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Fearful Thoughts…

I wrote the following piece on the subject of fear this morning.

Why?

Because fear debilitates me far too often. As I’ve mentioned before, I know for a fact that when something holds me back, it’s holding others as well. Too many very talented writers get held back by the simple specter of fear. I am one of those authors. I hope this post will at least get those who struggle with fear to begin to take back their lives and live more in the present which is where life truly is for us. Not the past. Not the future. The present.

Thoughts on Fear

Let’s talk a bit about fear. I’ve heard mountains about it. How to defeat fear. How to overcome fear. What fear is. The fight or flight thing (which I wrote about in this post because I don’t agree with extreme dual absolutes). I do loathe the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real. IF that statement stood true all the time I might be forced to reevaluate my position, but the acronym is patently false.

Fear feels hard-wired into my psyche. Fear rises up and dwells just underneath my conscious mind at times. Other times, I see fear in my imagination. I taste fear in my clenched jaw and tensed shoulders. I smell fear in my sweat. I touch fear in my mind’s eye. I hear the drumbeat of fear in my head all too often.

No doubt in my book that the only weapon against fear stands as courage. A global remedy identification of “courage” does no more good than the above acronym when dealing with fear, however. Fear creeps in while we’re not looking. Fear becomes ingrained in certain recurring situations which may differ in huge ways from person to person. The only trigger to disarm fear I’ve found somewhat effective is recognition.

Often, at least in my case, I’m already in full-blown-fear-mode before I realize I’m tensed up and bracing for battle. Recognition at least allows me the cognitive ability to ‘choose’ to override. To my mind and experience, this ‘choice’ becomes the birthplace of courage. Stepping back from the fear, which manifests itself in your brain and most often remains limited to the confines of your brain, allows you choice. The stepback and examination allow courage to enter into the picture.

Especially in recurring situational fear, practicing releasing your clenched teeth, relaxing your shoulder muscles and jaw, and clearly examining where your fear stems from may help the choice of courage to become rote or automatic. I still do not believe the fear is vanquished in this situation. Possibly it’s just me in this viewpoint, but I doubt it. The fear remains but you now have an automatic override. The more you employ courage as an automatic choice, the less apparent the fear.

For example, in my life, as in many others, I hold an abject fear of public speaking. I joined Toastmasters. I began speaking in front of the group. I had to overcome my fear and make a choice to embrace courage. After a while, I looked more closely at the fear. I stepped back. I realized I would never truly be rid of this fear. Eventually, I developed a love of public speaking. The fear remains. More latent, not as debilitating, but it remains. After five years of emceeing a monthly event, and numerous speeches and presentations to people I do not know, I’ve learned to enjoy public speaking despite that underlying fear.

For my money and my thought-drain, the most damaging aspect of fear lies in our projection of future events or results connected to the roots of our fear. What I’ve discovered, not only through my own experience but in speaking with others on this topic, is that most often, most being by far the massive majority of the time, the internal projection-scenarios we apply regarding the fear turn out to be completely false. Untrue. Unwarranted. Often ridiculous. Also quite often, a completely different outcome more on the positive side of life occurs when we make the choice of courage.

Yes. I agree fear holds most of us back in some manner. Yes, I believe fear squelches if not permanently destroys potential greatness in many of us if not most. Yes, I believe fear to be something to deal with. Cute acronyms and a just-deal-with-it hunk of advice do nothing for me. I need something more tangible. More powerful. More concrete. More accessible.

The single most powerful tool I’ve discovered in my life without a doubt is…The Power of NOW! Clarity. Clear thinking. Clear internal vision. The only mechanism I’ve discovered which works is brushing aside the monkey mind which chatters and screams and alarms is to focus on the moment in front of you.

Fear lives and breeds at an alarming rate in our projections of future events. If I were so damned good at projecting what would happen in the future, there would be countless decisions I would never have made. Projecting has merit in planning a course for your life, but those plans never truly pan out perfectly as planned. In fact, I believe that when we actually come close on planning something well, this act may hinder us in the future by making us overconfident in our ability to ‘see’ future projections as accurate.That’s a post for another day.

The most effective tool I possess in my mental and emotional arsenal against fear is to step away from that crazy, manic cacophony of voices in my mind and focus on the moment now. What decision(s) must I make NOW to settle my emotions and move forward with a level of confidence and courage. We completely lose this ability when we worry and project.

This focus on NOW and gaining a level of clarity does not come easy. Why? Because we must stop and make the choice to get there. Most of our lives we spend running around like manic bugs. We bounce our futures around like bumper cars gone wild. Focus and clarity. NOW. Fear breeds in our chaotic mind. Fear diminishes when we step away and achieve clear thought. By the way, our insane technologies that have us going completely wacko? They acerbate the situation. Have you seen social media lately. The hate? The fear? The lies? The stupidity? Much of what’s wrong and messed up with humanity is on full display minute by minute online. Hint – your answers do not lie there.

I’m not saying you’ll come out with perfect answers. I am saying you will find more peace and ability to access your strengths. Joy and happiness live in the NOW. Too much pain lives in the past. Too much inaccuracy and debilitation live in the projection of our future. Wiser folk than I have pointed out NOW and clarity as the place to be in most everything we do.

Work on your fear. Get into NOW moments. Make the choice of courage. Move forward on your life’s journey. Do great things. They truly become a choice rather than a ‘projected dream’ when you give yourself the opportunity. My ramblings this Christmas Eve…

 

by Michael Ray King

Say Nice Things to Yourself Because You’re the Only One Listening…

An Accident of Survival

I didn’t mean to live this long. I never really intend(ed) to expire either. We live much of our lives impervious to death and its lurking presence. Think about it. Nearly everything in our lives is designed to distract us from our mortality. Our work, our entertainments, our over-busy lives. We’re constantly on the move, on the run, using technology, vegging, vacationing, working, loving, hating, and the list goes on and on and on. This is not to say we’re completely insulated by the prospect of death. I’ve been on that doorstep three times.

In 1990 I nearly bled to death. In 1999 my surgeon told me another two hours and I would have died of peritonitis. A nasty car wreck in 2005. Today, I began ruminating on this subject. Not that I’ve not been here before, but this time I put together a montage in my mind of people I’ve outlived both years-wise and personally in my life era.

Anne Frank died at 16 years old. She was an aspiring writer. A damn good one at that. Amazing stuff she wrote in extreme circumstances which I do not suffer under today. Hmmm. Ritchie Valens died at 17. His star was rising. He had a whole life of potential ahead of him. I’ve lived with a life of potential ahead of me and I still own it. I should think about getting rid of that potential and make something of it…

Buddy Holly died with Valens. Ditto last statement. I play basketball nearly every day. Well, at least I work out on the court for an hour each day. Reggie Lewis died in his prime at 27. A key member of the Boston Celtics who had lost Len Bias just a few years earlier. Hmmm. I’m still playing…they’re not…

Jim Croce(30), Andy Gibb(30), Karen Carpenter(32), Stevie Ray Vaughn(35), and this list could go on for quite a while. Talk about people who would have stepped up and out and added something awesome to this world…John Lennon(40)…ok I won’t go on with the singers… I love music. I even compose music and write lyrics… hmmm.

Abe Lincoln(56). Now, isn’t that a kick in the butt? I’ve lived longer than Abraham Lincoln. Never thought about that much until now. He had a vision. He had a purpose. He desired to impact his world. I have a vision. I have a purpose. I have a desire to impact my world…hmmm

Many of my friends, Herm, Humberto, Jim, and a host of others are gone. People I never dreamed would not be here in this life sharing time if not presence together in my life. We were all supposed to be together in my heart and mind. Even though our paths stretched out in various directions, we were supposed to get back together at reunions, on Facebook, by email or phone. They were supposed to be here.

I find my three brushes with death curious. I realize I’m in the Twilight Zone of accidental survival. By all counts, my 1999 episode in surgery should have been the end. I fought going to the hospital like a balking mule. The ambulance ride is still fairly vivid in my mind mainly because the pain was so very intense. The events before, during, and after the surgery have taken on a new and different meaning and perspective. It was a complete accident that I live.

Ok, I don’t REALLY believe that, but the idea contains an element of truth. None of three incidents saw me heroically coming to my own rescue. In all three I was down and out. I did redirect my life after the 1999 peritonitis incident. These words are the product of that redirect. I took on writing full time.

That’s a lie. The intention was “full time.” The reality was half-assed. No, seriously, I took on writing with intense fervor and I pursued writing with all diligence of intention, yet I never really placed what I wanted to do with words in any “real” context. I’m a good writer. A very good writer. An award-winning author. Five times over.

And I still do not apply myself like I know I can. I still don’t reach for galaxies and nebulas (forget just simple stars) like I know I can. I still don’t take the extreme risks like I know I should.

Or do I? Each of the people I listed above who died before they completed their “missions” in life, would have loved to get more years, days, even minutes, I’m sure. They lost them as we all will. This concept, this line of thinking is nothing new. I’ve read many people who write about “live like there’s no tomorrow” and all that. I presume we all get to a place where we realize we will never accomplish everything we desire to accomplish in life and we do one of two things.

We quit and give ourselves over to apathy, sitcoms, and whiling away the hours waiting for it all to end.

We redouble our efforts. We prioritize our goals. We reach into our life experience. We step into something larger than ourselves. We step back into our dreams. We search out the mechanisms which will make things work in the right direction. We continue to collect our mangled selves from the dirt and dust we’ve fallen to for the gazillionth time.

And hopefully, if we work our minds and hearts well, we rediscover our peace of solitude, our thrill of vision, our passion for accomplishment, and our dogged determination to never surrender, never give up, always pick ourselves up no matter the severity of the blow that struck us down, and we rise each day with purpose. Action. Motivation.

I am an accident of survival. I can bail out of that thought process or I can believe there’s a reason. Some reprieve granted thrice over through no effort on my part. I sense I’m here for some reason. Each time I help another person claim authorship, each time I hand them their first copy of their book and they break down in tears of joy and accomplishment, I feel it. Each time I help motivate an author to strive for their dreams and their passion and they go for it, I feel it. Each time an author accomplishes their bucket list item and dies (yes, its happened in a most profound way… another story for another time…), I feel it.

Annelies Marie Frank wrote these amazing, semi-prophetic words – “When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that’s a big question, will I ever be able to write something great?” Semi-prophetic in that her diary ended up being that “something great.”

I would like to speak for all writers, but I will keep the focus solely on me so as to speak in total truth. I write because I have to. I write because I know within me there is something bigger than myself. Within my heart and soul and mind roils words and concepts which may impact my world. Whether its posthumous or not is irrelevant. The bottom line is this – I know I have not come close to writing my best. My opus. My holy grail if you will. I know that writing remains trapped behind self-confidence and self-esteem issues which cloud my path and generate fears.

Do you struggle like this? Is this something your life reflects in its own special set of circumstances? Just because we don’t have a clearcut path does not mean we cannot make one. In fact, I’m in favor of not following the well-worn trails. I’d rather forge somewhere new. Something different. Something tantalizing. Something real as opposed to the cloak-and-dagger crap spit out today full of illusion and hollow meaning.

We need to say nice things to ourselves because individually, we truly stand as the only one listening. The voices in our head tell us many things, many if not most being negative. We need to change that dynamic. We need to self-talk confidence and positivity in the face of daunting tasks and fears and failures. Like someone said, (was it Edison?) each failure is just one more way that doesn’t work! Each failure is a lesson to learn.

Let’s not allow our lives to bleed out into the diffuse and murky darkness of time. Let’s not be accidental survivors over and over without recognizing each survival delivers another opportunity knocking on your life’s legacy door. Let’s not continue our internal voice set on negative. Say nice things to yourself. Build your legacies and your dreams into reality. Overcome the survival mentality and soar into the essence of life’s gift – we’re still here and we may still move forward.

Words for myself this 19th day of December, 2017. Hopefully, they work for you as well…

by Michael Ray King

Number 13 Dream

Number 13 Dream

3:30 am.

This morning while struggling with that ‘do-I-get-up-and-write-so-as-to-accomplish-something-or-do-I-chase-sleep-feeling,’ I glance at myself with a different eye. I question whether or not I am a fraud. I teach people how to pull their books out of their heads/hearts and onto the page. This is what I do for a living, yet I’ve not produced a finished, published book in years.

Yes, I’ve finished a number of manuscripts. Six full length books as a matter of fact. I have not compiled and edited them though. They simply gather digital dust in the electronic membranes of my computers’ software containment devices. They’re stacking up like a runaway game of Tetris.

I then imagine me, walking away from the accusation of fraud. The vision of me stands quite clear. I know what I am doing. I know what I look like. Hey, I lay nestled in some sort of dream state, ok? Knowing what you look like is important – as I soon find out.

I walk away. Away from writing. Away from pressure. Away from questions. Away from accusations. Away from fear. Away from uncertainty.

People followed me. Lots of people. I note them clearly. They follow each serpentine zig and zag I produce. I want them to leave me alone. I note where writing resides. This may sound strange, and I assure you I do no drugs nor do I drink. I know my writing path involves walking back toward me.

Two me’s? So I continue to avoid me (the me where writing power resides) with my evasive walking. The people following me are likely book characters. The people appear quite focused. They dance in tune with my every step.

They hang on my directional changes as though they are part of me (the one running away). Thousands of characters are hinted at in my vision. Hundreds are present in my mind. It is as though they know before I do where my feet will land. Every single footfall which changes direction in any manner, they follow in perfect sync. There is no delay. No degradation of movement. Simply a flowing dance of walking away from myself and not knowing where to go and not knowing how to get there with all these characters in tow.

My characters do not herd me, yet I know that any single one of them will point back to me, the narrator, the one with which you are communing at this very moment. Then comes the odd observation, as if all this were not odd enough, which hits me like a feather bomb.

I am female. The me running away that is.

Black straight hair which falls past my shoulders and cradles a thin, attractive face. A lean, feminine body which knows how to walk. Isn’t it amazing how some women can walk and ooze that feminine mystique with no effort? They defy the law of conservation of energy or some such scientific law. You know the one where every motion requires energy of some sort. Some women can exude that womanly energy in their walks and mannerisms without one iota of energy spent.

In this muse-driven moment of contemplation of my writing demise and prerequisite plunge into the abyss of under-accomplishment, I recognize my femininity. I cease running away and walk directly back to me.

Looking at this now, I see the complexities wrapped up in the narrative I’m attempting to describe. No, I’m not a woman trapped in a man’s body. If I were, I’d be totally lesbian. So I would be a woman trapped in a man’s body craving other women. That’s too screwed up to even address.

No, the truth is, I have the ability to access my emotional side at any point in time and any circumstance. This is what makes me a good writer. I can access the softer, more beautiful side of who I am in an instant. Without effort. Without apology.

Another thing I draw from this experience is that I recognize epiphany and I often do not capitalize on the experience. All writers know to keep a pen and paper handy or some sort of writing device. My laptop was on the floor beside me when I woke. It slept as I craved to do, simply there at my disposal. Hence, I used my favorite writing tool.

Here’s the big take away. That beautiful raven-haired-me stops directly in front of my face, as if to say, “So, what the hell is it going to be? Are you going to lie there and grab another hour or two of forgettable sleep punctuated by a couple trips to the bathroom, or are you going to dance with me?”

She’s not quite so eloquent in her accusing stare. More like, “Motherfucker, if you back down again and opt for the easy way out of this, you injure us both.”

I do not wish to hurt her. Hell, I don’t wish to hurt anyone. And I recognize I no longer desire to hurt myself.

She just stands there. I half-heartedly agree to write. I show no movement toward my computer. After all, it’s cold here in Utah at oh-dark-thirty. My daughter keeps her A/C at 65 to make sure it stays cold, even in winter. My dark-haired self says nary a word.

Even though I say she speaks, her communication does not contain words. Those blue eyes and that raven hair and that knowledge of who I am says everything. She knows me better than I know myself.

My laziness exposed, I reach over and lift the laptop to its namesake. I’ve been writing this post while lying on my back with my knees upright and the urge to pee driving me to key faster. I’ve been marveling at my gender change in this dream. I’m marveling at the characters’ connection to her/me. I know that time is not real yet the measurement of time does denote something.

I see her now only as a movie reel scene. She drives my fingers and helps me along in this writing. We are in concert and she is happy with me once again. She knows and notes with sadness that I will shortly get up to pee. She knows I may not return to the narrative for a while.

Yet, as we key this, she whispers to me that her life is meaningless, without point or purpose, if I continue to choose to reject her. She needs me to live. She desires to live. She not only wants to live, she cries from neglect.

Her minion characters, the ones who drive her as mad as they do me, all morph into something beautiful, something ethereal, something mesmerizing, when she and I play. I lose her. I lose the better part of me when I turn her down.
She owns many descriptors. She’s my muse. She embodies my empathy. She’s everything I want in a woman and have not been able to find. She promises she’s that caring, loving tough girl who will find a way.

“Find a way where or out of what?” I ask her. She says it does not matter. Anything. She defines my creativity. My muse. My life. That part of me which silent-screams for me to step into life and make something happen. That part of me far too neglected, although with the volume of written material I’ve produced in my life so far, many would say I’m doing it. I’m successful.

Well, world, I am not, unless I continue to take up letters and form words which form concepts and storylines and do as Ray Bradbury told us all – to find joy within our writing selves and from that joy, impact our world.

I know this writing may read as insanity. In a way I suppose this written creation sounds crazy. It’s been said that writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. I believe that to be an unfair accusation or observation. Writing is not like schizophrenia as much as it’s like Sybil and the many voices in one’s head.

Oops. She’s tapping me on the shoulder now, realing me in. Yes, I misspelled “realing” on purpose. She’s bringing me back to the real world. She’s telling me there’s no need to explain further. Those who will read with an open mind will get it. Those who will mock won’t.

None of what other people think changes her hand in mine. The seal-the-deal-girlfriend who strolls my path to harmony. The lover who goes ecstatically wild when someone suggests I go fuck myself.

She laughed at that last line and is begging me not to explain it to those slow of wit and depth. She’s as crazy as I want to be. A loon who loves laughter and pain and sorrow and joy because all make up the fabric of life and writing. She wrote that, not me.

She smiles at me a loving smile. The smile where someone truly appreciates your acknowledgment. She kisses me on my inner cheek. She loves me.

And I love her.

Write! Yes, I’m speaking to you – the reader! Dammit, stop screwing around and dodging your muse. I don’t care if your muse is male, female, Andromedan, alien, animal. Write. Connect with who you are. Write real. Write true. Write without apology. Let the naysayers come. They’re all stuck in their private hells of not knowing what connection to creativity can mean to your life.

We know the truth. We are a couple who fight over storylines and characters and concepts. We also walk hand in hand for our lifetime. We will be the lovers on the page. We will be the ones who not only enjoy deeply that passionate kiss, we will in fact achieve simultaneous orgasm when we complete a work worthy of our intellect and imagination. We even pillow talk afterward about what is next on our horizon.

“We need to end this one,” she’s urging at this point. I don’t wish to let go. She’s right of course. Seems she always is. I don’t mind that …much…

by Michael Ray King

It’s a New Day

Inking Your Soul

Your book. Your blog post. Your story. Your life.

There exist uncountable reasons and ideas to write. There exist innumerable debilitating explanations as to why we don’t write. In the end, either motivation and inspiration win out, either we give ourselves permission to accomplish our desire, or we distract ourselves with life.

When I consult with aspiring writers, whether seasoned or no, I bring a somewhat counter-culture view of creativity and how to access the wealth residing within ourselves. I spent many thousands of dollars listening to talking heads at conferences who invariably would state something to the effect of, “This is how you _______.”

Fill in the blank. “Write a book. Write poetry. Organize your thoughts. Learn the craft of writing. Etc.”

On the surface, these appear as noble topics. Someone truly desires to help others write. I do not doubt a good number of their intentions. Some, more than I care to think, stood as pompous asses spewing their drivel because no one knew better than they. Of course, I’m certain some might say the same of me.

What I’ve discovered is this. There are over 7.5 billion people on this planet. If each of us sat behind our pen, computer, whatever, and wrote a book, there would then exist 7.5 billion different ways to get the book done. No two would approach every single aspect in precisely the same way.

Yes, we could assemble similarities together to form groups like the write-every-day group or the write-when-the-muse-grabs-you-by-the-throat group or how about one I’m a member of, the I-write-because-I-have-no-choice group.

Diversity. The linchpin of new, fresh work. Homogenization and repetition. The scourge and death knell to creativity and revitalization.

Our very pay structure in writing does more to squash creativity and new ideas than anything else I’ve observed. The money-paying beast desires to bring in more money and tracks trends. Do you know how many variations of the movie Ground Hog Day are out there? It’s shocking how they’ve pillaged the idea and made almost exact replicas of the movie simply to generate more income.

I do not wish to rant today on the squelching of creativity, but I feel it’s important to at least mention to you aspiring writers out there in the world to look around you. Wake up. See how we’re herded. Go counter-culture if you can. Bring us fresh ideas and new material.

Each day our eyes lift from their slumber, each day we stir our consciousness awake, presents a new opportunity to express our truth. Our vision. Our passion. Our soul.

Will you compromise your truth, vision, passion, soul, simply because someone else would not agree with you?

Then why write? This industry is likely one of the absolute toughest in which to make a living. If you must bastardize your talents along the way just to make a buck, why bother? Step into some other line of work.

Today springs upon you, at this moment, the opportunity for ideas to germinate. Passions to arouse. Fantastical dreams and hard truths and wrenching pains and farcical comedies and delicious joys simply await your head, your heart, your soul to express them in print. I urge you, do not dilute your visions for the sake of others. Rather explode your ideas, not as nuclear bombs but universe shattering bombs. Go big or go home. Gift your imagination with the respect it is due by delivering your words without apology to the page.

Make new worlds on your pages. Help usher in a new renaissance to replace what our pathetic money machine chucks out containing the same drivel in slightly different packages like literary water torture. The bottom line will always stand for me – will you tell me a story, or your truth, preferably both, with passion, fervor, and a commitment to own the words you ink. Will you stand that brave?

You own every faculty you need to write your truth. Even in fiction. The only question, truly – “Will you dare to step into your destiny as a writer?”

Please do not write what others tell you to write. Write your book. Ink your soul to the page. Fiction or nonfiction, it does not matter. Bring your life to the writing. Bring life to the writing.

It’s a new day. Ink your soul…impact your world.

by Michael Ray King

Fight or Flight Not the Entire Reality?

Overcoming Writing Fear

I’ve come to disagree with the “fight or flight” model of reaction to fear. There’s an insidious aspect to life which this scenario overlooks. The third option stands true with respect to work-related fears, relationship fears, violence fears, and yes, even writing fears.

Call this option what you will – hunkering down, ostrich syndrome, paralyzation – the bottom line is, if you’re not running or fighting, you qualify for this category.

There are times when this tactic may be beneficial, like gambling on playing dead in a terrorist attack or passively allowing an opportunity to pass you by in order to gain a better opportunity down the line or melting into the woodwork to avoid a fight so you may hopefully escape the situation.

The inherent problem here is that this ploy is always high risk, low return. Hunkering down most often will kill any momentum you may have attained and tends to leave you in a position of weakness and subjugation. This writing is not solely from observation but far too much experience as well.

I examined my potential today and find it so far off the charts I am stunned. This is at once thrilling and disappointing.

Here’s where this relates to writing a book. Our natures appear to be trained to the ostrich mentality. We will defer working on our books for far too many reasons, most of which root in fear.

I’m not talking procrastination. The person playing dead is not procrastinating. The person shutting down in an abusive relationship in order to avoid trouble is not procrastinating. I’m talking fear-based motivation, not laziness.

Action always wins the day. Action will almost always be your best answer. Either fight or flee. You must make either of these two positions a “choice.” The ostrich approach almost qualifies as an absence of choice – an apathy. This position does not require high-level decision-making power.

Your percentages of success tend to be much improved if you fight or flee. That’s my opinion and experience. It’s far too easy in life to do nothing, to allow apathy to rule.

Do you aspire to write a book? I’m telling you true, action wins. Action gets you the touchdown. The finish line. The buzzer-beater. This is why we have coaches in sports.

We have coaches in writing books because accomplishing the task will always require action. You need to stay motivated. You need a game plan. You need to fight. You don’t need to lay down and play possum.

My passion lies in helping people write their books. That’s my joy, my happy place. That’s where I am in motion best. If this makes sense to you and you need help getting your manuscript written, contact me. We’ll overcome your fears and objections which hold you back, and we’ll get that book written.

Want some help? Here’s a link to my book: Go Write and You Won’t Go Wrong – Write Your Book in 30 Days!

by Michael Ray King

Writing a Nonfiction Book

It’s Not the Monster You Make It Out to Be

If you’re contemplating writing a nonfiction book, this means you possess a knowledge you feel would help others. Chances are, if you’re struggling to get started or bogging down, you are getting frustrated. Over the course of our lives, we assimilate information based on our environment and our interaction with others. We take “messages” and “signals” from our life experiences and apply what we think we’ve learned to various aspects of our lives. Unfortunately, sometimes we apply these “lessons” to the wrong life endeavor. Writing a book is one such example.

The people around us, our environment, and even our own selves too often prevent us from doing something we truly desire to accomplish. Writing a book, and for this post, a nonfiction book, appears to many people as an insurmountable undertaking. There are truly only a few items you need to possess in your book-writing quiver to make this happen.

Desire

Do you own a deep desire to write your book? Do you feel driven to get the information you possess into print for the world to see? Desire comprises a significant part of what’s needed to write your book. Typically, writing a book is not a short-term endeavor, although I wrote one of my books in eleven hours.

That said, writing a book does not need to be the horror story ordeal many writers tout, such as, “Oh, it took me five years to get this book out of me.” I’m here to tell you if it takes five years to write your book, your desire does not override the most mundane aspects of your life. Unless you’re some kind of energizer bunny dynamo, you have an hour a day to devote to writing.

Passion for Topic

Do you feel a deep passion for your book topic? Do you have knowledge to share? We all have life experiences in various fields of living which lends us the opportunity to share the knowledge we’ve accumulated with others. If you own the desire to write a book and you possess a passion for the topic of your book, you lack only one or two components to knock this project out. These last couple components are likely not what you think.

No, you don’t need to know grammar nor the Chicago Manual of Style nor Strunk and White or any of the other technical aspects of writing most often foisted upon unsuspecting novice writers. I’m not saying the knowledge of the mechanics of writing cannot be beneficial but simply unnecessary. You don’t need a degree. Again, could that be helpful? Sure, on the marketing end of things.

One of the critical factors involved in writing a book is this:

Your Unique Perspective and Truth

If you’re simply going to regurgitate a textbook or some other redundancy, your motivation will flag, your passion will be diminished, and your end product will be weak. However, if you own a perspective on your book topic which you feel is unique and people need to know, you’re on the right track. If you know a “truth” about your topic which is overlooked or unnoticed by others, you have something of value. If your experience tells you that people are missing something vital or keep repeating a problem for which you have a solution, then you have something of merit to write about. The age-old axiom, “Write what you know.” falls into this category.

You need an excitement when spilling your words from your heart and brain. You need something to sink your teeth into which will feed your desire to get this book done. Little in life is more motivating than espousing a message others need to hear. And “Others” will read when you successfully complete your book project.

I mention the word “truth” for a reason. Just because something is accepted as “the way to do things” does not mean it is the best or even proper way to do it. Innovation requires building on what’s out there and making it better. Please dispel the internal myth that a book must be some huge tome which takes years to complete. One of my books is 46 pages and it covers its topic well.

Please dispel the internal myth that a book must be some huge tome which takes years to complete. One of my books is 46 pages and it covers its topic well. This brings me to something which should relieve some apprehension you may have.

Keep Your Nonfiction Book Topic Niche

It’s been true for quite some time that people do not want broad, rambling nonfiction books. People desire information. They desire it quick. They desire it effective. They desire remedy. They desire brevity.

Do not fall prey to the perspective that a book must cover everything in your industry. Please allow your reader a modicum of respect. Write your niche-topic book. Your market, the folks who will read your book, will likely already know the issues which lead to your “niche topic.” They will already own a knowledge of what it took to arrive at your niche topic. They do not want to read what they already know. They want to take what they know and advance it.

Writing a book is as simple as devoting an hour a day to writing something for which you have a desire to express, a passion for the subject matter, and a willingness to write from your unique perspective and truth. I maintain that writing a book is fun. Exciting. Passionate. Rewarding. I’ve helped over 100 people get their books written thus far. If you find yourself in need of assistance or coaching, that’s what I do. Check out the Consultation page on this site and contact me.

Writing a nonfiction book is simply plucking what you know from your heart and mind and putting this knowledge into words on a page. Simple. I understand the process is not always easy. The bulk of the reasons writing a book is not always easy has more to do with you and your preconceived notions than the actual writing. Write what you know.

Write what you know. Help others solve a problem. Help others overcome obstacles. Reveal truths about our world. Help reshape misconceptions into something true.

For help in writing your book, Go Write and You Won’t Go Wrong – How to Write Your Book in 30 Days has helped hundreds achieve their goal of beginning and completing their manuscript. Need some one-on-one coaching? Contact me – Author@MichaelRayKing.com (limited number of consulting slots available)

by Michael Ray King

What Have You Done for Me Lately?

Writing is like that, isn’t it? No matter how much you sit and write, there never appears to be enough time.

No matter that you’re in the midst of writing passion, as soon as you step away, you know you must get back to it. In fact, once you’re off and running, you’re dying to get back to it. What about when you complete your first draft? Victory, right?

Yes. Victory. Accomplishment. Yet your book wants more. Rewrite and edit.

Therefore, you roll up your imaginary sleeves and you dive into the mechanics that need tweaking. You desire to make this manuscript the best it can possibly be. You invest your time, your brain power, and if you listen to my advice, your money (for a professional editor). You complete the task and you now own a shiny, well-polished product which you love. Victory, right?

Yes. Victory. Accomplishment. Yet your book wants more. Published.

Therefore, you do your due diligence. You explore the myriad publishing models. There are so many, one will fit your needs. You go through the process. If it’s your first time, you battle learning curves and you find there’s a level of knowledge you need. If you’ve been through the rodeo before, you tweak what you learned the first time and you step through the processes more gingerly. You then get your book published. Know this – there is nothing stopping your book from being published but you…

You now feel the slick texture of your masterpiece in your hands. You’re amazed that you’ve accomplished this feat. You’re filled with elation and anticipation. Victory, right?

Yes. Victory. Accomplishment. Yet your book wants more. Branding. Platform. Marketing.

Yes, the bane of the vast majority of writers. I tell my clients all the time, if you want a best-seller, become a marketer. Best-seller does not mean best written. Marketing is an art unto itself. So is branding. So is a platform. All become massively important for the sales of your book. Therefore, you either do one of three things: 1) you take on the learning curve of branding, platform and marketing. The three go hand-in-hand. This tends to be the most prevalent with the majority of writers. 2) you do your due diligence and you seek out professional marketers. People who know how to help you set up your brand, platform, and how to market them. They cost money. The good marketers tend to be worth every dime… 3) you give up. This category gets many writers right out of the gate. Once they realize they either have to work at something other than writing or they must pay people to get their book where they want it to be, they quit.

Option number three does not mean a writer stops writing. Many of us write simply because we must. I feel it’s of vital importance that we do not kid ourselves. The reality of a new book is this – “Who knows the book is available?” Unless you’re Patterson or King or any number of other famous writers, no one outside your circle of friends, co-workers, and acquaintances know who you are, much less that you’ve written a book.

So let’s say you avoid option #3 above. You now have a pristine, marketed book which is getting great reviews and people are clamoring for more. Victory, right?

Yes. Victory. Accomplishment. Yet your book wants more. A brother or sister.

Therefore, you set out to create another masterpiece. Chances are while writing your previous book, other book ideas came to mind, some of which you’re dying to get to. You once again become immersed in the creativity of writing.

You should already see that this becomes a circular cycle. Yet there’s more. Multiple books mean multiple objects in the air which you must juggle. Each of them desires some love and attention. Each of them asks you the same question, “What have you done for me lately?” If you’re like me, the dust settles on them and they whimper the question.

I learned this highly valuable piece of advice the hard way. Build yourself a team. Invest in yourself. Invest in your team. Here’s what I mean by “team.”

Find someone who has a knack for marketing material and can help you build a brand and a platform (if you cannot do this or identify your brand and platform yourself). Find someone to help you get out into the “real” world. Yes, speaking engagements. Your team can be Toastmasters, to begin with, as I did. Find someone to procure speaking engagements for you. Find someone who will handle video for you. In this day and age, video is king.

Develop a support group where you are not the guru. A group where you can learn and be motivated once a week. With all the demands from your book(s) for what you’ve done for them lately, developing a team of people to help and doing this early on is critical. Most writers want to lone-wolf the process. I know I did. The reason for this is we tend as authors to lean heavily toward creativity (of which we can be quite jealous) and away from business.

Know this. Writing becomes an addiction. When you truly love to write and express yourself, nothing will prevent you from continuing your trek except death itself. Success does not equal money or number of books sold unless you define success in that manner.

My vocation, my happiness, and joy in the world of writing, publishing, and entrepreneurialism are helping people achieve their writing goals. Love your writing. My writing hero is Ray Bradbury. Please allow me to add this quote from him for this quote sums up how I feel about writing:

“If you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories — science fiction or otherwise. Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”

Need help with your writing? That’s what I do. Check out my Consultation Page. I love to work with people who have stories trapped within them. We can let these stories out so they may soar…

by Michael Ray King

May I Help You?

Book Writing Dreams

Our subconscious writes more books than we’ll ever know. I wake up nightly with killer ideas and concepts. Most often these days, I don’t write them down. I don’t pull myself out of sleep mode and dive into something rewarding.

I’ve trained myself to get up two or three times in the middle of the night and go to the bathroom, go back to bed, and immediately fall asleep. I fell out of the habit of grabbing ideas and writing them out and then going back to sleep.

Except for yesterday. I awoke with words that demanded to be written. I could not go back to sleep. Eventually, I grabbed my cell phone and wrote in the notepad section. I went back to bed and fell asleep peacefully for hours.

I should take a lesson from this, eh? An issue here is that I had learned this very lesson many, many years ago. I simply slipped out of the habit of capturing these thoughts. Scientifically, these times we wake in the early hours work as our most highly intense moments of creativity. We rob ourselves of the very gold mine we own – our highest creativity.

My vocation (a calling; a strong inclination to follow a particular activity or career) is writing. My passions of writing are 1) writing and 2) helping others get their books written. I refuse to call what I do “work” or label my occupation as a “job.” These descriptors carry too much negativity. I love what I do. I embrace my vocation.

So many people desire to write books. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, it does not matter. The desire still tugs at their heart. People own stories. Stories they want told. They simply struggle with how to go about getting the words down and creating the end product – a book.

My words today came whistling loudly past my consciousness this morning as I vainly attempted to hold onto sleep. “You are there,” the words said. “Your task is to find people who need your help.”

This was strange. Usually, I awaken to a poem or a storyline. I grasped the subconscious message, however. Tell people. Let them know they indeed may write that book. Tell them I can help should they need it.

This message, on one hand, stands as absurd to me. Of course, they can write a book! I’ve written many books. Anyone can write a book! On the other hand, I know most people will never write their book, mainly because they simply don’t know how or don’t have the confidence or feel they lack the qualifications to write.

I often must step back and realize I once stood in those doubtful writers’ shoes. My passion and drive to help people write books pumps up my motivation in life. I’m at my pinnacle of happiness when I see someone completing their dream.

Do you want to tap into that subconscious I spoke of in the first sentence of this post? Does a book pound inside your heart and mind demanding to be let loose? It happens to many of us. Writing a book, for me, is a passionate release of creativity which grants rewards all along the way. I love writing. I love editing. I love seeing my book in print. I truly love others reading my books. I am humbled by those who tell me how much they enjoyed my books. Most of all, I love helping others know these loves as well.

Therefore, may I help you? My creative idea that woke me up this morning wanted me to write, “May I help you?” Know that you can write the book your heart desires. Know that your voice is as valuable as any other in this world. Know that what you have to say in your words owns meaning to someone. Know that you can do this.

If you need help, let me know…

by Michael Ray King