Dear friend,
I started writing a book.
A second book, actually.
The first book I ever wrote was a sci-fi novel when I was 16. More of an “experiment” I’d say, which ended up selling 120 copies.
Many of the sales came from family and friends sharing it on social media, which was pretty cool to see at 16.
Since then, I’ve always thought about writing another one.
So yesterday I pulled up my Reedsy account (my favorite tool for long-form writing, not affiliated), typed out an outline, and started writing the first chapter.
Looking back at that first book and the lessons I learned from it, I wanted to remind myself of a few things before getting too deep into this one.
A few thoughts came to mind:
1. Lower the bar for the first draft
When I wrote my first book, I didn’t care if it was “good,” I just wanted it to exist. It’s very easy to kill a project by expecting the first version to be good.
2. Naivety is a superpower
If I had known how hard writing a novel was back then, it probably wouldn’t have been as easy to start. Sometimes not knowing exactly what you’re getting into can be a big reason you’ll see something through to the end.
3. The milestone matters more than the metric
120 copies isn’t a bestseller list. But setting an ambitious goal, finishing it, and holding the final product in my hands changed how I saw myself. It gave me proof that I could follow through on something hard.
Whatever ambitious project you’re working on (or might work on in the future), I don’t think you need to wait until you feel completely ready to start.
Maybe you just need enough optimism, naivety, and outright delusion to get the thing off the ground.
More updates soon as I get deeper into the book 🙂
~ Joshua
Enjoyed this letter?
Every week, I send a thoughtful essay about building an independent career, living abroad, and creating a more intentional life.
Join 250+ subscribers reading The Resignation Letter.
