The secret to making something extraordinary
“Everybody’s looking for an easy answer out of a can.”
That’s a favourite line in my house—something our mechanic, who sadly passed away a few years ago, used to say and which always makes me laugh because it’s so true.
The truth is there are no easy answers.
AI, ChatGPT, email templates, clickfunnels—all the frameworks, all the tools, can’t help you if you’re not willing to do the hard stuff: the inner work to discover what makes your message, your story, YOU, original and unique.
Like all things spiritual—and to me, storytelling is a spiritual act—it’s an inside out job.
You have to start from the inside—what do I (with a capital I) want to say, and why am I uniquely equipped to share this message? Why this story, and why me? Focus on that first and pour it out on to the page, as I always tell my writers, before looking to frameworks and rulebooks to craft your story to perfection.
I like how music producer Rick Rubin puts it in his book The Creative Act:
“Set aside the outline, write with no map and see what happens. With the intention set, and destination unknown, you’re free to surrender your conscious mind, dive into the raging stream of creative energy, and watch the unexpected appear again and again. As each small surprise leads to another, you’ll soon find the biggest surprise: You learn to trust yourself. In the universe, with the universe, as a unique channel to a higher wisdom.”
If you want to create something perfectly ordinary, start with a plan.
If you want to create something extraordinary, though, you have to throw out the script, and risk being wrong. Risk being vulnerable. Risk being scared.
Some of my clients have an outline when we first meet, some don’t—I’m okay with either. If they have an outline, I encourage them to hold it loosely and be open to it evolving as we work together, in service to creating the best book that we can.
Even without the outline, though, I like to have at least a mental screen shot of my vision for my books, to keep me focused and motivated. Here are the top 3 things I like to identify before I start any book, and which provide a foundation for any project:
✅ What’s your story and why are you the person to tell it? This is something I ask all my writers at the start of a project. It can also help to craft your Why Story, or to articulate it in a way that you can come back to again and again, draft after draft, when you can’t see the forest for the trees. (It also goes a long way to helping you write your introduction, if you have one; writing your agent/publisher query letter, if you eventually plan to; or drafting your keynote, if you hope to deliver it one day)
✅ Answer: Who is this story for, and what do they need/want? If your intention is to share your book with other people one day, make sure there’s alignment. For example, if you’re a middle-aged man but you’re writing a book to inspire young female entrepreneurs, what common ground do you share that you can speak into, so they can see themselves in your story and hero’s journey?
✅ What’s the REAL point of this book? Sometimes it can take a little digging to discover why a book is truly important to the writer. They often have a lot of superficial reasons they like to throw at me first ;) but that’s not going to carry them through the hard moments, or help them achieve the kind of fulfilment they’re really seeking.
Personally, I don’t care how many books I sell. I don’t write to make money, and that frees me up creatively and allows me to stay authentic and true to my vision. I write to make women feel seen, heard and loved. Period. Anything else is just icing on the cake.
For other writers, if it’s to sell as many books as possible, I might direct them to traditional publishing, if I think they have a chance of getting a book deal.
If it’s to grow their business, brand or impact, though, I usually encourage them to self-publish. (After all, who wants to wait 2-plus years to make a difference in someone else’s life?)
Both outcomes will influence the editorial direction the book takes.
If there’s any road map you follow, if there’s any framework you lean on, let it be this. 👆🏼
Cat xo
PS: If you want to create something extraordinary and are willing to be wrong, vulnerable and scared, if you’re willing to be curious and play, in order to create the best book that you can, reach out to me. I will hold your hand and walk with you all the way.