The Word document cursor was flashing and seemed as though it would never stop. To write a book, it was obvious that it was going to be hard. But I was ready to face the challenge. As I sat there looking at the blank canvas, I got a little nervous. “Can I do this?” I thought to myself.

My mind went back to high school and college thinking of what my English teachers would say if I told them I was writing a book. I know what they would say. Better yet, I know what they would do – LAUGH.

You see, I was a great student. In most classes I got good grades and was involved in school activities. But when it came to English, I got C’s and D’s. I can’t really put my finger on why, other than I just could quite seem to get the concept of grammar. Oh, and I wasn’t particularly fond of reading either.

The ironic thing is that although my teachers would probably laugh at the concept of me, Garrett Pierson, writing a book, I guarantee that most of them have never written a book and they teach writing! I wasn’t going to let my English grades stop my desire to write.

Then, after thinking about how my teachers might react, my thoughts went to my friends, family, and others who would read my book. “What if they didn’t like it?” I thought to myself. “What if someone notices a spelling or grammatical error?” “If someone calls me out on something in my book, then what?” I was pretty much just being a baby. That’s what it really came down to. Sometimes we think that if we could make everyone happy then the world would be a much better place. But the trust is that if we try to please everyone, our chances for success are pretty slim. I couldn’t let what others thought or think stop me and neither can you.

The next roadblock I had to overcome when I wrote my first book was the inner monologue going on in my head. Doubt, anxiety, and sheer lack of knowledge were intimidating. I didn’t know how to write a book, nor did I posses the skills to do so. But the underlying truth was that I wasn’t going to let my limitations and fears stop me.

Here’s why: I had made a commitment to write a book and therefore I wasn’t going to give up. I have a saying that I have kept with me ever since I was a teenager. “Never Give Up.” The truth is, I was scared. But nothing was going to get in my way.

We have discussed some initial challenges to writing your first book, namely our concerns about what others think about us and our own self-doubts.

Here is what I have learned when it comes to other people’s opinion; it’s just that, their opinion or perspective. If someone doesn’t like my book then that is his or her right to have that opinion. But it doesn’t mean that my book doesn’t have value and won’t help someone. The way I look at it is that when there is someone who is talking bad about my book, then I have done an outstanding job of creating a topic that somebody feels is worth discussing.

Here is a quick example illustrating what I mean. Howard Stern has millions of listeners. Guess who makes up the majority of his following? It’s the critics that hate him. They want to hear what he has to say next. They’re anxiously waiting for the opportunity to debate their point of view against his. Sometimes I think he says things just to get a response out of people. Those who aren’t critics who listen to him enjoy the differences of opinion, no matter what side they agree with on a particular topic.

So it comes down to you wanting it enough and not worrying about what others think about you writing a book. If you have ever wanted to learn how to write a book then now is the time to take advantage of all of the powerful information that is at your fingertips. Don’t waste anymore time. Believe in yourself and start writing your book ASAP!