18: How To Manifest Becoming a Bestselling Author – Step Four: Aligned Action

PART 4/5: A Mini Manifestation Series

This step is for the writers who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves. The goal setters. The action takers. The ones who understand that big dreams require both energy and effort.

Because here’s the truth: manifestation isn’t just about dreaming. It’s not about wishing so hard that your book magically appears on the bestseller list.

No.

It’s about co-creating with the universe.

So far, we’ve done a lot of inner work — thinking, feeling, and aligning. Now it’s time to move. To take tangible steps that pull your dream toward you.

Recap of Steps 1–3

• Define – We got crystal clear on our desire and the vision of our author era.

• Release – We uncovered the fears, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and other blocks holding us back, and replaced them with beliefs that support our dream.

• Embody – We tuned into the frequency of our desire and used tools to match that vibration.

Now it’s time for Step Four: aligned action.

What is Aligned Action?

Aligned action means taking intentional steps that directly move you closer to your desire.

No force, desperation, or busywork disguised as progress.

Aligned action is my favourite step. It’s where dreaming becomes doing. But it’s also the most overlooked. Manifestation gets a bad rep when people think it’s all thought and no effort.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll thrive on this part because it’s where you finally get to build.

Aligned Action for a Bestselling Author

Here are a few of the aligned steps I’ve personally taken:

• Enrolled in a first draft writing course to get my book over the line.

• Wrote almost every day — committing to opening Scrivener and adding words.

• Created a social media account to connect with other writers and stay accountable.

• Listened to writing podcasts to sharpen my craft.

• Applied (and was accepted!) into the University of Sydney’s 2026 Graduate Diploma of Creative Writing.

Your aligned steps might look completely different to mine and that’s the beauty of this process. The actions you take depend on your goals, your current season of life, and the specific skills, habits, or opportunities that will best move you forward. What matters is that they genuinely bring you closer to your dream instead of just keeping you “busy.”

Here are five examples of aligned actions that might suit your path:

• Joining a local or virtual critique group to improve your craft and get constructive feedback.

• Attending a writing conference to learn, network, and immerse yourself in the industry.

• Hiring a book coach or developmental editor to help refine your story.

• Researching agents and preparing your query package in advance.

• Blocking out non-negotiable writing time each week and protecting it like an important meeting.

If you’re further along in your draft, aligned action might look a little different for you. Instead of focusing solely on getting words onto a blank page, you might:

• Revise a messy first chapter to better match your current plot direction.

• Send a section of your draft to beta readers for early feedback.

• Experiment with writing a tricky scene from a different POV to unlock it.

• Practice writing dialogue-only exchanges to sharpen character voice.

• Research a key setting or historical element so your next scene flows authentically.

Sometimes, aligned action is about loosening your grip rather than tightening it. You might:

• Take a week to read in your genre and absorb what works.

• Spend a writing session freewriting a scene you may never use, just to explore.

• Meditate before writing and set the intention for flow rather than perfection.

• Go for a walk and let your subconscious mull over a plot problem.

What Aligned Action Isn’t

The key to this step is alignment — and that’s where things can get tricky. Sometimes what feels like progress is actually just procrastination in disguise.

For example, you might sit down to “write,” but end up spending the entire session worldbuilding or reworking your character profiles… without adding a single new word to your draft. While these tasks have their place, they can easily become a safe little bubble you hide in instead of moving the story forward.

Here’s the hard truth: worldbuilding and character development are meant to grow alongside your draft. If you spend months fleshing out details instead of writing, you’re not taking aligned action. You’re delaying your book and, in turn, your manifestation.

I learned this the hard way. I’m now nearly 50% through my first draft, and only in the last quarter have I begun to truly understand my main character. The first 25%? I didn’t like her at all. She felt dull, flat, and nothing like the version I’d spent years meticulously planning — right down to her backstory, skills, and psychology.

But once I started writing from her point of view, her motivations shifted, her desires evolved, and her personality completely changed. Suddenly, all that planning I thought would “lock her in” didn’t match who she became on the page.

Because here’s the thing: you can plan endlessly, but it isn’t until you’re inside your character’s head — living their story as you write — that you truly get to know them. Planning is important, but it will only ever take you so far.

Self-Check: Are You in Alignment or Procrastination?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Is this task bringing me closer to a completed draft, or just making me feel busy?

• Would skipping this step delay my book?

• Am I avoiding a hard scene by doing something “easier”?

• If I only had one hour to work today, would I choose this task?

If most of your answers point toward avoidance, it’s time to swap that “productive” procrastination for an aligned action that gets your story moving forward.

Don’t Let the Control Freak Take Over

If you’re a natural planner, be mindful that your actions aren’t coming from a place of desperation or control.

Manifestation isn’t about forcing an outcome — it’s about trusting the process while still showing up for it.

Gabby Bernstein’s 4 Steps to Spiritually Aligned Action are a great guide:

1. Tap into inspiration – Ask yourself: How does this desire light me up? How does it serve others?

2. Believe in the outcome – Spend time visualising your success and feeling worthy of it.

3. Act from alignment – Take steps when you feel relaxed, confident, and detached from the “how.”

4. Be patient – Trust that it’s on its way.

Self-Check: Is my Action Aligned or Controlled?

Ask yourself:

• Am I taking this action because it excites me, or because I’m afraid of “losing momentum”?

• If the outcome took longer than expected, would I still feel okay doing this?

• Is this step moving me toward my dream, or am I forcing it to happen my way?

• Am I making space for inspired ideas, or cramming my schedule to feel in control?

• Does this action feel light and empowering, or heavy and pressured?

If your answers lean toward fear, pressure, or needing to control every step, it’s time to pause, breathe, and reconnect with trust. The most powerful aligned actions come from a place of faith, not force.

Real-World Examples of Manifestors Taking Aligned Action

• Oprah – Demoted from her first anchor job, she kept taking opportunities, eventually turning a local morning show into a top-rated program, then launching her own. Oprah openly expresses her use of manifestation.

• Jim Carrey – Wrote himself a $10 million cheque, visualised success daily, and kept performing — even after repeated rejections — until his big break. Also someone who has openly stated his use of manifestation.

Breaking it Down

Big goals can feel overwhelming. So break them into smaller, actionable steps. Create mini desires every day.

Your ultimate desire might be “Become a bestselling author.”

This month’s goal: finish four chapters.

This week’s goal: write one chapter.

Today’s goal: complete two scenes.

Epilogue

Manifestation isn’t just mindset. It’s movement.

You can’t think your way onto the bestseller list — but you can show up for your dream every day until it’s inevitable.

Aligned action is where magic meets momentum. Take the step. Then another. Then another.

Your future self, bestselling book on shelves across the world, will thank you.

Happy writing,

Renee Ella

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