Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash
If you’re having a hard time starting or finishing your book, the first step isn’t finding the right writing software, carving out more time, or learning better productivity hacks. The first step is DECIDING.
You have to decide.
I spent years saying I wanted to write a book. I had notebooks full of ideas and half-written chapters on my laptop. But I hadn’t actually decided to be a writer. I was playing with the idea of writing. I was wishing. Daydreaming. Fantasizing about that author life. Dipping my toe in the pool while telling myself I’d dive in when I had more time.
Guess what? That book didn’t write itself.
And deep down, I didn’t believe I was really allowed to be a writer. I thought I had to earn it. I told people I wanted to write, but then I’d downplay it, laugh it off, or not bring it up at all. If someone asked how it was going, I’d say, “Oh, I’ve been so busy,” or “I’m still brainstorming.” Translation: I hadn’t truly decided yet.
As with anything you do in life, your mindset and energy matter. When you approach writing from a place of desperation such as needing the book to prove your worth or save you, you bring the wrong energy. You’re asking your creativity to solve all your problems instead of letting it flow from a grounded, confident place.
For the words to start flowing, you first have to make an internal shift, not just in your conscious mind, but in your identity. You have to become the version of you who writes. Who finishes. Who is a writer.
A lot of people mistake wishing for deciding.
There’s a big difference between wanting to be a writer and deciding that you are one. Wanting keeps your dream floating somewhere in the fantasy realm, where it is alluring but always just out of reach.
Deciding brings it down to earth. It becomes real and tangible.
When you truly decide, everything that doesn’t align with your decision becomes irrelevant. You stop entertaining excuses like “I don’t have time,” “I’m not inspired,” or “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.” Your writer’s block diminishes. You don’t debate whether or not you’ll write. You just do it.
This doesn’t mean you suddenly have ten free hours a day or that the right words magically flow out of your head and unto the screen. But you’ll start thinking and acting in a new way. You’ll get creative. You’ll stop looking for permission and start looking for pockets of time. You’ll treat your writing like it matters.
Here’s a trick: think about an area in your life where you already have developed strong, unbreakable standards.
Maybe you never skip your morning coffee. Maybe you work out four times a week, no matter what. Maybe you don’t let anyone talk to you a certain way.
You don’t second-guess those things. You just live them. They’re part of your identity.
That’s the energy you need to bring to writing. Make it your standard. Your non-negotiable. The same way you wouldn’t argue with someone about why you should brush your teeth, don’t argue with yourself about whether or not you’re a writer. Just be it.
If your friends or family question it? That’s okay. If someone asked me why I brush my teeth, I wouldn’t take it personally. I’d just smile and move on. If my family or friends questioned me about why I don’t take drugs, I’d have no issue telling them that they don’t align with my lifestyle or health goals.
Writing should feel the same. It’s who you are. No explanation needed.
So if you’ve been stuck, spinning your wheels, or wondering why your book still isn’t finished, ask yourself honestly:
Have you REALLY decided to be a writer?
Or are you still treating it like a distant dream?
Because the second you commit fully, you’ll begin to see time, inspiration, and opportunities you never noticed before.
