Why You Should Write a Book Now
Note: I wrote this post on why you should write a book when I was working my first nonfiction book. But it applies equally to fiction.
In fact, several weeks ago I was watching the series on Disney+ about the making of Frozen 2. I still think about a moment when one of the producers led the camera to a hallway filled with letters from fans of the film. He pointed to one in particular, in which a teenage girl credited Frozen and Elsa’s journey with helping her overcome her depressive and suicidal thoughts. It was extremely moving. And made me believe all the more in the power of story, and why you should write a book--now.
Now onto the original post.
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been doubling down, trying to figure out my purpose with this book.
WHY do I want to write it? HOW do believe it can help readers?
I’ve made this a huge priority for one main reason: I am a believer in the power of having a why and its ability to attract the right type of people to your work.
But the “why” is only the first ingredient. Once it’s there, you have to actually share your message.
In order to demonstrate why I believe this second piece (actually sharing yourself through your craft) is so important. I have 3 examples that have been on my mind.
Example #1 (of why YOU should write a book): A woman takes back her life and her joy through a reality baking show
My little girls have a new obsession. And when my 5 and 6-year-olds first started watching it, I have to admit I was a little smitten. Their obsession? Netflix’s Nailed It.
Here’s the basic premise of the show summed up in one sentence (in case you haven’t seen it, and if you haven’t, go watch it now).
3 amateur bakers are brought in and challenged to put together a baking masterpiece in an extremely short period of time. I’m talking intricately detailed robot cakes and elaborately carved watermelon sculptures and the most ornate gingerbread houses you’ve ever laid eyes on.
Of course, because they’re amateurs and are put under an extreme time constraint, these challenges always result in glorious failures.
“Nailed it!”
It’s lighthearted. The judges are funny, kind, and encouraging. And I mean, come on. My 5 and 6-year-olds are suddenly watching baking shows??
One day I was watching with them when one of the contestants broke down. As she unveiled her magnificent, droopy, masterpiece, her words caught in her throat, and she fought to hold back tears.
“What’s goin’ on? What’s happenin’? Why you tearin’ up?” Nicole (the host) delicately asked.
The contestant shakily responded, “Because I was in a really dark, ugly place. I got my independence taken away from me so I was no longer allowed to cook, or bake, or use a kitchen. And when Nailed It first premiered, the first time I belly-laughed in seven months was watching you two banter back and forth and build people up who didn’t know how to cook. So Nailed It is the greatest experience I could ever have because I no longer feel that I can’t do it.”
And there I was, crying, as I listened to this woman express her appreciation and gratitude for a reality baking show!
What did I take from this? Your voice matters. It matters to someone. Someone began with an idea that became a Netflix hit. And through that idea and its message of fun and humor, they touched someone's life.
You can do the same should you choose to write a book now.
Example #2: A woman’s life is saved through a Disneyland YouTuber
Another example. My husband watches a Disneyland YouTuber. This YouTuber has posted hundreds of his adventures and explorations in the happiest place on earth. He specializes in history lessons and hidden details involving all things Disney.
A few days ago my husband called me into the kitchen. “Can I show you something?” He asked.
On his phone was a message that had appeared in this YouTuber’s Facebook group. A woman describing how Justin (the YouTuber) had literally saved her life.
Her husband had been killed in a house fire, and she was struggling to move from one day to the next. But as she slogged through the aftermath of depression, loneliness, despair, and the leftover effects of an abusive childhood, she found Justin.
And his videos brought her hope and happiness in a way that nothing else had.
A self-produced, Disney-centered, goofy YouTube show had helped this woman surface from beneath waves of despair and hopelessness.
YOUR MESSAGE MATTERS. If you’re authentic and genuine and speak your passion and beliefs from your heart—in any form (story & fiction included, which, let me hammer it home, is why you SHOULD write a book)—it will matter to someone.
Story is like a tree. The branches are the plot and structure, the trunk is the characters, and the roots are your voice.
Even further, your voice is broken down into 3 parts: your insight and perspective into the world, your emotion, and your expression. In other words: you. You should write a book now because when share your voice in your stories, you impact people.
Example #3: A woman resurrects her marriage through a medical transcription training program
The third example is from my own mother.
When my mom was 23-years-old she started a medical transcription training company. As a trained and working medical transcriptionist herself for the past several years, she knew how to use her skills to work from home.
Why did this matter in the early 90’s? (The “laptop lifestyle” was not widespread at this point.) Because it meant that she was not forced to put me, her toddler, in daycare.
So she decided to teach other women with young children this skill. She shared her message by building a medical transcription training company from the ground up.
To generate business, she placed ads in the local paper offering packets containing a welcome letter and an audio cd of her telling her story. A story of hope and determination despite an unhappy marriage and finding herself as a single, working parent.
Now, I know for a fact that her message mattered to a lot of people. She educated over 100,000 students and changed countless women’s lives. But one story stands out.
A few years into her business, a woman reached out wanting to share her own story. Before joining the program, she had been on the brink of a divorce, planning to branch out on her own—in fact, the program and a future medical transcription job were supposed to be her means to do so.
However, as she worked through the program and subsequently did take a medical transcription job, things changed. Her marriage changed.
This woman had spent her life crippled with self-doubt and insecurities.
But through her at-home education in an obscure health-related field, she gained something. In fact, she gained several things.
Confidence. Self-esteem. A marketable skill. And a full-time income. As a result of her newfound confidence, the communication in her marriage improved and her husband became inspired. Her self-assurance spilled out and inspired him to work harder—on himself and on their relationship.
Her life changed because someone else was willing to share their voice in their craft.
As a result of someone being willing to share their message, a message that had NOTHING to do with improving communication or self-esteem or relationship advice, a woman and her husband found happiness in their lives together.
What do each of these examples have in common? None of them involve top motivational speakers. They’re not examples of leading psychologists or philanthropists or internationally bestselling authors.
They involve people who felt a pull on their heart to chase a passion and to put that passion out into the world. To SHARE THEIR VOICE! You can do the same thing when you write a book.
I believe with my whole heart that your voice matters.
It will matter to someone. As long as you have the courage to be vulnerable and authentic. To dig deep and share your passions and ideas in a big way.
If this is your first introduction to my site, you may be surprised to learn that most of my posts are not nearly so rah-rah. I enjoy sharing actionable tips that have helped me on my journey as a writer.
But right now I feel like THIS is an important message to share.
If you’re going through the grueling work to write and publish a BOOK, you have to believe it’s going to be worth it. Otherwise, you’ll never finish. You’ll never do anything with your work. You’ll never share it, and it’ll never light the world in the way each of these examples has.
So I’m here telling you it WILL matter. Work hard and let your voice, your story, your ideas, and your purpose shine through.
And, of course, I will continue providing tips to help you turn that idea into a book and push it out there for people to be nourished and uplifted through your words. Moved by your passion. Inspired by the story in you.
The fastest way to write a strong story is with an effective outline that plots your novel’s beating heart.
In Outline Your Novel, you’ll learn exactly what these beats are, why they matter, and how to outline them effectively to make your story sing.
