It takes two things to write a book. Do you want to know what they are?

Watch my video below, or read the post, to find out! 

Hello my lovely writers!

It takes two things to write a book. It takes self-belief that you can do it and it takes habit. Those are the two things you need to write a book. 

I say that because all of you have wonderful ideas, ideas that just keep coming. Coming up with ideas is not a problem for you. I know, too, you do a lot of work on the craft of writing. You read a lot, you listen a lot, and you take part in so many workshops and online programs, you’ve started to think you’re addicted to writing courses, so I know you are doing a lot of work on the craft of writing. 

Routine comes with self-belief

But when it comes down to it, the two things that are really holding you back are self-belief that you can do this and building a routine. And routine comes with self-belief. 

We think it’s the other way around, that if we build a routine, if we keep doing all these classes, then the self-belief will come along afterwards. But it’s the other way around because you need to believe you are capable of doing this. 

It doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to be tomorrow but you’ve got to believe that at some stage you are capable of finishing your book or that you are at least capable of writing a first draft. 

When you have a level of self-belief that this is possible for you, you are much more likely to turn up at your desk regularly and build that routine. It’s all very well turning up to an online class or a weekend workshop because someone else has set the deadline and said, ‘This is when it’s going to start.’ But when it comes to setting that time for ourselves, that deadline for ourselves, to show up for ourselves, there’s a level of self-belief that needs to come if you’re going to believe that you can sit down and do it. 

The two things it takes to write a book

They are the two things it takes to write a book: self-belief and routine. Do you have those? Are you ready with those? If not, if this is something that is holding you back, then I encourage you to check out my fabulous program, Unlock Your Creative Block. It will give you the self-belief you need to set the routine to write your book. 

Emma xx

​

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

Stop ‘finding’ time to write and start claming the time instead. After all, you have boundaries in place for everything else in your life, so why not your writing?

Watch my video below, or read the post, to find out how to claim the time to write. 

Hello my lovely writers!

If you want to write a book, you’ve got to stop “finding” time to write and start “claiming” it by putting boundaries in place. It’s as simple as that. There’s no two ways about it. 

Why do you need to do that? You’re probably wondering, ‘Why do I need to put boundaries in place? I manage to do everything else okay. I go to work, I get my kids to school, I make dinner. I do all the things I need to do, so why do I need to put extra boundaries in place for my writing?’ 

You’ve got boundaries in place for everything else

Well, that’s just it. You’ve got boundaries in place for all those other things, haven’t you? For example, you know when you need to turn up for your shift at work, or you know your day job is 9-5, Monday to Friday. Your employer has set those boundaries but they are there. 

If you need to collect your kids from school and do their after school activities, those boundaries are set. You know when they take place, you know where they take place and you make sure it happens. 

If you’re going out for dinner and you’ve booked the table or you’ve arranged to meet a friend, those boundaries have been put in place. That time is protected. 

It’s exactly the same for your writing. 

Finding time to write

Too many of you will say to yourself, ‘I will do this writing when I’ve done all the other things I need to do. Then I’ll feel free and relaxed and not under pressure and I can sit down and do my writing.’ 

But the trouble is, all of those other things take the place of the writing. Because you’ve got the boundary in place for all those other things but not for your writing, they encroach into your writing time and, before you know it, another weekend has gone by or, before you know it, it’s Friday again and still no writing has happened because your life is so busy. When you’ve got a lot going on, unless you ring fence that time and protect that writing time, other things will encroach on it. 

Those other things may also include watching TV or scrolling through social media. It might even include reading other people’s books instead of working on your own. But that is why boundaries are so important. Boundaries give you the protected space you need in order to slowly but surely put the words down and write that book. 

Ring fence your writing time

It’s not going to happen overnight. Writing a book is not a sprint, it is very much a marathon, especially when you’re writing those first few books. But we have to ring fence that time and protect that writing time or everything else is going to encroach upon it and we’ll never get that opportunity to build our confidence, to build our routine, to get to the end of the book and to learn our writing process. 

We’re always going to be chasing our tail unless we protect that time, put those boundaries in and give ourselves that space to really enjoy the writing and feel good about ourselves and balance that creative bit of our brain. 

So, put those boundaries in place. Get your book written and then you can email me and say, ‘I’ve written it, Emma. I put my boundaries in. I’ve written the book,’ and then tell me where I can get a copy. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

Watch my video below, or read the post, to find out how having an accountability partner can help you get those pages written. 

Do you hate letting others down? Do you absolutely hate letting other people down and yet, you’re always letting yourself down by breaking your promises to yourself and wondering why that is? 

It’s because you’re a kindhearted person and you want other people to be happy. Too often though, you put their needs above your own. 

Does that sound familiar to you? Do you recognise that in yourself? 

Do you hate letting others down?

What that’s doing for you and your writing is it means you put everybody else’s needs ahead of your own. You never get the time or space you need to think about your creative work, do the creative work and enjoy the creative work. 

How can you work a way around that? How can you find ways to stop breaking your promises to yourself and give yourself the space and time you need to write your book? 

One of the ways you can do this is by getting an accountability partner or accountability buddy. An accountability partner will be there waiting for you to hand in your pages to them by a particular date so they have time to read them and give you feedback. 

You need an accountability partner

Even if it’s somebody who’s not going to feed back to you because you’ve asked them not to because you just want to have that accountability of knowing that, if someone’s waiting and depending on you, then you will get it done. 

Your accountability partner needs to be somebody you trust and who you’re happy to read your pages, if you’ve asked them to. By having that external person, that external accountability, you’re much more likely to show up and get the work done. 

Give it a try if you haven’t already and let me know. Does having an accountability buddy help you get your pages written? 

Let me know. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

Is making decisions usually one of your superpowers but you still can’t write your book? You need the power of decision.

Watch my video below, or read the post to find out how to make the decision to write your book. 

Hello my lovely writers!

Are you somebody who, once you make a decision about something and you’ve decided you’re going to do it, it happens? Would you say that is one of your superpowers and one of the things many people admire about you? 

When you make a decision, when you say you’re going to do something, even if nobody is watching you, even if nobody has asked for it, you say, ‘I’m going to do it,’ and it gets done? 

If this is you, you’re possibly wondering why this is not happening when you want to write your book. You say to yourself, ‘I want to write this book and I’ve told people I want to write it,’ but it’s still not happening and you end up wondering, ‘Why can’t I write my book?‘ 

The power of decision

The question I have for you then, is: Have you decided this is your time to write that book? 

Have you made the decision that you want to write your book? Have you really made the decision that this is your calling and that this is for you – there’s no two ways about it, you want to do it and you want it to happen? 

My guess is you haven’t really made the decision. There’s something holding you back, you’re not quite sure what it is and it frustrates you. It frustrates you but you haven’t yet made the decision you’re going to write this book but, once you do make that decision, it will happen. Just like so many other things in your life. That’s the power of decision. 

What’s holding you back?

A question for you to ask yourself is: Have you made that decision? If not, what’s holding you back? When you are ready to do it, commit yourself. Get it done and it will be the easiest thing for you to incorporate into your life, for you to work towards and for you to get done. 

Before you know it, you’ll be emailing me, saying, ‘Emma, I’ve written that book. I made the decision. I’ve written my book and here’s where you can get your copy.’ 

Have you made that decision? If not, have a think about whether you really want this. If you do really want it, embrace the power of decision. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

Do you want to know the secret to effortless writing? Of course you do!

Watch my video below, or read the post, and I’ll share my secrets with you. 

Hello my lovely writers!

One of the things I always try to get writers to do is to relax more with their writing. I encourage them not to be so earnest and such a perfectionist about it. 

I encourage them to remember why they started writing in the first place. It was because it was fun or something to release them from the stresses of day-to-day living. 

Writing was enjoyable and, crucially, great for your brain as well. As creatives, we need to do something creative most days to keep our brain balanced. In the same way some people need to go for a walk, run or cycle ride, creatives need to do something creative. 

The secret to effortless writing

Lightening up with your writing and not taking it so seriously is twofold. On the one hand, you enjoy it more when you come to it with a lighter heart, and a sense of excitement and adventure, rather than a task that’s got to be done. 

Then on the other hand, by dint of that, you bring this lightness to your book for your reader as well. 

I’m currently reading a book by Lucy Foley called The Paris Apartment and, even though it’s a dark, dark story, there is a real lightness to it. 

There’s a kind of fun element to it, it bounces along nicely and that is probably because she does too. Lucy bounces along with this book and you can tell she enjoyed writing it and that translates through to the reader experience. If the writer has enjoyed writing it then the reader is going to enjoy reading it. 

Don’t take your writing so seriously

Harlan Coben also comes to mind as he loves the writing process. Harlan Coben enjoys the challenge it comes with and that shows in his writing. Whether or not you like his stories, or that genre of stories, you can see that lightness and the fluidity with which the stories go from one scene to the next. 

So, I really want to encourage you to try your best not to take this so seriously. Enjoy your writing, go with the flow, see where the story takes you and know you can come back and tweak things later. Doing this will have a ripple effect later on with your reader. Your reader is going to feel that joy and going to go along with you and have a much better experience. 

If you enjoy your writing, it’s twofold. You enjoy it and so does your reader. 

Emma xx

Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is a Certified Author Accelerator Book Coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer's block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel.

Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!