What is this book about?
Whenever your audience reads you, they think you’re a writer. They believe in what you are wrestling with. Everyone is a writer. To be a writer, you just have to start the act of writing.
Writers are born, not made. This book will help you fall in love with your craft so that you can do what you were made to do. Write.
3 Key ideas from the book
- You already are a writer. You just need to write.
- Writing is harder than yo think. Pursue only if you love it
- You don’t need to have all things figured out. You just need to start.
You’re a Writer: Book Summary
Writing is a choice. If only you would share your stories you have the power to move and motivate strangers.
The world, it seems, is full of people like this. Closet artists and aspiring authors, people who are longing to do the meaningful work that inspires. There’s just one problem: they’re not doing it.
Most of us want to leave a legacy behind. But most of us, tragically won’t. We are afraid of the cost. We play it safe and abide by the rules. We sabotage our work and our genius.
A simple but hard way of facing your fears is to become who you are.
You don’t want to be a writer. You are a writer. You just have to write.
Yes, all you have to do is write.
Believe you already are what you want to be. And then start acting like it.
Write for yourself
When you write for others and for the sake of getting approval, you get trapped. Stop writing for accolades, and start writing for passion.
When you write for yourself without the need of pleasing anyone, you attract a larger audience who are like-minded. you create a strong community.
Becoming a writer
You are a writer. You just need to write. Screw what anyone else says.
Stop thinking about writing or talking about it. You just need to do it. And that’s the hardest thing to do. Kill your excuses and start writing. Be a writer, a real one.
Finding your voice
You will not find your voice the first day you start writing. It will take time. Be patient. Show up every day, write and be consistent.
Practice makes habits
The goal for any passion in life is to wake up and do it without thinking. The tasks won’t be easy but they will be effortless. If you went to the gym and lift weights, your muscles will be sore. Soreness is the result of untrained muscle. If you practice every day, you don’t get fatigued. Every muscle is built this way, even the creative ones.
Write for the audience of one
The only person you need to worry about writing for is you. Do what gives you life and stop living up to the expectations of other people.
If you are 1 in a million, there are still seven thousand people who are just like you.
Cut distractions
If you want to write, you have to cut off the distractions that are preventing you from doing so. Multi-tasking is a myth. You can’t create and react at the same time. You have to choose wisely what you want to do.
Don’t let your creativity hijack your productivity. Don’t dream of working on countless projects. You have ideas more than you know what to do with them. Pick one and stick with it for a long time. Cancel all plans, pick up a project, and move forward.
Start writing. If you don’t, you’re just waiting.
Build a community
Don’t chase numbers, attract people. If you treat people like human beings and write from a place that is deep and true, you will find your audience. You can’t do it all alone, so you need a community. It begins with one person who truly believes in you.
The fundamental truths about writing
It’s harder than you think. It’s not enough to be good. You have to be great. Nobody cares about you. Everybody cares about themselves. It’s more about who you know than what you know.
You’d better love it(otherwise, quit now)
No one cares about you as a writer, unless you have written something.
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is to sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” — Earnest Hemmingway
Being a writer is not just about writing. If you want your art to have an impact, you are going to have to be a marketer, entrepreneur, and talented salesperson.
Three tools every writer needs
If you want to live a life of a successful writer, these 3 tools are the must-have tools:
- A platform: Youtube channels, blogs, podcasts, Newspaper columns, etc
- A brand: Have a name, image, and personality people will recognize. Without a brand, you’re forgettable.
- Channels of connection: Connect with others. You need a tribe, focused group of followers to spread your message. Make meaningful, mutual, and connects that benefit both sides.
There’s no formula, but being intentional is important. If you do the work, you’ll see results. The age in which we live is full of opportunities for writers and communicators. Anything is possible. The only thing holding back is you.
Your opportunity is here. Don’t let it pass by. And remember: it all begins with a change of mind.
Getting started is the hardest part. You will find every excuse to wait and delay. You’ll wait to reflect on what to write about. You will come up with reasons why it’s not time yet, why you are not ready. And you will be lying to yourself.
You are ready. You don’t and can’t have it all figured out. You just need to begin. The rest of the path will unfold as you start.
Start small and build up from there. Make relationships with your audience. Win fans by creating meaningful work that will move the world and change people.
You don’t get to decide on good ideas. The audience does.
A writer’s life is a marathon, not a sprint. Persevere till the end.
