Three Sneaky Saboteurs Halting Your Book Writing Journey & How to Move Forward

I used to feel ashamed of how long I’d been “working” on my book. Years had gone by, and I had nothing to show for it.

Can you relate?

Maybe, like me, you were inspired by an idea for a book, yet over time, you lost momentum, and the energy for it fizzled out.

I had knowledge and expertise that could help my readers, yet when it came to writing my book, I’d start, stall, and often prioritize other “more important things.”

When I finally did sit down to write, I was confused about how to organize my thinking and effectively share my methodology.

I was in my own way, and I knew it, but I couldn’t figure out how to get unstuck!

I even had years of professional experience as a successful writer and editor. So why was I stuck when it came to writing this book?

Because of my personal growth journey, I had the tools I needed to dig deeper into why I had been stuck for so long. I soon realized that the obstacles I faced trying to write my book were mostly internal.

They were limiting beliefs and subconscious fears— some more conscious than others. And they were masked by some pretty logical-sounding thoughts:

Other projects are more important right now.

I’ll get started on that this weekend . . . next week . . . next month.

There are already so many books on my topic; does my book even matter?

What if my book flops and people judge me?

And this fear surprised me the most:

What if I’m successful?

What has surprised me most in my work as a book coach is how many brilliant leaders and subject-matter experts get stuck in their limiting beliefs and subconscious fears as they begin to write their books.

Our minds will create very logical-sounding excuses on behalf of our fears!

Despite their self-awareness or years of training or experience in their field, most aspiring authors encounter internal obstacles of one kind or another on the journey to finishing their book.

Here are three of the sneakiest saboteurs that keep aspiring book authors stuck:

1. Procrastination

Most business book authors are busy with a zillion tasks running their business, so it’s easy to let the idea of writing a book get pushed to the back burner.

Our clients Melissa and Mark are co-founders of a successful consulting business and longed to co-author a book. They knew their methodology was transforming teams and organizational culture and that writing a book could help them expand their impact and make the difference they really wanted to make.

When I first spoke with them, Mark admitted they kept making excuses that they ‘weren’t ready.’ They were busy consultants, after all, and their to-do list kept growing, and other projects were a priority, even though they both saw this pattern happening year after year.

Melissa even admitted she got angry when she saw her colleagues announce their new books when she’d wanted to be an author so badly. When Melissa and Mark finally saw their procrastination pattern, they named it and decided to commit. They prioritized their book in their full calendars and found that outside accountability was key to making the time to align with their vision and write their book. In just over two months, they had a finished manuscript. After publishing their book, their business is thriving more than ever.

Procrastination and other excuses can often mask underlying obstacles like self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the fear of failure or success.

2. Fear of Failure (or Success!)

If we want to write a book that will help or inspire others, we must let go of the fear of “failing” to be of service to our readers! Bestselling author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins has a great outlook on failure: He says, “There are no failures, only outcomes. As long as I learn something, I am succeeding.” You undoubtedly will grow as you write your book. And the reward of finishing your book and seeing it help others far outweighs the fears or risks that may be holding you back.

My fear of success, it turned out, was partially rooted in a childhood fear of being seen. I'm a shy introvert, after all! I had to see that by playing small and not finishing my book, I couldn’t serve in the way I felt called to serve. I also uncovered a subconscious belief that being “successful” meant I would be so busy I wouldn’t be available for my children, just like my successful, hard-working father wasn’t always available for me. Our childhood wounds will hold us back until we face them head-on. By nurturing our inner child with tender, loving care and presence, we can address limiting beliefs that began in childhood and might still be holding us back as adults.

3. Self-Doubt

No matter the years of subject-matter expertise, most published authors admit they had to reckon with their inner “imposter” feelings while writing their books.

When Diane, a wellness researcher, came to us for support to write her book, she admitted she’d started writing her book on her own, but she wasn’t sure her writing was good enough. She’d been trained to rely on research for everything she’d ever written and often quoted other experts to back up her points. As a result, her writing felt disconnected and dry.

Diane knew she needed to write more authentically to connect with readers and make the impact she wanted, yet she lacked the confidence that her years of expertise or unique voice on her subject matter were enough.

Her writing became much more relatable when she finally embraced her inner wisdom and shared her vulnerability through powerful personal stories. Once her book was published, she took that great storytelling onto corporate stages, and now her speaking career has taken off.

When you can be honest with yourself and explore the deeper reasons you are stuck or stalling your book-writing journey, you have the opportunity to succeed!

To help you move forward in your book-writing journey, I invite you to explore these Flow-writing prompts from Chapter 2 of my book, 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸.

(The best way to answer these prompts is to set a timer for 15 minutes and start writing. Keep your pen moving (or your fingers typing) until the timer is done. Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, spelling, or whether it’s good writing. Just allow the words to flow onto the page until the time is up. This is how you begin to trust yourself and allow your writing to flow!)

What fears or limiting beliefs might be holding me back from finishing my book?

When have such fears or beliefs held me back before now?

How did I move through them?

Am I willing to be honest and explore these blocks to set myself free?

If I feel any resistance to exploring my inner experience, including my emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and fears, why is that?

If you're seeking more practical tools and guidance for writing your transformational book, 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 includes guided practices and transformative flow-writing prompts in each chapter. I wrote this book to help you overcome obstacles and find your flow, consistently and consciously, so you can finish your book and share your wisdom with the world!

To learn more and get a free preview of the book, go to www.modernwisdompress.com/awaken-into-flow.

To your Inner Wisdom,

Catherine Gregory

Co-founder, Modern Wisdom Press