When people ask me how long it took to write my first book, the honest answer is… a lot longer than 45 days.
For a long time, I was stuck in the thinking about writing a book phase.
You know the phase.
The one where you:
- Come up with ideas
- Open a document
- Write a paragraph
- Reread it 12 times
- Decide it’s terrible
- Close the document
- Repeat the cycle a week later
I spent months in that loop.
Not because I didn’t have ideas. Actually, it was the opposite… I had too many ideas and overthought everything. I wanted the book to be perfect before it even existed.
Eventually, I realized something important:
A book can’t improve if it doesn’t exist yet.
So I stopped overthinking and finally committed to just writing. And once I actually started…
I finished the entire book in about 45 days.
The Moment Things Finally Clicked
The biggest shift wasn’t a magical productivity trick.
It was simply deciding that the first version didn’t have to be perfect.
I stopped editing every sentence while writing it.
I stopped worrying about whether people would like it.
I stopped trying to sound like a “real author.”
Instead, I focused on getting the ideas out of my head and onto the page.
Once that happened, the writing started flowing much faster than I expected.
The Truth About Writing a Book
Writing a book isn’t necessarily about talent.
It’s mostly about discipline and consistency.
There were days I didn’t feel inspired.
Days I didn’t feel like writing at all.
But I kept showing up anyway.
Some days I wrote a lot.
Some days I wrote very little.
But progress is progress.
And the amazing thing about writing a book is this:
Once it’s finished… it’s finished.
You now have something that didn’t exist before. Something you created from nothing.
That feeling alone makes the work worth it.
Tips That Helped Me Finish My Book
1. Stop editing while you write
Editing while writing is one of the fastest ways to get stuck.
Your first draft is supposed to be messy.
Let it be messy.
You can always improve it later.
2. Write even when you don’t feel like it
Motivation is unreliable.
If you only write when you feel inspired, your book will take forever.
Instead, treat writing like an appointment with yourself.
Show up. Even if it’s just for 20 minutes.
3. Don’t try to write the whole book at once
Thinking about writing an entire book can feel overwhelming.
Instead, focus on one section at a time.
One page turns into ten pages.
Ten pages turn into chapters.
Chapters turn into a finished book.
4. Accept that the first version won’t be perfect
No one writes a perfect first draft.
Not beginners.
Not experienced authors.
Not bestselling writers.
The goal of the first draft is simply to exist.
You can always make it better later.
The Biggest Lesson I Learned
The hardest part of writing a book isn’t the writing itself.
It’s getting out of your own way.
Overthinking, perfectionism, and self-doubt can keep people stuck for years.
But once you finally start and commit to finishing, the process becomes much more manageable.
And before you know it, you’ll look up and realize something pretty incredible:
You wrote a book.
If you’ve been thinking about writing a book, consider this your sign to start.
You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to begin.
