Have you been telling yourself "someday I'll write that book"? Stop waiting.

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Richard Nongard—author of over 30 books and founder of TwelveWeekBook.com—reveals why writing a book is far more attainable than you think.

Richard shares his remarkable journey from publishing his first book in 1994 (learning the ropes from legendary publisher Melvin Powers) to helping nearly a thousand students publish their own books. He breaks down the exact structure of New York Times bestsellers, explains why self-publishing beats traditional publishing in 2025, and reveals the simple daily habits that turn aspiring authors into published ones.

Whether you're a complete beginner or someone who's been stuck on page one for years, this episode will change how you think about writing and publishing.

What You'll Learn

On Getting Started:

• Why you should write your easiest book first (not your "best" book)
• How to identify your big idea when you have too many ideas competing for attention
• The truth about what makes a good book vs. a bad book
• Why "done" is better than "perfect" when it comes to your first book

The New York Times Bestseller Formula:

• The exact 12-chapter structure that most bestselling nonfiction books follow
• What should go in your first chapter (and it's not what you think)
• Why chapter two should focus on obstacles, not solutions
• How the "listicle chapter" becomes the backbone of your book
• The power of the penultimate chapter in bringing it all together

On Self-Publishing in 2025:

• How to publish a book in 12 weeks instead of waiting a year for a publisher
• The truth about vanity presses and why they're always a scam
• How to make your self-published book available in any bookstore worldwide

Building Your Author Platform:

• How social media creates opportunities traditional publishers never could
• Why content creation and book publishing are now inseparable
• How to turn your book into a broader content ecosystem

The Writing Process:

• Why writing 200-300 words daily is better than marathon writing sessions
• How to find time to write when you think you're too busy
• The role of AI in writing (and why it shouldn't write your book for you)
• Why writing fiction is "the best therapy there is"

On Overcoming Common Obstacles:

• How to stop cramming every idea into one book
• Why you don't need a doctorate (or even to be a "good writer") to write a book
• The difference between a memoir and a biography (and why memoirs are better)
• How to use storytelling to make nonfiction come alive

Key Quotes

• "There's no value in a great book that is never finished."
• "You don't even need to be a good writer. You just have to share your ideas with passion on the pages."
• "A book doesn't need to be thick to be good. It just needs to be finished to be good."
• "If you think you need therapy, write a book—it's the best therapy there is."
• "In 2025, there's no reason other than vanity to have a New York publishing company help you."
• "When you publish independently, you have total control over quality—the editorial content, sales, distribution, everything."
• "Write your easiest book first. Learning how to do it and actually finishing it builds skills for all your future books."
• "Most people think they have to put every idea into one book. You only need to write about the idea you want to write about."

Guest Bio

Dr. Richard Nongard is the author of over 30 books on leadership, personal development, psychology, and more. He holds two doctorates—one in leadership and cross-cultural engagement, a

Discover why the most confident creators prioritize fun and play, and learn a practical exercise to identify playful activities that align with your strengths.

Key Concepts Covered:

The Fun-Confidence Connection

• Confident creators have fun regularly, even when busy
• Play makes you more resourceful, engaged, and confident
• Angela Duckworth's research on grit emphasizes discovery and exploration

The Strengths-to-Play Exercise

• Map your character strengths to areas of creative play
• Left side: List your signature strengths (use VIA assessment or self-identify)
• Right side: List specific areas you'd like to play in (podcasting, drawing, music, writing, etc.)
• Draw connections between strengths and play areas
• Get specific: Don't just say "music"—say "learn to play 'Johnny B. Goode' on guitar"

Dr. Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden and Build Theory

• Foundation: Positive emotions
• Broadening: Novel thoughts, activities, and relationships
• Building: Enduring personal resources (skills, resilience, social support)
• Result: Enhanced health and fulfillment
• Creates an upward spiral of continued growth

The Takeaway: Play creates positive emotions → broadens your perspective → builds lasting resources → increases confidence as a creator

Additional Resources:

VIA Character Strengths Assessment: https://www.viacharacter.org/account/register

Broaden and Build according to Dr. Barbara Fredrickson: https://youtu.be/Z7dFDHzV36g?si=y09x6wknxk59Qg0N

Book Mentioned: Grit by Angela Duckworth

Want to document your own confident creator journey? https://triumphwithyourtalk.com/

When you appreciate (rather than dismiss) your signature strengths, gratitude acts as a central network hub that can trigger improvements across multiple connected strengths.

Having gratitude for your top strengths can embolden other superpowers such as courage, perspective, and persistence.

Your creative blocks might not stem from lacking talent but from starving your existing strengths of recognition, so take the free VIA Character Strengths Survey to identify what you're naturally good at!

Then, practice the "Three Good Things" gratitude exercise to appreciate how your top strengths currently manifest in your creative life!

You're not bad at creating—you're following someone else's process built for their brain, not yours. Your signature character strengths (like curiosity, perseverance, zest, or self-regulation) determine which creative workflows energize versus exhaust you, but most creators try to force-fit themselves into popular methods that work against their wiring. Take the free VIA Character Strengths Survey (10 minutes) to identify your top 5-7 strengths, then audit your current process: Where are you fighting your natural strengths instead of leveraging them? Redesign your workflow around what energizes you. High curiosity thrives on research phases, high perseverance excels at structured iteration, high zest needs spontaneity and raw first takes. Stop treating misalignment in other people's recipes for success as a discipline problem.

What should I create? How should I say it? These questions have paralyzed creators throughout history. Derek introduces the Creative Compass—a three-part framework for finding direction in your creative work: take action before you feel ready, align with your values, and enrich the people around you. Whether you're posting on social media or writing your first novel, this compass helps you create with intention and impact.

Where does all your time actually go? Derek tracked every hour of his week and discovered something surprising: life divides into three equal slices of sleep, work, and 'everything else.' That final third is where creativity lives, but it's also where distractions like mindless scrolling can devour your potential. Derek shares how he reclaimed time from mayhem and mediocrity to make space for magic, and why presence—not just productivity hacks—is the real key to a creative life.