Being a 7-times author and teaching others now how to write their first books through my Ultimate 48 Hour Author program, I often get asked how I learned to write. Well I didn’t learn it in any educational institution, I didn’t get a degree in English literature and I didn’t speak English until I was 14 years old.
So what happened? I just started writing. I read books and attempted writing my own content. I kept doing it – putting it out there and doing more. I improved by repetition. Sure looking back at my earlier work and even my first book it wasn’t all that great, but I didn’t know that at the time – I was doing the best I could with what I knew.
Too often people say ‘I just need to learn this before I take action.’ I just need to pro-bono coach for another 50-100 hours before I can ask to be paid and they say the same thing again even when they completed the pro-bono work and training. A bit more training, a bit more free work, it just goes on and on.
I am a big believer in just going out and doing stuff. We have heard people say, I learnt so much in my first 3 months in a position than I ever did doing my university degree. I am not saying there isn’t a place for education and development of certain skill sets, you just have to stop at some point and actually get your hands dirty. Make some mistakes, fall fast and learn fast and you will grow exponentially in life and business.
Same thing with writing. I actually prefer to write as I am speaking. Maybe you can even sense my voice as you are reading this. All my books are spoken out and then tidied up and often I have those that know me say – its like you are talking to me Nat. I love the feeling of hearing someone’s true essence through their writing.
That is why our Ultimate 48 Hour Author books are mostly spoken. Of course we don’t make that our strict rule as some want to type (so we let them) and some come with a manuscript in hand (so we help them with publishing and marketing know-how). Our authors love the freedom speaking their wisdom gives them. They thrive and execute super fast that way and worry about detail once its all typed up by someone else.
So how does someone get good at writing outside of the conventional way by going to a course or degree?
- Start writing – even if its short blogs like this – do it consistently
- Attempt speaking out your work – you may find you are better at it than typing
- Ask for feedback from those that you respect
- Read different styles of writing and select certain ways you like to deliver your information – there are thousands of different ways to do it
- Get it out there even if it’s not perfect – I often have a mistake here and there in my writing – it doesn’t worry me as its more important I get my message across than be perfect.Focus on Progress on Perfectionism
If I can do it and English is my second language, the skill can be learned by anyone so long as the commitment and consistency is there.
Work Hard – Play Hard!
Love Nat x
