Is this the year you’ll publish your memoir?

Whew! Are you like me? When Labor Day is behind us and the kids start school, I catch my breath and mentally turn and step into a different chunk of the year.

Summer has lots of distractions—fun distractions, usually—but when we flip the calendar page to September, thoughts shift to upcoming frost, shorter days, and indoor activities.

And that brings me to this indoor activity: How are you doing on your memoir?

Is this the year you’ll finalize your manuscript?

Is this the year you’ll pin down your memoir’s title?

Is this the year your book will get its cover design?

Is this the year you’ll publish your memoir?

Is this the year people—even strangers—will buy and read your memoir?

Is this the year your story will change lives?

If you’re like many of us, over the summer you took a break from writing to spend time with family and friends, and now you need motivation to continue authoring your story.

Are you struggling to find that motivation—that incentive, that enthusiasm? If so, you’re not alone.

Mick Silva at Higher Purpose Writers posted on Facebook a couple of years ago:  “ . . . Everyone says [persistence] is the most important part of writing. I’ve said it to all my clients: Most people don’t finish. Even if they finish a draft, they don’t follow through with the rewriting, or the rereading and editing. They just stop. . . .”

Refuse to let that happen to you!

Mick also offers this encouragement: “Consistent baby steps are important for when passion wanes.”

So you need to persist and recognize that baby steps result in progress.

And here’s a Nora Roberts quote to inspire you to keep working:

“. . . You have to be driven. You have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline, and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.”

Here’s my advice: Pat yourself on the back for how far you’ve already come.

Since the clock is ticking, be intentional: Keep penning your first draft. Don’t judge your writing at this point. Sure, you’ll have to fix it, but you’ll tackle that later. For now, just write!

Focus. Resolve to complete your book.

Persevere.

Pray.

Writing and publishing your memoir is not a hobby—it’s a ministry.

You can do this! You can!