A Journey of Many Pages Begins with a Single Word

Explore James' Teachings and Insights on All Things Spiritual

A Journey of Many Pages Begins with a Single Word

Oct 12, 2018 | JVP's Blog

“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Silvia Plath

Years ago, I felt called upon to write a book. I was pretty sure my destiny wasn’t to be the next Ernest Hemmingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald, but that wasn’t my goal. My motivation was the simple fact that I had a message I was burning to share with the world, a very special story that had to be told!

In my twenties, I realized I had a unique gift – the ability to connect with the Spirit realm and act as a conduit between souls on the other side and loved ones they had left behind. I could reach across the veil and bring back messages of love and healing that brought comfort to the living. More importantly, I could provide clear evidence that life, like love, is everlasting – and death is an illusion. I was gratified to see that my readings were changing people’s perspective on life and death and I wanted as many people as possible to benefit from knowing this.

Private readings and public appearances allowed me to spread my message, and word of mouth helped to get the word out even further. But it was too slow for me, and I felt that the whole world needed to understand what Spirit was telling me. I could see that too many people were suffering – mourning loved ones who had died and fearful of their own mortality. For months my guides had been whispering the answer in my ear, and I knew what I had to do.

It was time to write a book and share the profound insights that I was receiving from Spirit with the world.

Getting started was difficult, and I have to admit, I felt a little intimidated by the task before me. How would I, a novice writer, pull together 200 or more pages in a way that would resonate with readers? How could I compete with the hundreds of established authors who were already household names? Who would buy my book?

It felt like the odds were against me. I was virtually unknown with no audience. I couldn’t reach out to people on social media – Facebook hadn’t even been invented! I had no contacts or agent to help me. I wasn’t a professional writer. But I had a unique point of view, I was passionate about my message, and I was driven to inspire people and help them heal.

“A journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step,” I reminded myself and sat down to begin. “Chapter 1,” I typed, “The Medium”…and I began the manuscript that would become my first book, Talking to Heaven.

I remember so many days at my computer doubting myself, wondering if I could really write a good book. But for every day that I felt blocked and frustrated, there were times when ideas tumbled over themselves and flowed onto the pages like magic. My story began to take on a beautiful life of its own, fueled by my passion for the message I was driven to share.

I couldn’t believe it when I completed the last chapter of Talking to Heaven.  And then I proceeded to market the book myself. Within just a few months, it became a #1 New York Times Bestseller with over 1.5 million copies sold.

That first book propelled me into the spotlight and transformed my entire life. I’ve now written over 14 bestselling books which have been published in 50 languages. And I want to share my secrets with you!

Do you have a story or message that you are longing to share? Don’t let self-doubt stand in your way! I created a new, online course just for you. In my new live, online course, Awaken the Writer Within, I ’ll be your mentor and teach you everything I’ve learned. Writing a book doesn’t have to be hard – you can take comfort from the fact that we’re in this together! I’ll share my secrets to sharing your story in a way that will attract the attention of publishers and readers.

Every one of us has a story that’s waiting to be told. Begin your journey here.