Hey Reader,

Here's something that might surprise you: I hesitated to call myself a writer until I had a book that was a bestseller.

Even though I'd been making money from writing since I was 22.

Even though I'd written columns and articles for national publications like Curve, VICE, and the Huffington Post.

Even though I won my first writing award at 16 and studied screenwriting in undergrad.

All of that, and I still didn't feel like I got to call myself a writer.

Why? Because I had this idea that only certain people get to claim that identity. That there was some invisible threshold I hadn't crossed yet.

And here's the thing: I still struggle with this sometimes. Sure, I can claim writer now, but do I get to call myself an "author"? Even with Because Fat Girl in almost every airport and bookstore in the USA, I sometimes catch myself hesitating to use the word.

If this sounds familiar, you're in the right place.

The "Real Writer" Myth

In society, we're often sold this lie that "real writers" are people who:

• Always knew they wanted to write
• Have natural talent that flows effortlessly
• Live tortured, artistic lives
• Get discovered and become famous
• Never doubt their calling

This is complete bullshit.

Real writers are people like Paige, who got an MFA in writing but still didn't feel like a writer until she finished her book in my Write Your Friggin' Book Already® program.

Real writers are people like Mars, who wrote their whole life but never thought of themselves as a writer. Through the help of WYFBA, they've written two novels and built a creative career.

Real writers are people like Laura, who made books as gifts when she was a kid but didn't call herself a writer because she didn't study writing formally. Now she has two published books thanks to WYFBA.

Here's What I Want You to Know:

You don't need permission to write a book. Not from me, not from your school guidance counselor, not from your family members, not from society, not from anyone.

You also don't need to call yourself a writer first. You don't need to have studied writing. You don't need to have been writing since childhood. You don't need to quit your day job or live in a garret or suffer for your art like the writers you read about in literature classes.

You just need to have a story that wants to be told.

You become a writer by writing. You become an author by finishing a book.

To be a writer, you have to show up and write. That's it.

In my Write Your Friggin' Book Already® program, we have corporate professionals who write books about their expertise. We have stay-at-home parents who write novels. We have people who've never written anything longer than an email who finish full manuscripts.

They get to call themselves writers – and some of them published authors! – not because they had some special talent, it's because they all showed up.

• They showed up to writing sprints.
• They showed up to coaching calls.
• They showed up to their own stories, even when they felt like imposters.

And somewhere along the way, many of them started feeling comfortable with the word "writer." Not because they earned it through suffering or talent or years of practice, because they took small steps over and over again to make their book dreams come true.

They did the one thing that every person who wants to be a writer has to do: they wrote.

Your story doesn't care what you call yourself. It just wants to be written.

If you've been waiting to feel like a "real writer" before you start your book, I'm here to tell you: you can skip that step entirely.

You can write your book as a business owner who has expertise to share. As a parent who has stories to tell. As simply a human who has lived through something worth sharing.

Ready to let go of all that baggage over what to call yourself and Write Your Friggin' Book Already®? Join our Fall 2025 cohort today. ​

EXTENDED EARLY BIRD BONUS!

This WYFBA enrollment period is all about ease and spaciousness. So, I've extended the early-bird bonus deadline to July 15, giving you two more weeks to decide.

Enrollment closes August 22, but if you join before July 15 you'll get a free one-on-one coaching session with me – a $500 value!

Whether you join us in WYFBA or not, I hope that this letter has inspired you to embrace the title of "writer" and get out there and write.

Because the world needs your story now more than ever.™

With love,

Lauren (a writer and author!)

P.S. Questions about getting started without the perfect identity? I love talking about the messy, imperfect reality of writing. Reply to this email and we can schedule a free call to chat about it.

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