How to Write Every Book You Want to Before You Die

"If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it."

– Toni Morrison

Most people cling to the fantasy that they’ll eventually get around to writing that book—or the dozen books—they’ve been daydreaming about. 

They convince themselves that “someday” will magically appear, that life will slow down, and that inspiration will just strike out of nowhere. 

But let’s get real: someday is the biggest lie you’re telling yourself. The perfect moment? It doesn’t exist, and life is only going to get crazier. 

If you’ve got stories clawing to get out, you need to stop with the excuses and start writing like your life depends on it—because it does.

This isn’t about waiting for time to appear; it’s about making it happen. It’s about embracing the mess, flipping off perfectionism, and accepting that your stories aren’t going to write themselves. 

If you’re dead serious about leaving no book unwritten before you check out, it’s time to smash every myth you’ve bought into about the writing process. 

Ditch the romanticized BS about waiting for the muse to show up and start attacking your creative work with the kind of ferocity it deserves—because the only thing keeping those books inside you is your own hesitation.

How to Write Every Book You Want to Before You Die

1) Know Your Why

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”

–Anaïs Nin

Most writers dive into projects the moment they feel a spark of inspiration, but that’s the quickest way to crash and burn. 

If you want to write every book burning inside you, you need to get brutally honest about what drives you. 

What’s the real reason you have to tell this story? Is it to leave a legacy, to flip the status quo the bird, or because this idea is gnawing at your soul until you bring it to life?

“Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depth of your heart; confess to yourself you would have to die if you were forbidden to write.”

—Rainer Maria Rilke

Your why is the fuel that’ll keep you grinding long after that initial rush wears off. If your why isn’t rock-solid, you’re gonna flame out before you ever hit the finish line.

Here’s the hard truth—knowing your why means slicing through your project list with ruthless precision. Not every idea deserves your blood, sweat, and sanity. Just because you can write a book doesn’t mean you should. To make sure you’re writing books that truly matter, you need to be ruthless in your selection process. 

Ask yourself: Does this idea align with my core why? Does it scream the message I want to leave behind? If it’s not a hard yes, then it’s a hard no.

You don’t have time to waste on mediocre projects. By curating your choices and laser-focusing on the stories that are deeply tied to your why, every book you write will feel like a necessity. And most importantly, you’ll actually finish writing them.

2) Get Excited Quickly, Commit Slowly

Get excited quickly, but commit slowly—that’s the mantra if you want to write every book that’s clawing its way out of your brain.

Inspiration strikes like lightning, and it’s easy to get caught up in the rush, but here’s the deal: not every idea deserves your full-blown commitment. 

When that spark hits, document it immediately. Capture every wild thought, every fleeting idea, and every whisper of inspiration. Jot it down in a notebook, a voice memo, or whatever works for you, but don’t jump headfirst into writing. 

Your mind is a factory of ideas, but not every one of them is ready for production. 

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”

—John Steinbeck

Let those ideas marinate. Give them time to stew, to evolve, to show you what they’re really made of. This is where the magic happens—when you let an idea simmer, it either intensifies or fizzles out. 

The ones that stick with you, the ones that refuse to leave your head even after days, weeks, or months—those are the ideas worth committing to. 

Don’t just fall for the rush of a new idea; let it prove itself. 

This way, when you finally sit down to write, you’re fully invested in a story that’s been battle-tested by time and your own ruthless discernment.

3) Save Yourself The Work — Take from Everything

Save yourself the headache and realize this: originality is overrated. 

Every great writer stands on the shoulders of giants, so stop trying to reinvent the wheel and start taking from everything around you. 

George R.R. Martin didn’t pull Westeros out of thin air—he layered his fantasy world over the rich tales of history, pulling from the War of the Roses and other real-world conflicts to create something epic. 

If you’re writing fiction, don’t shy away from borrowing elements from history, mythology, or even your favorite books. Mix, match, and twist them into something fresh. 

The key is to create something that feels new by building on the foundation of what’s already been done.

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

– Albert Einstein

For nonfiction, the same rules apply: take from everything. Draw inspiration from the places you’ve been, the people you know, the conversations you’ve overheard. 

Real life is full of material just waiting to be repurposed. That quirky neighbor? They’re a chapter in your next book. That café where you spend your mornings? It’s the perfect setting for your next essay. 

The world is your resource library, so start mining it for all it’s worth. The trick is to be a sponge, soaking up every detail and wringing it out onto the page. Don’t waste time trying to be a lone genius—borrow, steal, and remix until you’ve got something that’s undeniably yours.

4) Leverage Shared Universes 

Why reinvent the wheel with every new project when you can build an empire by letting your work piggyback on itself? 

"I always knew that all these stories were happening in the same universe, even if they were being told in different books. There’s something powerful about creating a world that readers can revisit, that keeps expanding with every new story."

– Brandon Sanderson

The smartest writers out there—Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and J.K. Rowling—have mastered the art of creating shared universes, where their stories, characters, and settings bleed into one another, creating a rich tapestry that fans can’t get enough of. 

King’s “Dark Tower” series isn’t just a standalone—it’s a nexus that connects nearly everything he’s ever written, from “It” to “The Shining.” 

The result? A sprawling universe where every story you write can feed into the next, and every new project is a chance to drop Easter eggs that keep your audience hooked and hungry for more.

"It’s all about the shared experience, the shared universe. I think readers like to see connections, to feel as though the stories they love are part of something bigger."

– Rick Riordan

Neil Gaiman does it too, weaving characters and lore from “Sandman” into his novels like “American Gods” and “The Ocean at the End of the Lane.” These aren’t just clever nods for superfans—they’re strategic IP building. 

Each story strengthens the others, creating a web of interconnected worlds that expand your creative playground and deepen your audience’s engagement. When you use shared universes and recurring elements, you’re building a legacy that can be revisited, expanded, and monetized in a hundred different ways. 

So, stop thinking of your projects as isolated islands and start seeing them as pieces of a much bigger puzzle—a puzzle that, when completed, could become your magnum opus.

5) Create Your Own Writing System

You can’t rely on random bursts of inspiration and scattered notes. You need a system—one that’s as relentless as you are. 

"Without order, without a little organization, there can be no art."

– Truman Capote

For me, that system is a Google Sheet that’s less of a spreadsheet and more of a writing war room. I’ve got tabs for everything: one dedicated to my creative projects, each linking directly to the Google Docs where the real work happens. 

When I sit down to write, I know exactly where I’m going and what needs to get done.

I have a tab for storytelling inspirations—books, movies, shows, anything that gets my gears turning. 

Another tab is packed with killer writing examples—sentences, scenes, and lines that I dissect and learn from. 

Then there’s a tab for resources, where I stash anything that could give me an edge, from research materials to industry insights. 

This is my creative lifeline. With everything in one place, I’m not wasting time digging through files or searching for lost ideas—I’m focused, locked in, and ready to turn those ideas into finished books. 

If you’re not building your own system, you’re setting yourself up to fail before you even start.

"You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads… May you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world."

– Ray Bradbury