Find Clarity and Confidence in Your Writing (5 Lessons from my Stanford workshop)
Over the weekend, I had the honor of teaching an intensive, book-development workshop at Stanford. It reminded me how much I love rolling up my sleeves in person with other writers!
It was also inspiring because within two days, writers who started as strangers became the most generous of friends and colleagues. Those who came in with vague ideas left with more clarity, energy, and with a personalized action plan in hand.
In the middle of the workshop, I was hit with some powerful reminders that I’d like to share here.
1. Clarity and belief don’t come before action—they come from it.
We often think we need to believe in ourselves first. To have the perfect plan before we start. But belief isn’t the prerequisite—it’s the result.
By jumping in and actively wrestling with their book’s hook and content—rather than just thinking or dreaming about an eventual book deal—they were abuzz with energy and direction.
As those writers continue to work on their books, their stories and messages will continue to get even clearer. As they pick up their pens to write, they’ll start building lasting confidence…because that’s also earned in the doing.
2. To keep momentum, start small.
A book is a massive project, so of course you’ll sometimes struggle to keep going.
While we were designing our personal plans for following through after the workshop, some students were worried they would just fall into procrastination. I can so relate to that. I procrastinate plenty, but over the years I’ve learned that it’s not out of laziness. It comes from perfectionism and from overwhelm at thinking of the entire project.
One participant, Cynthia, summed this up so well when she told us she finished her dissertation by telling herself she only had to write 100 words. Then, once she did that and the pressure was off, momentum usually pushed her far past that goal. Lo-and-behold, one day, she had a dissertation!
My little in-class assignments were small enough to start, and they were also on the spot, which brings me to the next point.
3. Community and accountability are rocket fuel.
In just one day, people got more done than they had in months, sometimes years—because they were surrounded by others doing the same thing.
From peer pressure to my watchful eye, they got shit done.
By the end, the room was buzzing—not from caffeine, but from the satisfaction of taking action.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect idea, plan, or burst of confidence before starting…heed Michael Jordan’s advice and just do it.
4. When you can’t decide, just experiment. It’s valuable, even when it fails.
One thing I find with writers of a certain age (my age 🙋♀️), we can be reluctant to try new things, especially things outside our comfort zone. What we’re forgetting is that we don’t need to commit forever, we just need to test it out.
Whether it’s a new structure, a writing schedule, or a platform building plan, some experiments will be winners, some losers we ditch, and all will teach us about ourselves.
Try out that new structure and see if you like it. If not, try something else.
Try a different POV in your manuscript.
Try waking up early to write, and if that doesn’t work, try another time.
Try building your author platform with a medium that you’re curious about—whether it’s social, or speaking, or writing essays — for a set amount of time (say 90 days) and see what you learn about yourself. Check out my current Instagram experiment here.
[One thing I’ve learned, use reading glasses before posting. 😆 I raved about my Stanford worship instead of workshop. Talk about off-brand.]
If someone suggests something, just try it!
5. Comps are essential—but don’t compare your first efforts to someone else’s finished book.
I won’t lie—there were some downer moments. Naturally, people questioned their worthiness when we started looking at comparative titles and talking about the competition to traditionally publish.
Totally normal. It’s definitely deflating to see polished books from bestselling authors when you still haven’t even figured out exactly what your book is about. But remember, those books didn’t start that way. They’ve been through years of shaping and refining by both the author and their publishing team.
Several writers wanted to avoid looking at comps altogether, also worried they’ll accidentally copy someone else’s ideas or lose their unique voice. I get that, too. Wisely, some realized that reading too deeply can become a form of procrastination—a way to stay “researching” instead of writing.
But you can’t ignore the market. You need to know what’s out there, what readers are responding to, and how your project will stand out. If you’re writing nonfiction, this is non-negotiable. Study the jacket copy, table of contents, and reviews to understand how each book positions itself—and how yours will add something new to the conversation.
The secret to making your book stand out from the market—so it sells—is to double down on whatever makes you and your book different. More on that in this post.
Conclusion
If there’s one thing I hope you take from these lessons, it’s this: clarity, confidence, and community aren’t waiting for you at the finish line—they’re built along the way. Start with one small step, one experiment, one messy draft. Then do it again. The more you do, the clearer it gets.
I’ll keep reminding myself of that too!
