But What to write?
When you have been writing for a long time, the question changes to what to not write about?
Why write a book?
- Gain credibility.
- Inform, teach, and share information.
- Improve your status in your field.
- Gain recognition as being a writer.
- Find other work, such as seminars and consulting.
- Earn money.
- For the love of writing.
- To publish research you have conducted.
Irrespective of the reason, you need to be clear about your intentions. If not, you are unlikely to get past page twenty. A strong motive will help get you through. Keep in mind the questions and answers of the quiz you started with – Are you ready to be an author?
Then as you ponder the above, the next question usually interrupts your thought process: How can you distinguish your writing amidst the myriad works that explore the same subject you intend to delve into?
This inquiry frequents my interactions with new authors and it holds truth – the topics you aim to address have likely been explored extensively. However, the key lies in trusting your distinctive voice and perspective shaped by your unique life experiences. It is the fusion of your individuality and the passion you infuse into your work that sets it apart.
I receive many manuscripts on positive thinking and motivation. Sadly, most are not written from the heart. Many are also not written from experience. They are written from a misguided belief that ‘I can also do this and make money from it,’ which is the wrong attitude to have.
I tell my writing students of the need to be the guru who writes, not to write to be seen as the guru. Those who regurgitate what others have written without heart will never make it. They have not infused their experience or voice into the work, and readers will know it. It comes back to the fact that when you write from the heart, on a subject that you love, and use your unique voice and experience, only then will the work have the seed of promise.
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