Do it 'write' now

I was honored to both attend and give a presentation at the Show Me Writers Conference on Saturday, organized by local authors Amanda Flinn and Sarah Geringer. I'm not typically a numbers person, but some alarming statistics grabbed me.

Author Karen Sargent shared the following: The percentage of people who say they want to write a book is 81%; of those, 2% start the book; of the 2% who start, 3% complete the book; so that's 97% who do not finish the book.

These are old statistics, but I dare say they probably haven't changed much. What stands out to me is that most people want to write a book, but very few follow through. My goal is to encourage you to write that book.

I've asked many times, "Who wants to write a book?" The response is overwhelming. The question is why do most fail to write the book they say they want to write? For the same reason people don't do most things they say they want to do: busy, not enough time, family obligations, don't know how to start, on and on. There's always a reason not to do something, and we convince ourselves these reasons are legitimate. They're not. For example, people say to me all the time, "Please keep me in the loop with the leadership training you're offering. I'm going to do it at the right time [when I'm not as busy, when things ease up, when all the stars align]." The truth is we only get busier, things get harder, and the stars are rebellious. You'd have to have an incredibly overactive imagination to believe "the right time" is anything other than a figment of anyone's imagination. It's the classic fairy tale, and we've been writing it all of our lives.

Why do people dream of writing a book? I mean, 81% is a whole lot of percent. Here's what people tell me: "I want to share my story," I have something to say," "I desire to leave a legacy." Then many will say in the same breath they don't follow through because they don't think anyone would be interested. To those, I say, "Stop writing other people's stories for them." In other words, stop putting words in people's mouths. Let them decide for themselves. Truth be told, yeah, many are probably not interested in our story. Here's the beauty of writing, though: Done well, it's not about our story, not ultimately. Life has universal experiences -- joy, sorrow, triumph, defeat ... It's that connection they discover as we present our story -- whether nonfiction or fiction -- that makes it their story, too. Our challenges connect to their challenges, our victories to their victories. Good writing is about the reader, not just the writer. So start your story, and stop writing theirs in which you've naively predetermined they won't be interested.

I'm increasingly aware that life is a vapor. We blink, and, just like that, we're 50, 60, 80 years old. The people who were staples in our lives are gone, just like that. So I'm urging action. Tomorrow is not the time to start the thing you feel called to do. The only time to start is now. Folks tell me it's too soon or too late or too hard or too this or too that. It's always "too" something. And you know what? It always will be. But you can conquer your "too," and I encourage you to.

So, yes, as a person who loves the written word, who believes in the power of books, who has written three of them, one of which is called "Push Your Way to Purpose," I'm feeling a stronger tug lately to push others to take the book that's in their hearts and get it into readers' hands. We can sit around and argue incessantly about the politics and worldviews and backgrounds of people who are, whether we like them or not, doing what they feel called to do, or we can get busy doing what we feel called to do. In a commitment to the latter, I'm already working on launching online writing courses for the 81% percent to provide easy to follow, step by step guidance to writing a book. My hope is that these courses will provide the know-how to slay the inexcusable 2%, 3% and 97% stats. I have no doubt that among those reading this column right now, many are in that 81%. You can connect with me at adriennerosscom@gmail.com for help in moving past your "too," but however you choose to move forward, just get moving "write" now.

What stands out during the strange times we've been living in this year are the things that truly matter; the need to live in faith, not fear; and the urgency to make every day count. So if I have to be a statistic, and we all are in one way or another, let it be one that reveals I produced something that will live longer, speak louder and travel farther than I ever will.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member.