How I did it: Like clawing through the underbrush of an ancient jungle on hands and knees, eating nothing but bugs, berries, and mushrooms of dubious origin, fighting off scurvy, dysentery, and delirium, and then, finally, when the concept of hope seems to be the pinnacle of all foolishness, breaking through the trees into glorious civilization.  That's what starting and finishing a major writing project like this is like.

The stories started coming to me in late 2003.  I wasn't sure what to do with them at the time, but I eventually started writing them down and then sharing them with first my friends and then strangers.

As I continued to write, I realized that not only did I find the whole process quite enjoyable, but that I seemed to have somewhat of a knack for painting pictures with words.

I didn't want to dream too high, though.  I knew I'd survive the fall from the low branches of a backyard tree, but I wasn't so sure I'd survive a misstep made in the wavering boughs of an ancient redwood.

So I took it easy for years, sharing my stories here and there and submitting them for the occasional contest.  But eventually, playing it safe stopped working.  I craved to see my words gain a wider audience and I dreamt of holding a book of my stories in my hands.

And that's what ultimately worked, making the desire to see my stories in print greater than the fear and the obstacles that stood in the way. 

So how did I do it?  I simply never gave up.

Lessons & tips: Do something toward the completion of your goal every day.  Even if it's just formatting one page or writing a list of places you may be able to market your finished book.  Eventually, you'll see how much progress you can make from regular, tiny steps.

Visualize holding your book.  Visualize explaining it to Oprah or to Jay Leno.  Picture the book signings, the interviews, and the royalty checks as already done deals.  Then, find at least one thing, no matter how small, to move toward the completion of your goal every day.

Resources: http://www.createspace.com
http://www.dictionary.com
http://www.rhymezone.com
http://www.43things.com
http://www.writing.com

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Sep 16, 2009, 02:01PM PDT | 2 comments | 6 cheers