So you want to be an author.. Now what?

Perhaps you've been dreaming of becoming a published author, but you haven't made a plan. All you have to this point, is a long list of reasons why you can't reach your goal. What's keeping you from reaching the finish line? Are any of these things on your list?

1. I don't know how to write: Everyone feels this way at some point so how do you fix it? You might take a course on writing. Be sure you learn from experts. I really enjoyed learning from the instructors at The Institute of Children's Literature. I had deadlines, but I could make a schedule to write for a certain amount of time each day. If something unforeseen occurred, I could usually spend extra time on my assignment the next day. My personal opinion is that most authors need to start with some degree of natural ability, but you still need to polish your skills. 
2. I can't afford to go to school: I couldn't afford the entire tuition, either, but I enrolled in a payment plan. It was much more manageable this way. If you'd rather not do that, you can designate a certain amount of your budget to the enrollment fee. Remember, if you sincerely want to become an author, you will find a way. When you sacrifice, the victory is that much more special.
3. I don't have the talent:  I believe that most schools send an easy aptitude test to screen the students. I remember being totally petrified when I started the first course, but I only allowed myself to peek at one assignment at a time so I wouldn't be completely overwhelmed. I'm a firm believer that we all are capable of much more than we imagine. The main thing is to take the first step. It'll get easier as you go along. If you have good teachers, they will encourage you along the way. They will mention both your strong areas and those that need improvement. If they hadn't recognized the better areas, I'd have been supporting big bonuses for the Kleenex execs. 
   
4. I"m afraid of failure:  I think this is the biggest obstacle we all face. It's the reason we convince ourselves not to try new things. I'm really a guilty party with this one, but I'm working on overcoming it. Remember that failure is a great teacher. When I learned to ride horses, sometimes I fell off multiple times a day. Usually, it was because I didn't keep my heels down and tipped forward, which caused me to fall. Eventually, my balance got better and my legs became stronger. What helped me to persevere? Keeping focused on my goal, learning to ride. If your goal is to become a published author, concentrate on that and remember that quitting is the only thing that definitely leads to failure. Now we've investigated some major hurdles that stand in the way of your success. You've seen that there are remedies. You can overcome any barrier if you focus on your goal. Perseverance is the key to success. You can see that the excuses standing in your path can be easily defeated. Be determined to reach your goal and you'll amaze yourself at your abilities.