“Success is not a doorway, it’s a staircase.”
Dottie Walters

Here’s a fascinating statistic:  According a recent survey, more than 80% of Americans would like to publish a book. This doesn’t surprise me at all; as a writer, I constantly encounter people in all walks of life who harbor a secret desire to see something they’ve written in print. Just this evening, I spoke at a spirited gathering of women business owners about my book, Birthing the Elephant. One of the women attending who’s an absolute dynamo and in terrific shape (she’s a health & wellness coach who really walks her talk!), was chatting at dinner about a great idea she has for a book. A friend has been encouraging her to get going and even came up with a fabulous title.

But as any of us who’ve published know, “there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip.” Thinking about authoring a book is one thing and actually writing it is something else altogether. Apart from logistical issues like putting together a proposal and finding an agent, how do you begin getting an idea out of your head and onto the page so you can start shaping it? How do you build momentum and move from the dream zone into the doing zone?

I’d say that my newfound fitness friend should borrow a leaf from her own “book” and follow the same advice she probably gives her clients who want to get in shape: come up with a goal that’s both motivating and doable — and post it where you can see it every day; start small: pick one facet of your idea that really grabs you, begin developing it and see where it takes you; commit to working on your book concept every day, even just for 15 minutes — consistency is key.

A little tough love from Helen Keller might also be helpful: “I didn’t get here by dreaming about it or thinking about it– I got here by doing it. We can do anything we want to do if we stick with it long enough.” Write on!