Yes. You Should Write That Thing You Want To Write.

Hey! You know that thing you’ve been wanting to write? You should write it.

But who are you to write a story, a memoir, or a self-help book? You’re you, and if you have the urge then it’s for you to write.

Well, but maybe, if anyone found out I was writing something, they would criticize or judge me for it, because, you know, who am I? I’m not a writer, well, except for that writing I did during school… and those few poems I wrote in my twenties… and I tried blogging, but only lasted a few posts… and there was that one year I attempted NaNoWriMo…

You don’t have to “be anyone” to start writing. The only thing you have to have is the urge to do it.

You know that memoir you’ve been wanting to write? You should do it. What’s that you say? Maybe your life isn’t exciting enough? Maybe it’ll be boring. Or maybe it won’t be boring at all, but way too revealing? You should do it anyway. If it’s calling out to you, there’s a reason.

You know that romance novel you’ve been wanting to write? Maybe it’s even a “spicy” romance novel? You should write it. What’s that you say? A lot of people think that romance is a silly genre and isn’t “serious” literature, but it does sound like a lot of fun and you have had this idea brewing… Well, so what? I think we’ve got all the “serious” we can handle in the world right about now, and, you never know, you might just have fun and learn something (and other people may really enjoy it too!)

I once wrote a story about a ghost who needs coaching because he can’t scare anyone, so I wouldn’t worry about anything being too “silly.” (It’s also free.)

You know that short story you’ve been wanting to write. You should write it. What’s that you say? Maybe it’ll be too much work and maybe you’re not really worthy of writing down your characters’ stories. As I heard a friend say to another friend recently, those characters chose you to speak to. They want you to tell their story. It’s yours to tell. And, again, you might just enjoy yourself.

You know that non-fiction book you’d like to write? On that topic you really have an interest in and where you feel like you have something to teach? Yeah, that one. You should write it. What’s that you say? It might not be good enough. Maybe you’re delusional thinking that you could help other people with it. Maybe people will challenge your qualifications for writing it. Listen, I’m gonna bet that plenty of “delusional” people wrote a non-fiction book on a topic they really cared about and helped people with it. Maybe being “delusional” isn’t so bad.

I mean, I once wrote a book called Productivity For INFPs. You can’t be any worse than me. 🙂

But, seriously, you should write that thing you’ve been wanting to write.

Because no one else will…

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Amanda Linehan is an Independent Author, Coach, and INFP. She is the author of Productivity for INFPs: How To Be Productive Within Your Natural Rhythms and has published 16 titles since 2012, including five novels. Since 2017, she has run her author business full-time. Get exclusive access to her INF Summitt Interview on fiction writing, self-publishing, and being self-employed by joining the For INFPs newsletter here.