Shared 70+ posts about writing, this is what it all comes down to
When there’s a writer, there cannot be a book.
I really wondered why some writers were capable of finishing books through sheer dedication and commitment.
They followed strict routines, met word counts, stuck to schedules. And then told others that this (structure, discipline) was how the book came to be.
To me, that feels unbelievably untrue. Not wrong. But not real. Not how it works.
Still, I have to be careful.
Because even though I can’t see it any other way anymore, I know other approaches seem to work for other writers, on the surface. And that’s important for me to see. In the end, I guide people in finishing their books. So this question matters. Deeply.
I sat with it.
How are some writers publishing books in ways that completely contradict my view on writing?
And the answer was, surprisingly, simple.
Some writers finish books through discipline, deadlines, word counts, structure. And books appear. Published.
But those who believe they are the writer are just still capable of deceiving themselves.
That’s not wrong. We’re brilliant illusionists. It works, for a while.
They write. They finish. They publish. But the book didn’t appear because they believed they were the writer. It appeared despite that belief.
With or without it, the book would’ve come. The belief is ornamental, decorative.
At best, a pleasant myth. At worst, a weight too heavy to carry.
You might wonder, how can I, Youri, know? Who am I to say this? Who am I to see this more clearly than others?
I don’t. But if something in this feels familiar, if it makes quiet sense without needing an extensive explanation, then maybe it’s already confirming itself in you.
And once that happens, once you see that the writer is rooted in separation, you can’t return to that old perspective.
It doesn’t work anymore. The methods fall flat. You sit down...and nothing. Or too much of everything. But not the kind that moves.
This is what happened to me.
I couldn’t pretend any longer to be the one doing it. The belief of being the writer became the only block. If you’ve sensed this, even slightly, you know what I mean.
There’s no need to explain it any further, even though I see myself keep doing it, through daily Substack posts on this topic, and by providing book mentoring.
When there’s a writer, there cannot be a book.
