After recently finishing Yes Please by Amy Poehler, I’m feeling inspired. For anyone who has read it, you’re probably wondering why, as she spends most of the book impressing upon the reader how hard it was to write said book. Strangely, I found it comforting – it felt like a sign from the universe telling me it’s okay to be unsure. That I can dislike the process and still want to accomplish the goal at the end of the rainbow.

Writing a book has been an idea floating in my head for quite some time now. When I was in middle school, I wrote a short story about a young detective named Stacy Masterson. She was brave, fearless, and greatly inspired by my obsession with Nancy Drew. (An obsession that still has not waned). I put Stacy on the shelf once I got into high school as I had other exciting ventures to explore. I have since lost (or thrown away) the wide-ruled composition notebook in which I enshrined her story. I never forgot her though – when I got my first car, I named it Stacy. 

“…talking about the thing isn’t the thing. The doing the thing is the thing.” – Amy Poehler, Yes Please

Quick reasons why I want to write a book:

1. It could be fun
2. It would be a challenge (English was never my best subject – I’m more of a math and science girly)
3. I read a lot and feel like I could write something interesting
4. Why not?

Now, several reasons why I don’t want to write a book:

1. It would likely be a boring process
2. It would be a challenge (see above)
3. I read a lot yet I don’t know if I have an interesting story worth telling
4. Why should I?

I’m writing this post, in part, to convince myself it’s a good idea to take that idea from being trapped in my head and put it on the page. This feels like the first step in what is surely to be a long road ahead. 

“It wasn’t until I turned 30 that I started to feel like my adult life was beginning.” – Amy Poehler, Yes Please

Speaking of things that I deeply wanted to do yet often found myself disliking the process – in 2024 I ran a marathon. My first marathon at 31 years old. I’m not telling you this to brag (or to insinuate that 31 is old – it is not!) but rather to communicate to you, and remind myself, that I can do hard things, AND THAT MY LIFE DIDN’T END AT THIRTY. I trained for weeks/months/years to accomplish that goal, and I swear it was one of the best days of my life. (Rivaling my wedding – don’t tell my husband). While actively running the marathon, I spoke for a while with a man who was running his first marathon at 64. Life is just starting! It’s time to take more risks.

“It’s easier to be brave when you’re not alone.” – Amy Poehler, Yes Please

Five, ten, or even fifteen years ago, if you asked me if I would run a marathon someday, I would have laughed in your face. People have asked me in the past if I like running, and I have announced, proudly, “Why would I ever want to do that?” and “I only run when something is chasing me” as reasons why I avoid the sport. But that all changed with gentle peer pressure and my determination to prove everyone, and myself, wrong. Without my cheer squad (you know who you are), I don’t think I could have crossed the finish line. It wouldn’t have been possible without that support. 

THAT BEING SAID, perhaps writing a book is not unlike running a marathon. It would take days, weeks, months, or years to complete the work and get published. I would have to commit to writing even on days I don’t feel like it. And just like I had to bring my running gear on vacation and run while everyone was sleeping, I will have to bring my laptop and be disciplined to write while everyone else is enjoying the pool. I would have to give it the attention it deserves.

I know there would be numerous other trade-offs: late nights staring at a screen, weeks where it felt like despite what I did I took ten steps back instead of the one step forward I was hoping for. I will inevitably stumble and want to quit. And I will certainly need a support system to help get me across that finish line. One thing that writing has going for it that running doesn’t – the risk of injury seems to be low. (What is that saying? The odds of your laptop killing you are low, but never zero?). 

When I started this blog at the beginning of the year, I wanted to document my reading journey, but I also wanted to find my voice. And I wanted to get comfortable putting my voice and thoughts out for the world to see and react to. There’s a vulnerability to putting your words out there knowing that there are infinitely different ways they can be interpreted.

So, I guess it’s time to get to the bottom line.

Should I write a book or not? 

Luckily Amy had just the words I needed to hear within the first few pages of her book, “I believe great people do things before they are ready.” Thanks, Amy. It seems like all signs are pointing to yes.