A few weeks ago, I was talking with a group of writers mixed with people who wanted to write. The people who wanted to write were amazed that the writers had managed to take the leap and put pen to paper, and even more so for some of us to have finished an entire manuscript.

This idea had been bouncing around in my head for a good long while, but when a young woman said to me, “I don’t know if I could actually write a book, even though I want to.” I responded with, “You’ve just got to have the audacity.”

And that’s what it is really, to put pen to paper and express yourself through the written word: audacity.

Now, audacity is typically used when someone is being rude or selfish, but the definition we’re using here is “a willingness to take bold risks” or even “to possess a bold, fearless, and often daring quality, sometimes to the point of being shocking or rude.”

To be a writer, you have to have audacity, being bold and brave enough to speak your truth, no matter how shocking, or even rude, it may seem to people. I truly believe that is the only thing standing between writers who keep going and finish their manuscripts and the ones who sell themselves short and never finish anything.

So, today, let’s get into why you should channel your audacity, because you deserve to be a writer if that’s what you want to be.

Hi, I’m C. Sloan Lewis, your virtual writing coach, and my goal is to help you not just improve your writing, but to support you as a writer. Welcome to my channel!

Why Writing Takes Audacity

Writing is one of the most vulnerable forms of art, if not the most. There’s something about the exchange of words between writer and reader that is far more intimate than through other mediums, like painting or crafting. A text is your thoughts, whether based in fiction or reality, displayed for the world to see, or at least whoever you’ve permitted to read it. But even long before a reader gets their hands on it, there is the raw unfettering of your heart, mind, and soul to write something genuine, something truly you.

When we set out to write a piece, we are setting goals with ourselves. Whether it’s an essay, short story, novel, or manuscript, we are stepping into a place where we might fail, get rejected, and/or be judged severely. You might not finish the project you set out to write. You might not get anyone to read or buy it. You might have many people in your life who judge you hard for even daring such a feat.

And let’s talk about that: people don’t typically react well when you tell them you’re writing a book, especially if it’s your first one. Confusion, pity, amusement, frustration, and apathy are just some of the emotions I have experienced from people over the years as I set out to write books. Now that I’ve self-published one and it has become something people expect of me, I get more positive reactions. But for new writers, especially in the vulnerable stage of starting a project, it can be really hard to handle people’s reactions.

That’s why you need audacity. You need to be able to say, “forget the haters, I’m going to write this dang book.” You need to be daring enough to believe your story matters, no matter how hard it is to write, what people might think of it, or whether anyone in your life believes you can do or not.

Own your project, own your craft as a writer.

The Myths that Keep Us Small

If I believed that in order to start a YouTube channel about writing, I needed to be an award-winning novelist or a professor in an acclaimed writing program, well, I never would have started this channel. If writers believe they have to have some sort of degree or training to start writing a book, that someone in their life needs to give them the thumbs up, or they need to prove their writing prowess in some other way, we would have so few books written.

There are three big myths that keep writers small and unable to finish their projects:

“I’m not good enough yet.”

“No one will care what I have to say.”

“If I fail, I’ll never recover.”

To those ideas, I say: yes, you are; who cares what people think?; and the only true failure is when you stop trying.

Of these ideas, the “I’m not good enough yet” has been the one that held me back the most. Putting off projects, not seeking critiques on what I’ve written, or not even telling people in my life that I’m a writer, have all been caused by this ethereal idea of being “good enough.” It’s not real. You will never be good enough, and you are great just as you are right now. Both can be true.

Engaging in any craft inherently forces you into this state of never being good enough, never reaching the peak of what you think it means to be the master of your craft. There will always be room for improvement, always things you wish you’d done differently when looking back at a finished product.

No one needs to give you permission other than you. That’s where the audacity comes in.

What Aduacious Writers Actually Do

Alright, so we’ve decided to be audacious… but what does that look like?

Writers with audacity jump in, feet first, into their writing project. Sure, there’s planning, outlining, worldbuilding, but when it comes to writing the first draft, they start messy. They dive right in and let the words flow, form and function be damned. Some even write bad gasp on purpose!

The reason I loved National Novel Writing Month so much, before it crashed and burned, was that people had to write so many words in a month that they couldn’t stop to think about how it sounded; they just had to get those words down on the page. It removed all the inhibitions that keep our audacity at bay.

But no matter how strong a writer starts their project, doubt and impostor syndrome inevitably creep in, especially as you reach your story’s midpoint. The audacious writer pushes through negative self-talk and believes in themselves, which is obviously way easier said than done. But still, they persevere, even if they aren’t feeling super pumped about their project. They put their butt in their chair and get their ideas down on the page. When chapters get finished and word counts tick up, the audacious writer pats themselves on the back and celebrates the small wins.

So, even if you feel like you are in a deep pit of despair about your writing, I challenge you to write something today, even just one sentence, that feels daring, honest, or unapologetically you.

Your Voice Matters

If you take nothing else away from this video, remember this: your voice matters.

There is no one else who sees the world exactly the way you do. No one else with your experiences, your insights, your blend of heart and mind and imagination. That means something. That deserves space.

There are people out there who need your story—your perspective. You might not know who they are. You might not hear from them. But that doesn’t mean your words didn’t matter. They do.

Being a writer means choosing to be seen. Choosing to believe in yourself enough to say what you came here to say. And that’s not easy. But it is worth it.

So if you want to be a writer, then you already are one. Don’t wait for someone else to hand you that title. Claim it. Be audacious. Be bold. And most of all—keep writing.

Closing Call to Action

If this video resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you: What bold writing dream are you chasing right now?

Drop it in the comments—I’d love to cheer you on.

And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and stick around. This channel is here to support your writing journey, one audacious step at a time.

You’ve got some writing to do, and I’ll see you in the next video. Ta-ta!