It’s been well over a year since I started writing my book. I’ve taken months off when the act of putting my memories down became too much of an emotional burden. I’ve taken months off when it wasn’t a priority because I was sick, or busy or felt like I wasn’t an expert in the field.
I’ve come back and picked it up once or twice, but always got side tracked. I had plenty of people excited when I got excited. But in the normal, day to day acts, writing is a lonely and occasionally will-sapping task.
So I have one doc that I work for who I took a big leap and asked about writing his books a few weeks back. (He’s written at least twelve of his own about cardiology and co-authored tens more). He sat me down and grilled me about it. My target audience, my title, the goal and aim of the book.
I answered all of his questions and he seemed generally pleased with how much thought I’ve given it.
He encouraged me to keep up with it and told me about writing his first book. He was a young last year medical student and was inspired to write about a specific topic. He said his professors and peers laughed at him and told him he was too young, had too little experience to write such a text.
But he said he had “F.I.B.” or “Fire in belly…” to drive him to write it anyways. So he pushed forward and in his few free hours, he wrote the textbook. He had to search for someone to publish it, but when he did, it became a helpful guide for medical students and new physicians.
He told me that the professor that initially scoffed at the idea, came to him and told him that he had bought it for his own son was was in medical school.
He told me that he knew some people that might be able to help me clarify some details, but that I had to write the book. He said that I shouldn’t worry too much about how many words how quickly, but that I create a regular practice, and I do the work.
“I’m gonna keep asking you how much you’ve written…I’m going to stay on you. And if you really want to do this, I’ll help you. But you have to write.”
I can’t begin to tell you how much that sentiment meant to me. To have someone who’s been here, who didn’t really have lots of people with experience around and telling them that my idea had value and they wanted to see me succeed. It is something that I don’t experience often, but am so incredibly grateful to have him in my life.
And to have an outward hand at getting the help I need to finish my book.
Find these people in your life and cherish them, and feed their dreams too.
On one of my recent word count updates, he said “I’ve been encouraging you to write, but I’ve been thinking about it and I haven’t written myself in a long time. I’m thinking that maybe I should get back to writing too!”
Now, we can inspire and help each other.
And it means the world to me.
Who has helped support you throughout your journey?
❤ ~mythicalmagpie