Grow Your Book Idea with The Power of Patience

Photo by Kier in Sight Archives on Unsplash

“The most powerful thing you can do right now is be patient while things are unfolding for you.” -- Idil Ahmed⠀

When things aren’t easy, how often do you wish that time would speed up and bring the change you’re hoping for? This quote reminds me that patience is the key to possibilities. This

is true in life and it’s true when you’re writing book. A bud needs time to flower.

Saying Yes to an Idea

First, you get an idea. I’ve had ideas come to me in my kitchen, on walks or when I’m doing chores, usually when my mind is unoccupied with other things. Ideas come to me like visitors who tap on the door of my mind. Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear writes about this. She says that ideas are always looking for a partner, someone to bring it to the world. So, when an idea comes, she says, you need to decide whether or not to say yes. If you say no, the idea may move along to someone else. If you say yes, it’s time to take action.

Now, it would be great if once you say yes to an idea that it would magically morph into a published book but it doesn’t work that way. An idea is like an ember. When it first shows up it often isn’t fully formed, any more than a spark is a blazing fire. You need to cultivate patience to grow your idea.

Grow Your Idea, Let it Flower

Ideas can shift depending on where you are in your life. As you grow, through the daily pain and pleasures of everyday life, and as you do your work, your perspective changes and your idea may change too.

Researching your idea is important but so is just sitting with it, musing about it, sharing it with someone you trust or just getting outside in nature can give your mind the room it needs to explore your idea and to see if you want to stick with it. This takes time. Think of it like watering a plant so that it can grow.

Is Your Idea a Good Container?

You also need to think about the idea and what it can hold. Is it a good container or pot (to continue the flower analogy) for things you want to teach or share with readers? For example, if your idea is to write a book about Natural Ways to Treat Anxiety, think about what you’d like to include. Is anxiety a big enough container or do you want to add stress too?

Once you have your container you need to think about what you want to put in it. This too, takes time and thought. What aspect of your practice do you want to feature? What’s most promising? What excites you the most when you see clients? How do you help them progress?

Excitement is a touchstone. If you feel excited about an aspect of your work, your approach, your method, program or plan, that’s a good indicator that there is something good there that you can share with readers. So, the next time you get an idea and say yes to it, remember to give it time to grow, to flower, give it time to become what it really wants to be, then share it with the world.

Until next time!

Contact me when you’re ready if you need:

1. A book coach to be your guide, cheerleader and editorial support as you write or re-write your book proposal or book.

2. A manuscript evaluation for a big picture, smallest detail overview.

3. A developmental editor to structure your book, and make the text clear, concise, and reader friendly.

4. If you’d like a free copy of my PDF: Is it a Book? The Ten Step Roadmap to Writing Your Best Book sign up for my e-mail list.