Why Aren’t You Getting Your Book Done? Let’s Get Real About Excuses

In the realm of stereotype, the writer who talks a good game about writing a book but never actually does ranks right up there with dumb jocks, the short lifespan of Red Shirts on Star Trek, and the predictability of Hollywood rebooting yet another former hit movie rather than creating a new one. We all know this stereotype. This stereotype is us.

If we look at writing stereotypes, this one is about equal, in my mind, with the hocus-pocus of writer’s block. It’s a well-worn trope. It has power because we give it power.

A related problem to the book that never gets started is the book that never gets finished. This is your pal (you know him; if you don’t have one, it’s you) who’s been working on the Great American Novel (or Great American Inspirational Business Book) for the last ten years, revising, going to workshops, running ideas past his friends, deciding that what he started with (ten years ago!) is now out of date (really?!?) and needs to be rejuvenated to make sense in the current market.

5 Reasons you claim you’re not getting your book done

1. I have no time

The reason you don’t have time is because you’re filling your time with other activities. This is about priorities. And by that I mean the verb, prioritize: designate or treat (something) as more important than other things.

What does this look like in practice? You pre-schedule the time you’re going to write—no more waiting for the muse to strike you. That time is before routine activities, like shopping, or work that is so draining mentally you’re exhausted when you sit down to write.

2. I’m not good enough

Newsflash, most writers think they aren’t good enough. That is, unfortunately, not unique to you.

You’re probably comparing your behind-the-scenes writing mess to someone else’s finished, polished, well-edited project. Trust me, their first draft did not look like that.

If your writing needs work, find an editor. Find a writer’s group. Find a workshop. Get concrete feedback on how to make it better.

3. I don’t know how to get started/I’m stuck

This means you haven’t spent enough time critically thinking about your book. By “critical,” I don’t mean, “God, that’s worse than Stacy’s third-grade homework assignment about butterflies, and that was really bad.” I mean critical in the sense that you know what your story is about, who you are talking to, and why.

4. I need to do more research

Do you? How many years have you already been doing research? Get started writing, and keep track of the questions you need to answer later… and answer them later.

5. I’m an expert in [something else], not writing

You might be wondering whether a book is the best vehicle for your message, which is valid (more under “Not everyone writes a book,” below). On the flip side, is there a story you want to tell? Do you feel compelled to share information? Is a book a great way to tell that story? There are plenty of resources to help you write (see #2, above), but in my experience, many people who feel they aren’t writers are much better than they think. Imposter syndrome is real.

What’s really happening

While you feel you have a lot of great reasons why you’ve never finished (or started) that book, most of them are excuses. What they boil down to, 99.99% of the time, is you are avoiding getting your book done.

Plain. And. Simple. Let’s be honest, if you REALLY wanted to write that book, you’d clear the slate, move heaven and Earth, and knock the ball out of the park, to use just a few cliches. But in fact, you’re avoiding the book.

A book is work, and most people instinctively know this. More than an hour or an afternoon’s worth. Then there’s the fact that once you’ve written the book, you need to decide what to do next. Ugh—more decisions. Not to mention the fears of success and failure that most of us trail in our wake, the worry about being judged, and feeling like an imposter. None of this makes you an inferior human or writer, and we can get past these challenges. But let’s call them by their right names, instead of inventing cover stories for them.

Not everyone writes a book

You might not think so, given how many people are suddenly authors or planning to become authors, but not everyone writes a book. Not everyone needs to or wants to, and not every time is the right time to write that book.

If you look at the reasons above and realize, you’ve been using one or more of them as a cover so you don’t have to admit (to yourself or anyone else) that you don’t want to write this book, that is fine. In fact, that realization is the key to setting you free. Maybe the book was someone else’s idea, in the first place. Why continue to pour energy into a pretense that isn’t in line with your goals and dreams?

A book is a certain way to tell a story, but there are other ways. Public speaking, theater, television, music, these are all ways to tell stories—and that’s not an exhaustive list. Instead of saying “I’m not a writer,” ask yourself, “What’s the best way to share this story?”

It’s okay to put down the disguise. We need artists, people who code websites, and nurses, too. You can always write a book later, if you change your mind.

The bottom line

Most of the reasons we tell ourselves we’ve not written (or started, or tried to finish) that book we’ve been claiming to want to write for years are covers for avoidance. These ideas have power because we give them power. Let’s take it back. What’s your poison? I have the antidotes ready to go.

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I offer manuscript critiques as well as outline development and one-on-one coaching, and currently have a coaching spot available beginning in May. Need help getting clear on your book? Want to get out of your own head? Or do you know someone who’s struggling? Let’s chat.

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