Episode 211: Sustained Book Project Motivation for Business Owners

In this episode, Jodi breaks down the emotional and mental challenges of writing a nonfiction book as a business owner, focusing on the "messy middle" when motivation dips and doubt creeps in. She explains why these cycles are completely natural, how to recognize your personal patterns of resistance, and what to do to get back on track. Jodi also shares practical strategies for recommitting to your writing schedule, revisiting your goals, and understanding the hidden costs of delay so your book can become the powerful marketing asset your business needs.

 

Time Stamps:

00:00 – Welcome to the Write Publish Market Podcast

02:00 – What the "messy middle" really is

03:30 – The predictable motivation arc: excitement → resistance → doubt

06:00 – Why messy middle ≠ wrong project

07:45 – Invisible progress and lack of external deadlines

10:00 – Competing priorities and deprioritizing your book

12:00 – How to reset: clarity, structure, accountability

14:00 – The Book Planning Intensive evolution

16:30 – Creating a realistic writing schedule with data

19:30 – The hidden costs of not finishing your book

22:00 – Final encouragement: dips are normal—regroup and continue

 

Keywords:

messy middle, book writing motivation, sustaining momentum, resistance and doubt, writer's block, imposter syndrome, fear of rejection, invisible progress, self-publishing, external deadlines, competing priorities, realistic writing schedule, writing habit, authority building, invisible ROI, clarity and recommitment, accountability and support, book as a marketing asset, nonfiction book strategy, long-term projects in business, business owners writing books, book writing for business owners

 

Resources Mentioned:

Coffee + Commas signup: https://bit.ly/coffeeandcommassignup

Ready Set Write Challenge: https://bit.ly/readysetwritechallenge

Book Planning Intensive: https://www.jodibrandoneditorial.com

 

LINK TO FULL EPISODE (RAW) TRANSCRIPT:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PqhNXwesdEO_LnN84Wenq_ZxQHuoQ3RpB_Ylk_z8QFw/edit?usp=sharing