I am going to do something I don’t often do in my column… toot my own horn. I held a client event recently and asked several participants to record videos of what it was like to work with me, and I was not only touched by what they said, but I always learn more about my brand and value to others when I review their words. So much, I wanted to include a few in my columns over the next few months to inspire you if you were excited to start a book in 2024. These writers were once non-writers who only dreamed of writing a book, and through my coaching and consistent pushing, discovered their life was incomplete without writing.
I know how hard it is to say Yes to a book, and then stay on deadline and consistent. I make sure my clients do this, and it inspires me to also put calendars on the wall and do my best, my very best, to stick to them for my own personal growth as a writer. But the truth is, I can be slippery and as evasive as the next writer when I don’t have the coaching mindset on. We want to run from that which challenges us, and hope it goes away, gets better by magic, or is less challenging which ultimately defeats the purpose of a challenge, or basically of being a writer.
I have watched Meta Valentic, the writer featured here, blossom. She recently was featured in LA Affairs for a scintillating comedic piece on a wild romantic romp she had on the East side of LA in the 90s. She wrote her first fiction book loosely on the Royal Family and has since started her second book. After working as a DGA AD and producer for over two decades, she is holding her seat as a writer and committing to writing and editing every day.
I am insanely proud of anyone who puts their neck out there to write a book. The endeavour is not for the faint of heart. Each year we start with great aspirations… motivated and excited and then we falter, dropping into a state of responsibilities driven by the left side of our brain. We think our thinking is faulty if we want to spend time writing a book. We are isolationist, escapist, anti-socials. I happen to be one of the most extroverted people I know, I love chatting and meeting people, but I also want to hide in the depth of a notebook and stare at the computer screen for answers for hours and hours. We get to be both.
As this year is already off to the races, check in with yourself and your level of commitment to being a writer. As an author (which is different than a writer - it’s a mindset of knowing the business, and having drive behind your book), you can seek help with coaching that will offer the most well-rounded approach to putting your craft out into the world. Unread books are a crime. Even more so than poorly written ones.
If you are seeking assistance this year writing a book and getting to the finish line, reach out! You can find me at kim@kimohara.com.