Want to Write A Book? Do This
The Amplified Impact Podcast
December 29th, 2023
Today I’m diving into something I get asked about often: writing a book.
It’s not all talk and no action. Trust me, writing is tough, but it’s the doing that counts.
Forget perfect drafts…just write. I’ve helped tons of people, but very few finish.
My advice? Commit to a daily writing routine, no excuses.
That’s the secret. I used to give technical advice, but now I’ve got one mantra: write every day until you’re done. That’s it.
So, if you’re ready to write, start today. No grand plans, just words.
TWEETABLE QUOTE:
“Create a daily writing routine and then follow it every single day until you’re done.”
– Anthony Vicino
LEAVE A REVIEW if you liked this episode!!
Let’s Connect On Social Media!
instagram.com/theanthonyvicino
Join an exclusive community of peak performers at Beyond the Apex University learning how to build a business, invest in real estate, and develop hyperfocus.
Learn More About Investing With Anthony
Invictus Capital: www.invictusmultifamily.com
Multifamily Investing Made Simple Podcast
Passive Investing Made Simple Book: www.thepassiveinvestingbook.com
Episode Transcript:
I get the question like, once every, at this point, maybe every two weeks. So not, I don’t get this question a ton, but it comes up frequently enough that I just wanted to talk about it here because it might give you some value if you’re on the fence thinking about doing this thing as well. And I did another episode on this recently, actually, a couple months back, but I just wanted to just. Last time I talked about it, I was a little bit fired up and a little bit cranky this time. I feel in a little bit better mental space. But the question is, hey, I have a book I want to write. What should I do? And the last time I talked about this, this was in the context of a friend had texted me that I didn’t talk to in a really long time out of the blue, and I was annoyed because a lot of times people will ask that question and they really have no intention of writing the thing. Really, they’re just trying to make themselves feel good and give themselves a dopamine burst to feel like they’re making progress towards this thing that they don’t actually plan on doing the actual work that would lead to the result.
And a book is a really easy thing to talk about doing. It’s a very, very hard thing to actually do. And the number of people who talk about doing it versus the number of people who do it, it’s got to be like 100 to one, right? Like, 100 people will talk about doing it. Only one will actually follow through and do it. Knowing that over the years, I’ve sat down with people and I’ve spent a lot of time and energy. When people come and ask me how to write a book, like, oh, let’s talk about it, let’s get on a call. Because I want to encourage that. I think writing is the most powerful skill for learning how to think clearly and how to articulate yourself and how to just make an impact on the world.
Writing is a golden skill that everybody should develop. And so if somebody wants to write a book, I want to encourage that. I want to help them because I know how hard it is and how lonely that path can be. I want to be helpful. And so I would take time to get on these calls and walk through. Exactly. Here’s exactly what you need to do and how you need to publish it. All that stuff.
Right. And time and time again, I would spend all this time and energy, and then six months, nine months, ten months later, I’d chat with that person, and they had made zero, zero progress. I have yet to meet anybody who I’ve sat down with who finished the book. Not a single one. They all talk about it. Some will make it halfway through. Not a single one has ever finished. And I’ve talked to a lot of people, a lot of high achieving people, too, who are like, badasses.
And so I was like, I just need to stop having these conversations because it’s very unlikely it’s actually going to help the person do the thing and make progress. And so these days, I don’t even offer technical advice anymore. I don’t take any time to really dive in. My only advice, this is the only advice I have. So if you’re wondering, how do I write a book, Anthony, and you want to come to me, here’s what I’m just going to tell you. Create a daily writing routine and then follow it every single day until you’re done. That’s it. That’s it.
To be a writer, you need to write. To be an author, you just need to write. To write a book, you just need to write. That’s all you need to do. And until you have that first draft done, you have nothing. You only have an idea. So the most important thing is to go from none to one, and that one is going to suck. That first draft, it’s going to be horrible.
It’s going to be garbage. But it doesn’t matter because everybody’s first draft, even mine, even Stephen King’s, they’re horrible. And that’s what gets people hung up, is they think they need to write that perfect first draft, and it’s not great. They don’t have the outline. They don’t have the structure. None of it makes sense, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And so they get in their own way, they never actually take the action. And my advice to you is just to sit down and do the work.
Just write the thing. Don’t worry about the outline. Don’t worry about getting it right. Whatever’s in your head right now, just dump it out until you have nothing else to dump. And once you have that, then come back to me. Once you have that first draft, that sloppy, horrible draft, let’s talk then, because now you have something to work with. But that first step is the hardest. It’s the first step of every journey of a thousand miles.
As Lautza says, the hardest step is the first one. And until you’ve taken that, all the other ones are irrelevant. So create a writing schedule every single day. That’s important. Not when you feel like it. Not once every week, like every single day, you sit down with your word goal and you hit it. Do that, and you will have a book to work with within 90 days. I promise you.
Now, I just recalled, actually, as I was ranting here, that there is one exception. There is one person who I have sat down with and offered my time and energy to who actually did take it and ran with it. And he’s finished his book. His name’s Thomas, and he’s actually my editor of my YouTube videos, so he is the exception. If you want to be a badass like Thomas, just do what I say right now and go right. That’s it. That’s all you need to be worrying about. If you have this grand idea, don’t worry about publishing.
Don’t worry about any of it. Down the road. All you need to do, the only thing that matters right now, is get the words out. That’s it. Start there. Do that. Then let’s talk. And I hope you do.
I really, really do. I’m rooting for you because, again, I think it would be awesome if everybody wrote a book. You would learn so much about yourself, so much about the skill of communication. I think just general, really. You would be a better human, so it’s good for you. Do it. That’s my encouragement. So hopefully this brings you guys some value.
As always, thank you for being here. I’ll catch you in the next episode. But until then, stay hyper focused, my friend. Bye.
This Week On YouTube
These 3 Daily Habits Made Me A Millionaire in 3 Years
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
1. Unleash your hyperfocused mind to dominate life, business, and everything in between? Here’s how:
→ The Hyperfocused Masterclass: the exact system I used to overcome ADHD, write 12 books, build 4 businesses, and acquire $70M of real estate.
There are a handful of spaces left in The Hyperfocus Masterclass for those who want to snag the early bird preorder special discount of $49.
Email anthony@anthonyvicino.com to let me know you want on the waitlist.
2. Learn to passively invest in commercial real estate with better returns, less risk, and zeo hassle.
→ Invictus Capital: my real estate private equity firm.
→ Multifamily Investing Made Simple: Top Apple Podcast.
→ Passive Investing Made Simple: Amazon Best Selling Book with 100 5 star reviews.
3. Want more like this? Check out these 3 popular articles from the vault:
