#70 Your Book Is Merely a Figment

Unless I can buy it on Amazon.

THAT TREE IS NOT REAL!

Nor is your book idea.

I’m not usually a fan of philosophy—I’d rather hang out in the world of “Get It Done” than indulge in mental gymnastics—but this philosophical question hits home for many aspiring authors:

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com

I’ve got some bad news: the same goes for your book idea. If it only exists in your head, it’s not real. It’s just a figment of your imagination. But hey, that’s not a bad thing! It’s actually the first step in writing a book.

Here’s the lesson: the biggest hurdle for most people when writing a book is crossing that ravine between their ears. Our brains are incredible idea generators—but they’re also professional excuse creators. It’s like an ongoing game of mental Whack-A-Mole, where your ideas pop up, only to be smacked down by excuses, distractions, or doubt.

In a 2001 New York Times survey, 80% of people said they wanted to write a book. But statistics show that only 1-2% actually do it. The moles are winning, my friend. Ideas are everywhere, but we’re not swinging the hammer fast enough.

Here’s the deal: until a few decades ago, writing a book was out of reach for most people, blocked by the barriers of technology, money, and publishing gatekeepers. But times have changed.

You don’t need permission from a publisher, editor, or anyone else to write a book. A book is your creative expression, and it becomes real the moment you choose to make it real. A book that only exists in your head? Sorry, it’s still not real.

Here’s how you can make your book real:

1. Capture your book ideas. Jot them down in a notebook, a note-taking app, or anywhere outside the confines of your mind.

2. Pick one idea and commit to it. Decide that this is the book you’re going to write.

3. Tell someone. Share your plan to write this book with someone—or better yet, with many people.

4. Give it a name. It doesn’t have to be the final title, but give your book a working name.

5. Create an outline. Sketch out the chapters or key points. You can change it later, but you need a starting point.

6. Start writing. Put words on the page. Don’t worry about perfection—just get the story out of your head and onto the page.

7. Learn about publishing. But don’t let it stop you from writing. Publishing is a separate process that comes after the writing is done.

8. Keep moving forward. Finish your book. It won’t be perfect, but it will be done.

9. Release it into the world. Share your work, flaws and all.

10. Claim the title of author. Because once you’ve written a book, you are one.

I have a saying: “I am an author.” is a life sentence. Once you write that book, no one can take the title away.

P.S. I have a pretty amazing hammer in my toolbox. I’m an expert at helping aspiring authors turn that fleeting idea into a finished book. Let me know if you want to discuss your idea before it slips away.