Just be you- Everyone else sucks...

Authenticity is key to all that we do as writers and in our writing. People know when we are bullshitting, so why do we do it?

Authenticity is a word that is not always understood and is often misused. We should always be true to who we are, because frankly that is the only person you can be. Unless you are Batman, then just be Batman.

We risk coming off as fake, or inauthentic when we attempt to be something we are not. I see people do this in the speaking industry all the time. They talk on subjects they are not experts in. Worse- they write books about it.

Writing a book does NOT make you an expert. That is being inauthentic, although I hear that comment all the time.

"Write a book and be an expert in your field."

Uh- you either are already and expert or you ain't. Writing a book does not MAKE you anything but an author. Being a good or bad author could be up to debate, but it does not make you an expert. I feel I am repeating myself.

A common challenge I have with authors is the following. These are ways NOT to be authentic:

1. Use someone else's ideas and claim them to be their own.

2. Use someone else's ideas and change the words around.

3. Quote other people A LOT.

4. Quizzes with claiming to determine a person's ( fill in the blank) type.

5. Assessments that are never tried on real living people.

6. Talking about neuroscience, when you have a degree in business.

7. Using White Label  materials (these are other people's writing you BUY and use as your own. We will talk more about that in later posts).

I could go on, but you get the point right? Write what you know- the cardinal rule of writing. Why do people forget this and write what they think is the next New York Times Bestseller. If you want a New York Times Bestseller write about two zombies who are into Bondage. Fifty Shades of The Living Dead. (You watch- someone is going to write that book now).

I am who I am. Like me. Hate me. Laugh at me. I am over it. I was a guy that looked like a football player growing up that liked musical theater and played the flute. I got over people's opinions of me a long time ago, and I have been happier and honestly MORE successful because of it.

Just be you. Everyone else sucks!