The Best Book Has Not Yet Been Written

So you want to write a book, part 1

Indrocution:

It’s been said that the greatest stories of all time, are sitting in desk drawers, covered in dust. I would argue that the best books are yet to be written. This means that that YOU can be the Author. It all begins before you even put the first word to paper. It begins with your why.

Your Why:

Your why is undoubtedly the most important part of the preparation. You wouldn’t exercise if you had no reason. You wouldn’t work each day, if there were no purpose. Least of all would you write a book without a vision of what is to come. You MUST find your why. Without this, you are simply a ship without sails, left to the whims of the sea. With it, you take your destiny into your own hands. You will know that your search is drawing to end, the treasure near, when you are filled with an emotion. That emotion is excitement. If you find what you believe to be your why and are excited about it, then you are on the right track. However, if you do not feel excitement, then you need to keep searching. Here are some questions to guide you in the journey:

- Have you always felt drawn to writing?

- What do you have, that needs to be shared with the world?

- What is exciting about writing a book, or is it even exciting in the first place?

- Would you write in your free time, or undertake other activities?

- Is writing about money, or fame?

- Do you write because of praise, or is it a more personal reason?

- If no one ever read your book, would you still write it?

These are only a few questions to get the wheels turning in your head. Your why is the motivation behind the process. If you don’t feel excited about writing, then one of two things is happening. Either you really aren’t passionate about it, or you have yet found your true why. In the case of the former, you will have to decide if writing is something you want to struggle through. On the other hand, if you fall under the latter, then dig deeper. Search the depth of your soul if you must.

When I was younger I was always entranced by books, particularly the fantasy ones, those about knights and honor. Though they were only fictional, the principles they taught really touched me. I even started to emulate many of them. When I realized just how much a book could change a life, I vowed that I would do that for someone else. I realized that my why for writing was that I wanted to teach people, and a book is a very good tool for that. Not only can it teach, but it can be with millions and even billions of people all at the same time! As for me, I can really only have intimate teaching moments with a single person, or small group of people at the same time. Your why will be your driving force. It will give you clarity and direction in your writing. Seek it out.

Once you find that why, you will find your motivation to continue when the going gets hard. It will support you through the times when you are tired, or get stuck trying to put your thoughts into words. When distractions come up, vying for your attention, you will not succumb to them. I simply cannot stress enough just how critical it is to both have a why and know that why. Here are a couple ideas of what to do with your why, once it has been found.

- Write it down and carry it with you.

- Record your why in the most excited voice you can and listen to that recording often.

- Create a powerful statement of your why; an affirmation you could call it.

- Create a vision board of your why.

Experiment with your why. Experiment until you are touched by the mere mention of it. This may take some time and deep thought. If that is the case, then great! If you just give an off the cuff answer, it likely won’t be as powerful as it could have otherwise been. I created this, after some deep thinking myself: I am changing the world, through the writing of my own hands. This statement may not touch you specifically, so I challenge you to find what does.

In closing, whatever your why, make sure that it brims with excitement. Once you have found this precious discovery, craft it in a way that speaks to you. You deserve nothing less than the very best! So, give yourself just that.