DAY 4: Be Passionate to Stand Out

It's a month of writing tips, submission places, and fun.

Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

I’m a big believer in the concept that writing from the heart, writing about what matters to you, is what makes the best books and stories and poems out there.

Over on the Writing Cooperative, Jordan Ring breaks down people’s reasons to write as:

1. “To share your knowledge or unique expertise: Everyone should write a book because we’ve all had unique experiences that helped shape who we are. Every single person has valuable content just waiting to be expressed. Your ideas are absolutely worth sharing in book form.

2. “To tell a story: Writing a book can be an excellent way to share your hard-fought personal experience and triumphs.

3. “To inspire or motivate: Many books have changed my life. Your story will motivate someone and change lives.

4. “To establish authority: “Writing the book on it” makes you an automatic expert. It doesn’t mean you are better than anyone else, but people (would-be clients!) place a high value on the time and care it takes to put a book together.

5. “To leave a legacy: For many people, writing a book is the perfect way to leave a lasting legacy and share their wisdom or experiences with future generations.”

And all that is true.

I am talking about something a little different, though. It’s the thing that I think matters more than anything else when you’re writing. It’s the best tip I can give writers.

Write something that matters to you in a big way—in a way that you’re passionate about—in a way that you think could make people gasp and go, “Yes! Oh, that’s true.”

Under all the plot, the world building, the dialogue, you want to have a OH, THAT IS SO TRUE that ties it all together.

Sometimes people call this a theme. That’s a boring way to talk about it.

The thing is that your theme is your purpose.

How do you write with a purpose?

Let’s go find out.