1. EXPECT THIS TO BE HARD Anyone who tells you that writing a book is easy is either trying to sell you something, has never written a book, or writes really bad books. Books are hard to write. And writing a good book is even harder. To overcome this, you’ll need to work hard. Yes, this should be obvious, but there are many people who seem to think, if only sub- consciously, that there is some “trick” to make writing your book easier. There’s not. There is no hack or trick or workaround. If you want to write a good book, then expect that it will require hard work from you. 2. EXPECT TO GET TIRED Writing is tiring (especially if you do it correctly). Expect to get tired when you write, and expect that it will drain you. Make sure to take the steps you need to be both rested and energized when you write. I can’t tell you precisely what to do for proper self-care; that all depends on you. Maybe going for a walk with your dog is fine, maybe you need to get more sleep. The point is not the details; the point is to know it’s coming and do what you need to in order to prepare—and actually do it. 22 · ThE SCriBE METhOD