It can be fun to gather research and develop an idea, but at some point, you have to stop reading and start writing. I like to dedicate 3 months to research, but first, I put a date on the calendar to indicate the first day of the writing phase. I have to do that because I love to explore—there’s always another book to read. But there’s also a real danger of getting stuck researching, convincing yourself you’re being diligent, when you’re really just scared to start.

It’s time.

Anne Lamott said, “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.”¹ She’s right. Let me say something really obvious that’s often overlooked. In order to write a book, you have to write. Real words. Tens of thousands of them. You have to sit down and type them into your computer. No one will do this for you. The only way you will write your book is to actually sit down and write it.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about how to write.

Ask any author for their advice on writing, and they will almost all tell you the same thing: The only way to become a good writer is to write. So that’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to sit down and start writing. Will it be good? Almost certainly not. There’ll be some good parts, but the quality is not as important as the quantity at this point. We just want to get the words from our head onto the page. Misspelled words? Leave them. Typos? Don’t worry about it. Nothing will derail your progress faster than rereading the paragraph you just wrote over and over again, trying to perfect it.

I like to review what I’ve written before I finish for the day, and that’s when I correct my typos. I’m too neurotic to leave them unfixed for longer than that, but it’s important to not edit when you’re supposed to be writing. You have to write.

No one has time to write—you make time to write. There is no cabin in the woods or year-long sabbatical. You will have to squeeze in 500 words before breakfast or after the kids go to bed. You might sneak away for a weekend in a hotel room to finish a chapter. For both readers and authors, books have a certain glamour, but there’s nothing glamorous about the process of making the book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun sometimes, and the moments when you cross a milestone feel incredibly gratifying, but writing a book is like training for a marathon. You spend months running, but you only cross the finish line once, at the very end. 

Stephen King found time to write his first book while working as a teacher and janitor. He wrote in a laundry room, often late at night. Anthony Trollope wrote 40 novels while working full time as a postal inspector. He woke up early and wrote every morning before work, timing himself with a watch and setting strict word-count goals. Victor Hugo famously locked away his clothes so he couldn’t leave the house to meet the deadline for “Les Misérables.” If you wait until you have time, you will never write a book.

I know I said it wasn’t hard to write a book, but I changed my mind. This part is hard. It’s hard because it takes long stretches of focused time, and we’re not very good at that anymore. It’s also hard because we’re insecure, and there will be multiple points along the way where you will be certain you are the worst writer in the world, with the dumbest ideas anyone has ever had, and you were a fool to think anyone would ever read your book. But mostly, it’s hard because anything worthwhile is. 

You don’t travel to see things that were 3D printed. You travel to see sculptures that took years to be chiseled out of stone. You travel to see buildings and monuments built by hand, brick by brick, that still stand today. We associate dedication with quality. The work matters.

Your second book will be easier than your first, and your third will be easier than your second, but finishing your first book requires an almost irresponsible level of commitment. I believe you’re up for the challenge. So you’re going to find time to write. Put it on your calendar. Schedule it. Tell your partner or your best friend, “I’m writing. I’m unavailable.” Close the door. Turn off your phone.

Some authors write for a period of time. Other authors write until they hit a certain word count. Either way is fine, and the goals you set for yourself might depend on how much flexibility you have in your work day or in your free time. What’s important is that you keep your commitment. I’m mostly a word count writer, but I also like to finish thoughts. Sometimes that’s a chapter, sometimes it’s a section, but I typically write until I feel like I’ve completed my thought. 

The more you write, the more momentum you will experience. Progress is a powerful thing. For me, it’s always around 15,000 words where I feel like I’m really doing something. Once I cross 30,000 words, I feel confident that I’m going to finish and it’s just a matter of time.

I write a little bit almost every day. If I can write 500 to 1,000 words most days, I can complete a first draft in 90 to 120 days. If you struggle to write 500 to 1,000 words consistently, you might not have a compelling idea, or you might not have researched the idea enough to have anything to say, or you might be a perfectionist who is trying to edit while you write. Diagnose the problem and fix it, because if you can’t write 500 to 1,000 words consistently, it’s going to be hard to finish your book.

It’s fun to write when you’re inspired, but you won’t always be inspired. That’s what separates writers from dreamers. Philip Roth said:“Amateurs wait for inspiration, the rest of us get up every day and go to work.”² Or there’s the great line often attributed to William Faulkner: I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes at nine every morning.

The point is, if you make writing a consistent routine, before long, you will have something to show for it. And some days—some very special days—you won’t do anything different than you did before, but all of a sudden words will start flowing, and you’ll think to yourself, “Hey, this is pretty good.” Those are the best days.

If you’re really committed, and stubbornly determined not to do anything else before you get your 500 to 1,000 words finished, then you’re ready to start the first draft.