Are you besieged with multiple “I don’t know” dilemmas? Particularly about writing? Like, “I don’t know how to write a book-length story”? Or “I don’t know how to find ideas to write about”? Or “I don’t know how to find a publisher, or market my self-published story”? And the list goes on. Well, you’re not alone. All writers are faced with these questions daily. How do we deal with them? One at a time and by sharing ideas with other writers. But there are things you can do to overcome this lengthy and onerous list of uncertainties. Here are a few examples:

Believe in yourself. How many times do we hear this basic statement whether it’s about writing or something else? There’s merit to this statement. If we don’t believe in ourselves, then how can we convince others to believe in us? I remember having a conversation with a would-be author who was about to send his manuscript to potential publishers. He claimed that only the big-name publishing houses were good enough for him. Perhaps he was on a big ego trip, but then again, he was affirming his belief in the value of his work. Did it pay off? Perhaps it did.

Talk to other authors, but don’t expect them to have all the answers either. It’s good to share ideas, though, and there might be a possible solution to your question(s) that will reveal itself in the discussion.

Don’t allow the “I don’t know” list of questions to overwhelm you. We’re all human and there’s always going to be the “I don’t know” scenario to face. Take one question at a time. For example, write your story first, then seek a means to publish it.

“I don’t know how to write my memoir.” – No one does. It’s a story like anything else. Just start writing snapshots of life events. It doesn’t have to be in any particular order to start with. Just write. The same goes for any story you have in the offing – just write!

Should you seek help from an established author? Perhaps. But don’t plague them with questions. Don’t expect others to do the work for you. All authors have their own writing to do, too. Searching the internet might be a better option as it won’t disturb other authors, and you’ll find all sorts of good intel.

Put your writing first. It doesn’t matter what you write as long as you write. Most of what authors write never gets published, but the important thing is that they write. Why? Because the writing game is a life-long obsession that drives us forward on a lengthy learning curve, a journey. Where that journey leads us is the biggest unknown, but the important thing is that we write.

My father always said, “We go through life asking questions.” We don’t always get the answers we seek, but we can always ask the questions. Simply stating “I don’t know” is more of a block than a question. We all need to face the fact that nothing in life comes easy and that includes writing. So, get on with it and just write.