Hey fam,

Before I dive into the newsletter, I want to say “Thank you” for celebrating 5 years of Motherhood with me on my son's birthday. I'm still replying to the Facebook and Instagram wishes and prayers one week later… Haha! I don’t take it for granted at all. God bless you and may celebration never cease in your home!

The first time I seriously thought of writing a book was in the first quarter of 2019 but I didn't start writing until September 2020 after I paid a book a book writing coach. (You remember the gist of my MMM series. For my newer subscribers, Read it HERE. It's really good!)

Why did it take so long? Because I didn't know this advice I'm about to give you. As simple as it seems, this is arguably the most important and practical advice you'll ever get about writing.

Before I go on with the advice, let me tell you a short story about something that happened earlier this year. It was on a Tuesday morning. I opened my email and saw that exciting headline -

“Congratulations Ugonne Ann”

You just made a sale!🚀

I rejoiced in my heart. My book, The Birthing, is still selling even without much promotion. God is good! I was about to go ahead with my day when I thought to check my selar account. That was when I realized that my reader was from Ghana.

"Hia! Ghana kwa! Who knows me in Ghana?”

My mind started to wonder who it was when I suddenly remembered to check my WhatsApp. As soon as I opened the app, her messages dropped. "Hi, I just paid for my book.“

Because I want to connect personally with my readers, I set up the sale in a way that makes it possible for anyone who buys the book to reach me directly. We talked for a bit and I was just about to say “Ngawanu bye-bye" when I thought to ask her where she heard about the book, Th Birthing. Then she said this:

I was in awe. Look at God. Look at that encounter. This small book that one little Igbo girl living in China wrote 3 years ago is still reaching many in countries she has never been to. Wow! And this interaction is one that I have ever so often. I've recorded so many testimonies of transformation, growth, identity shifts, etc since the release of this book.

And then that sobering thought came into my mind -

What if? What if I never got to the point of actually writing this book? What if I never finished the manuscript?

What if I thought it wasn't that important? What if I felt like it wasn't that much of a big deal and I didn't take the necessary steps? What if I stopped or gave up?

None of these things would have ever happened. The encounters. The impact. The growth and transformation. The fire. None of it would have existed. This is why I'm writing to you. It's not enough to think or dream about becoming an author. You have to be so convinced about it that you take action and START WRITING!

The moment the thought of writing continues to knock on your heart, the moment that wisp of an idea continues to linger, make room in your life, and accept the invitation.

This is the most important thing about writing your first book. You just have to start. Even when you don't know what you are writing about. Make room. Schedule a specific time to write. When you do this, you are telling God, yourself, and the universe that you mean business. Deciding to start even when you're not sure is a faith walk. It's you paying attention, taking a closer look at the bush burning in your heart.

Creating those time blocks to focus on the thought, idea, or picture in your soul is how you say "Yes" to the invitation. It's your "Here I am" moment and the prerequisite for the Lord to start speaking. Just like he did with Moses. It was until the Lord saw Moses coming closer, that he began to speak. When I said "Yes" to writing my first book, I thought I was writing a book titled "Motherhood game changer". It wasn't until I started the process of writing that I stumbled into what God had for me.

I started to see and hear clearly. The title, the different sections, the people to interview, and the overarching message of the book, The Birthing, became clear. The key is to be disciplined and focused enough to just start. When your eye is single, your body will be full of light. That means when you start writing and get focused on that idea, light, clarity, and understanding will come. This was what happened with the great CS Lewis. As Lewis once explained,

Imagine that. He decided to sit down and make sense of the picture in his head since he was 16 years old, after 24 years. It was only then that the incredible book called Chronicles of Narnia was born. It is only when we submit to the rigorous yet rewarding process of writing that everything will come together. So make room in your life today!

Ugonne, How do I make room? What does that look like practically?

• 👉If it's a book, create a mock cover for it. I think most of us can use Canva in 2024, so get on Canva and put something together OR get a graphic designer to help you create one.

• 👉Set a specific time block for your writing. 60 minutes in the morning, 45 minutes during your lunch break, 90 minutes of your baby's nap time.

• 👉Look for and join communities where people are writing and launching books.

• 👉Pay a book writing coach for accountability, support, editorial feedback, and marketplace intelligence.

Then, watch heaven pull for you. Before I leave; I'd love to hear from you. Hit the reply button, and tell me -

• What are you working on?

• What is your biggest struggle as a new/aspiring writer/author?

• Is there any way I can help you?

Let me know! And if this newsletter hit all the right notes, let me know what stood out to you. You can leave a comment in the online version just like my VCAP sister Nana did last week (See Below). I deeply love and appreciate the feedback.

You know that I’m rooting for you!

With Love,

A SNEAK PEEK INTO MY MIND

💃❤𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩

Visioning 2024 Summit (Next 150)- Appraise your first half of 2024 holistically and understand how to design purpose goals that move you into alignment with your Destiny DNA, where you create from a place of rest. You will understand how to maximize yourself as an asset, re-position for opportunities, and partner with God to win in the next 150 days. Click here to sign up!

🎤🎼𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤

Calling my name. This song has been on replay since I discovered it. It's a warrior's anthem. It's us pledging our allegiance to our King. I love it so much.

📺📺 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜

Tosin Sanni on The Shinning Light Show - Oh gosh!! The healing I got from just watching this beautiful, super-authentic, super-relatable story of love and transformation! Ahhhhhh!!! God is so good! I’m not surprised it went viral. You should definitely check it out!

Quote of the week