People often ask me how I finally finished writing Resilience Tree: A Model for Women Leaders of Color and Those Who Support Them.
Here’s what I tell them:
Writing a book isn’t just about putting words on paper. It’s about creating an experience for your reader. And the best place to start is not the first paragraph—it’s the table of contents.
🌱 Start With Your Table of Contents
Before you get caught up in perfect sentences or whether your introduction is strong enough, zoom out. Ask yourself:
📖 What do I want the chapters of this book to be?
📖 What journey do I want to take the reader on?
📖 What are the key points, stories, or lessons I want them to walk away with in each chapter?
Map that out. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Think of it like planting seeds—you’re sketching the shape of your book before growing into the details.
🌱 Write With Your Reader In Mind
One thing that helped me tremendously: I stopped writing for “the critics” or for a vague audience of everyone and started writing for the people I most wanted to serve.
👂 I envisioned readers listening to my words on Audible while driving to work.
👩🏽💻 I pictured them curling up with a cup of tea, underlining lines that spoke to their hearts.
📖 I imagined a leader of color flipping through the chapters, searching for wisdom and validation they couldn’t find anywhere else.
When you think of your reader as a real person—someone who needs your story, your lessons, your perspective—the words flow differently.
🌱 Give Yourself Grace in the Process
Writing isn’t linear. Some days you’ll pour out pages. Other days, just opening the document will feel impossible.
Here’s what I learned:
✅ It’s okay to take breaks—but come back.
✅ Every draft teaches you what belongs and what doesn’t.
✅ You’re not “behind.” You’re becoming the kind of person who can write the book your reader needs.
🌳 My Advice for Aspiring Authors
🌿 Start with the table of contents.
🌿 Think from your reader’s perspective.
🌿 Write as if you’re in conversation with them.
🌿 Be willing to grow while you write—because the book will grow you.
Your words might just be the nourishment someone else is waiting for.
📚 Resilience Tree Taught Me This…
When I finally released Resilience Tree, I realized the journey had changed me too. It wasn’t just about finishing a book. It was about tending to my roots, growing my branches, and trusting the fruit would come.
So here’s my question for you:
💡 What’s the book inside you waiting to grow?