It is said that every one of us has a book in us, the words just waiting to be spilled out onto the pages of the next New York Times bestseller. It may be an autobiography, a work of non-fiction, such as a compilation of experiences or a focus on a specialist subject, or that very first novel that you have put on the back burner for years. So let me ask you… are you one of those people who is always saying you never have time to write? Or are you prepared to take on the challenge and write despite everything else that is going on in your life?

I can’t tell you the number of times I have read a magazine article, a journal article, a book, or even watched a film and thought “Hey! That’s my story. I was going to write that.” Most of us have had this happen to us at one time or another. What did those authors do differently? Well, they stopped procrastinating and finding excuses and sat down and wrote it.

I can tell you from personal experience, there never will be enough time to write. Unless you are a best- selling author, fully retired with a schedule that allows you the time, or you have so much money you don’t need to work, you will always feel time is an issue. Even if you have all those resources, what about babysitting the grandchildren, socializing with friends, cooking, cleaning, and all the other ”urgent jobs” that seem to need doing? Even the ironing becomes a priority, and I hate ironing. Most of us will not be fortunate enough to bounce from being a secretary who writes in their spare time, to becoming one of the most famous, and likely one of the richest authors in the world. The name J.K. Rowling springs to mind. Who has not heard of or read at least one of the Harry Potter books?

But you start to imagine sitting at the edge of the turquoise blue water, soaking up the inspiration as the salty sea breeze blows through your hair, the sun glistening on the distant seas as it stills behind the wild horse waves, with their snowy plumage coming toward you, sprinkling droplets like glistening diamonds over you as you sit perched on the rock with laptop in hand. The words pour forth like a thesaurus fountain through your fingers onto your keyboard as you write page after page of your first draft and daydream about who will win the fight to purchase the film rights to your book, shortlisting the actresses you want to play your heroine.

Ok. Let’s get a reality check here. Writing is not easy. It has to be slotted into your life, despite working, caring for elderly parents, perhaps caring for a spouse, or looking after the grandchildren. Many successful authors write after everyone has gone to bed, or they get up early and write while the house is quiet. But every successful author has one thing in common – they find the time to actually do the writing.

Back to the business of why we even want to write. Well, it’s certainly not for the money. Or is it? Just imagine having all that money and being able to sit on your yacht in St. Tropez, France, or on the balcony in your Italian Tuscan Villa. Oh, the inspiration of the sun, the sea, the wine, more sun, the food, the people, and more wine.

Ok, if it’s not for the money, is it for the fame? The thrill of being the next Sophie Kinsella (alum of the Shopaholic books) with book signings, TV interviews, ”at home” shoots, and red carpet step and repeat invites? Definitely not my cup of tea …….but it may be yours, and why not?

If it’s not for the money and not for the fame, why on earth would you want to put pen to paper? Sorry, that’s my Lady Boomer mentality resurfacing. I meant to say finger to keyboard or even just talk into a machine that converts words to…… well, not to paper that’s for sure.

Of course we are all going to write for the greater good of mankind. Your offering will change the way the world thinks about the type of cheese to put on a pizza, the best color olives for maximum sweetness, or the best type of wine to drink as the sun is setting on your yacht. In fact, this is not as far- fetched as it sounds. You need to share your story, whether it is a little ditty, a song, a romantic short story, or your first novel. Remember, no one will ever write the same as you do or have the same experiences you’ve had in the way that you’ve had them.

Writing may change you. There is no doubt that the first time you see your name in print, you will be so excited and want to tell the whole world. Everyone needs to know about this. It is important. You read the article to the cat, the dog, and the gerbil!! The Gerbil!! Even after you are dead and gone, your printed piece will remain part of history. So why not shout about it! You will have left your indelible mark on the world in some enormous database in the cloud, a bit like where your head was when you first began your writing journey. But wait!! Surely this cannot be the only reason to write. Well, of course it’s not.

Some of you have to write. Let me say that again. YOU HAVE TO WRITE! It takes you right back to school when you had to hand in assignments that you had written under the covers the previous night after the rest of the house was asleep. I mean you had to watch Star Trek for the 50th time (the 60s version, I mean) which never left time for homework during normal waking hours.

If writing is part of your job, there are no excuses that time is against you. After all, you are being paid to do this, right? Wrong. When have you ever met anyone who has not taken that final report home to complete or to write the article on the research they have been working on for 40 plus hours a week, plus the endless hours of unrecognized over-time. So, if you can find time to write at home for work, then why can’t we find time to write at home for our own writing project? Your book!

Writing, for whatever reason, requires skill, commitment, and, above all, something worth writing about It is said that writing the first sentence is the most difficult when writing a book. I believe it is the fourth hardest step. The first is making the decision to write, the second is deciding what you want to write about, and the third is creating the time to do it.

I will assume that since you are reading this blog post, you are at the very least interested in achieving your life-long goal of writing a book. However, choosing what to write about is not so easy. Once you start to brainstorm, ideas just keep flowing. I have found the most unexpected things can trigger an idea. When I was in Alaska 3 years ago, my husband and I were flying out to bear camp in a small 2 engine plane. As we waited for the pilot, we all had to be weighed and the seating plan in the plane was arranged according to weight to keep it balanced. That event turned into the first line of one of my, yet to be completed, novels “Miss Jones can you step on the scales please.” Who is Miss Jones? Why is she flying to the middle of nowhere,? Why is she on her own?

Two years ago, I met a retired airline pilot at a book conference in Florida. Her antagonist was an airline pilot, who turned into an investigator during the exotic layovers between flights. Drawing inspiration from your work can provide a strong basis for your book and often enables you to take the character where they would never ordinarily be allowed to go. In fact, you will find even without deliberate intention many of your own life experiences will start to appear in your writing. Run with it, but just be careful not to identify anyone by name and keep it fictional so as not to upset anyone.

Family history can be a great inspiration for a book. I’m sure there are some interesting characters that may inspire you or a period in history that whets your appetite for further investigation and research.
The problem is you can end up with so many ideas it’s difficult to know where to begin and where you want to focus. You may find it helpful to take an online course, join a Facebook group, or even go on a retreat. Whatever your reason to write, stop procrastinating and make your dream a reality.