The Heart of the Heart of Your Book: Why Do You Want to Write?
Why your message matters so much!
Ever been so dogged by an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about it? Thoughts that penetrate, ideas that are so immersive, are catnip for our brains and a balm for our hearts. As I shared in my book, From Mess to Message: Ten Steps to Write Your Book, I truly believe each of us is here on earth because we have a powerful message to share.
Starting with what I call “the itch,” as a writer, you develop a burning desire to share. You keep mulling the idea over in your mind. The itch grows more powerful until you simply must write it down. Gradually, as the idea branches and grows, we reach a point where writing it down for ourselves is not enough. We must impart what we’ve learned to others. Simply put, we are bursting at the seams and must share. This is the power of your message, which is “the heart of the heart” of your book. That begs the question: how do you make it stick with your reader?
Whenever we work with authors, we ask them three questions, which we call our strategic plan. These questions are:
What is your intention?
What is your message?
Who is your ideal reader?
Recently, we explored intention in a BTPP article written on March 25, “Success Starts with Intention: Why Knowing Your Why Will Transform Your Writing Journey.” Today, I want to explore your message.
Imagine another person reading your words.
Do you want their heart to leap with joy?
Do you want them to stop partway through reading and exclaim, "Aha! I've got it now! It all makes sense!"?
Do you want to inflame their wrath, making them angry and eager to march in the streets in protest?
Do you want them to be so moved by the power of your words that they cease to live their lives the way they did and feel transformed?
When you are feeling unsure about your writing, think about why you want to write. What do you want them to think about, act on, or view differently as a result of reading your words? Your words must be engaging. If you aren’t passionate about your idea, your reader won’t be passionate about it, either.
Emotion is the delivery system for your idea. You capture attention by appealing to your readers’ needs, fears, and desires. When crafting your message, you first start with a structured, logical argument, and then deliver it in a juicy, irresistible way. You want to infect your reader with the same itch that enveloped you in the first place.
You’ll want to grab your readers’ attention using your “hook,” which is the first few sentences of your book description and the first few sentences and paragraphs of your manuscript. Of course, you want to follow these hooks up with writing that carries the same tone and is just as interesting! Often, writers find it helpful to write their hooks after they’ve written the majority of their manuscript. (However, if a good idea comes to you, write it down regardless of where you are in the process!)
How do you express your message in your writing?