R OX A N N E M C C A R T Y - O ’ K A N E
CONFESSIONS OF A
ghostwriter
So, you want to write a book? You've tried to start and it hasn't worked, or you're terrified of the blank page and have no idea where to start? Well, guess what? You are not alone. I've worked with countless business owners and story tellers and have found some very similar and common 'triggers' that hold us back. Your mind can be an extremely powerful tool, but it can also become one of your biggest hurdles if you let it go unchecked. You may have been told by tons of people that you have an incredible story to share, or have a unique perspective on the world that is refreshing or would be uplifting for others. What’s more, you may actually have felt called to write. You're right on the precipice of a magnificent journey BUT I also know about the self-talk that keeps you up at night – “I’m not a good writer,” “I don’t even know where to start,” “No one will care what I have to say…” Honestly, I think I could go on listing another hundred reasons why you're not putting pen to paper or tapping that keyboard. Instead, let's look through different eyes and flick some switches from negative to positive and from ‘can’t’ to ‘let’s go’! The people who have the most success in life – and the ones who go on to release their dream book – have found a way to master their mindset so they can flip those triggers from negative barriers to motivators. Let’s start with the mindset of ‘I’m not a
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good writer...’ I have found people usually fall into three camps; people who are good with words, people who are amazing with numbers and people who are incredible verbal communicators. You are a unicorn if you excel in all three areas. Even people who can string together an engaging sentence or two may question their ability to write an entire book. No matter which category you fall into, I challenge you to look beyond whether you are a ‘good writer’ or not. Whose measure are you using anyway? In fact, 90% of aspiring authors already have the skills to be able to get their message across, it may just need a little tweaking later on. Rest assured, this is part of the process anyway! It’s a matter of getting out of your own head and letting the words flow through you. We can get caught up in the ‘how to’, perfectionism and doing it right. Every manuscript, no matter what the state of the first draft is, will go through several rounds of editing as a matter of process. The key ingredient is the content. Your editors need to have something to work with. I’d like to share a little story with you for inspiration. I met with a farmer in his seventies in 2019 who had written his life story. A two-finger typist, he had laboured away at the keyboard for countless hours over a number of years. There was not a single space between sentences in his writing... but his content was gold. On the surface, he was not a ‘good writer’ but when I began to polish up what was
there, he was actually an extraordinary one. He was able to articulate his life experiences in a way that was uniquely his and when he was done, he knew he could call upon someone like myself to help him get his manuscript to the point where it could be published. He has been able to fulfil his long-held dream of becoming an author.
It may be used all the time, but the old adage ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ rings so true here. Many aspiring authors are so worried about starting at the ‘right place’ that they don’t start at all. Join me at the Ignite and Write workshop to smash through mindset barriers and create solid foundations from which to write and walk away with confidence on your path to authorship. Head to my website to book your seat. a
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