Sometimes we say: “I'm writing a book.” Okay. But where are you with it actually? There's a big difference between: I have an idea. 👀 and I've written 40,000 words and can't figure out how the pieces fit together. 🎉 Those writers don't need the same thing next. So, let's find your starting point. Story First™ Exercise Complete these: 🔥 My book right now is... Describe what actually exists. Notes? Chapters? Voice memos? A complete draft? An idea? 🔥 The last thing I completed was... 🔥 The thing I'm trying to figure out right now is... 🔥 The thing I keep thinking I SHOULD be doing is... Now ask: Are those last two answers the same? 👀 Sometimes we're stuck trying to do what we think authors are “supposed” to be doing instead of dealing with what our book actually needs next. Then finish with answering: The smallest useful next step I can take is... 😁 That's your focus. Not the entire book. The next step. Now tell me where your book actually is. 👇 What exists right now, and what’s the next step you’ve identified? 👀 And if you did this exercise and realized you’re not sure what your book actually needs next, tell me that too. 💛 That’s something we can figure out together. ❤️

Hi everyone. I was away from skool for a bit. I'm back and wanted to just say Hi to one of my favorite communities. How is everyones book creation and book sales coming along?

When I wrote my first book, I took so much of it on myself. 😦 I didn't understand the whole process. I made mistakes. 😱 I spent money in places I wouldn't spend it the same way now. 💰 I learned what happens when things are done in the wrong order. 😬 And after the book came out, I learned that I still had to keep getting it in front of people. 😩 There were moments when the whole thing felt unbearable. But, I kept going. And I'm thankful I did. And I also came away from that experience believing something very strongly: You don't get an award for making the process harder than it needs to be. 🥇 Having support doesn't mean you aren't capable. A team doesn't take away the fact that you wrote the book. 📕 🙌 The right people can help with the pieces they know. 🙌 They can help you understand what comes next. 🙌 They can help you see something you've missed. 🙌 And you can still remain the person making the decisions about your story. I did so much figuring-it-out-as-I-went. Now I want writers to know: You can still do the work without having to figure out every part alone. If you’ve been trying to figure out your book on your own and you’re starting to think, “I don’t want to do it this way anymore,” send me a DM. 💛 Tell me where you are with your book, and we can talk about what getting more support could look like. ❤️

So, behind the scenes my team and I have been working on my website and it's ALMOST complete! 😁 This will be for my business, The Storyteller's Path! But there's still something missing... I want to promote some of YOUR books on my website! Since you've been here in my community and I want to give you support, I thought this would be a great way to get more eyes on your books! If you're interested, I'd love for you to fill out this form. Then, I'll look it over and if it fits with the website, I'll add it! I can't wait to share my website once I have it live and out into the world! 🗺️ I know that you have published books! 📚 @Dr. Melissa Partaka @Shawn Helgerson @Elizabeth O'Carroll @Karen Sarmento I know there's a few more of you!!🔥

What if getting stuck doesn't automatically mean something has gone wrong? Think about it. 🤔 You're writing along. Things are moving. Then, SUDDENLY, nothing. You don't know what comes next. 😩 So, naturally, your brain starts being super helpful: See? You can't do this. 🙄 Or maybe you've reached a place where the story needs something from you. 💭 Maybe a decision. 💭 More thought. 💭 Another memory. 💭 A different angle. 💭 A conversation. 💭 A break. I don't believe we need to panic every time the writing slows down. Sometimes we just need to ask better questions to ourselves. 🧐 Where did you lose the thread? 🧐 What were you trying to say? 🧐 What changed? 🧐 What do you know now that you didn't know when you created the original plan? That's one of the things I love about writing. ✍️ You can discover something while you're doing it. And that discovery can change where we go next. Getting stuck doesn't always mean: STOP 🛑 Sometimes it means: LOOK HERE 👀 Your turn. 👀 Where has your writing slowed down lately? Tell me below, and let’s get curious about what might be happening there.