Beyond Words

Jeff Goins is a writer.

That’s how he’d say it. And, it’s how he wants us to say it. Straight up, proud, unapologetic. Own it. No more maybe, sometimes, I think, I might be…

I am a writer.

It’s the theme of his new e-book, You Are a Writer.

The book is aimed at getting us to acknowledge our deep desire to be a writer, to set aside all the fears and excuses and just do it.  And, he tells us his story—letting the reader see exactly what it takes to move from the thinking and the wanting to the actual doing–Writing.

Writing is mostly a mind game. It’s about tricking yourself into becoming who you are. If you do this long enough, you begin to believe it. And pretty soon, you start acting like it.

I’ve struggled with saying, I am a Writer. I felt like an imposter, after all, what proof did I have? Where was my book? There are no articles in The New Yorker with my by-line. My definition of what constitutes a writer was so narrow and full of judgment that I couldn’t let myself say the words without hesitation.

Today I can say with some ease that I am a Writer. But, there is much work to do still. I’m still at the mostly thinking stage. So, given the opportunity to review Jeff Goins’ new e-book I jumped at it. I received the book as a gift in exchange for my review (full disclosure) . He didn’t threaten to send a virus to attack me if the review turned out poorly. He won’t ban me from reading his blog. It’s just an open invitation for one writer to share the message of You Are a Writer.

I read the book with ease and great interest. I wanted to not only do justice to my promise to review the book—I want to unlock the secret to what keeps me just a little stuck. You see, my book is languishing because I still have Fear;

Fear of finishing. Fear of picking one thing and sticking with it. We think, what if it’s the wrong thing? What if I mess it up?

Here’s the truth: There is no wrong thing. Just begin. Once you learn how to finish, you’ll be able to start again.

His answer is like free samples at the candy counter, or the wine bar. Help yourself. Don’t sweat it. Pick up the pen and write. Make it a habit. Write your passion. De-clutter your world. Develop community.

The book offers concrete tips for getting to the essence of writing. You want to be a writer and you want to be inspired. More importantly you want to get rid of those things that get in the way.

You Are a Writer is more than an inspiring story, it’s a how-to-do-it-love-it e-book. He talks about brands and how to build our platform.  We learn how to build community. And, all of this comes in a well-written concise book. Jeff Goins has one of the most popular blogs in the writing world—his followers already know this and eagerly anticipate posts. Now his readers can get more with this book.

What is my take-away? I took this offer for purely selfish reasons. I want to be a better writer. I thought by writing this review I might get a few new subscribers? A link from a big name blogger. Maybe. What I have gotten is a renewed sense of my own talent and the structure to continue to shape and improve my craft. And, let’s not forget motivation.

If you want to read more of Jeff- his blog is GoinsWriter. And, here’s the link to his e-book, You Are a Writer.