can easily wait forever. And even if you get the message, you won’t be able to get your book done before the market moves on.
Waiting for enough
This is a generic excuse. Would-be authors wait for enough research or enough free time or enough (fill in the blank). Whatever you’re thinking of, there will never be enough.
Just write the book
Don’t wait. If you want to write a book, write it. You can’t publish it till you write it. And you can’t benefit from it until you publish it. So get started. Get it down. Get it done.
