A couple years back, a friend told me he was writing a book, a little Bible study type thing. I offered to help him and he laughed.
“Josh, I’ve seen how much work you put into writing,” he said. “I don’t want it to be that good. I just want something I can use in my church.”
My hat’s off to him for 1) understanding how much work he was willing to put into his project and 2) having a realistic expectation of what he would get for that amount of work.
The problem comes when someone only wants to put in a blog post effort but still get a New York Times bestseller result.
It’s impossible to map the writing journey into some sort of “one size fits most” format. But asking yourself these two questions is as good of a place as any to start:
1. Why do I want to write?
2. How badly do I want it?
The only bad answer to the first question is a dishonest one. It isn’t wrong to say you want to change the world with your writing. It may or may not happen, but it isn’t arrogant to pursue it.
There’s also nothing wrong with saying “I just want to write something for my friends and family.” That can be very rewarding both for the writer and the reader. And it doesn’t make you any less of a writer – a writer is someone who writes, regardless of the audience size.
By the same token, the only bad answer to the second question is an unrealistic one. If, for instance, you want to change the world with your writing but aren’t willing to cancel your cable.
This is where the rubber meets the road.
I want to write books that change the world. That drives the decisions I make: I got a job as a bartender so I can write every morning. We live simple lives (a supportive spouse is pretty helpful). I turn down a lot of offers to write other stuff so I can work on my novel.
Regardless of why you write, I think you’ll find useful stuff in this blog. But those answers will drive how much effort you put into improving your craft.
Said another way, you may not like all of my suggestions and ideas. If that’s because you think I’m wrong, fine. If that’s because your writing goals don’t require putting forth as much effort as I suggest, (again) fine.
But if your goals outstrip your willingness to work...well, we’ll see how that works out.
So why do you write? What are some sacrifices you’ve made?
About Josh Kelley: I’ve written a spiritual living book, Radically Normal (published by Harvest House). My current project is a general market novel, Double Vodka. I’m also a writing coach that specializes in helping writers see the big picture of their strengths and weaknesses, offering an affordable one-session model.
“Josh, I’ve seen how much work you put into writing,” he said. “I don’t want it to be that good. I just want something I can use in my church.”
My hat’s off to him for 1) understanding how much work he was willing to put into his project and 2) having a realistic expectation of what he would get for that amount of work.
The problem comes when someone only wants to put in a blog post effort but still get a New York Times bestseller result.
It’s impossible to map the writing journey into some sort of “one size fits most” format. But asking yourself these two questions is as good of a place as any to start:
1. Why do I want to write?
2. How badly do I want it?
The only bad answer to the first question is a dishonest one. It isn’t wrong to say you want to change the world with your writing. It may or may not happen, but it isn’t arrogant to pursue it.
There’s also nothing wrong with saying “I just want to write something for my friends and family.” That can be very rewarding both for the writer and the reader. And it doesn’t make you any less of a writer – a writer is someone who writes, regardless of the audience size.
By the same token, the only bad answer to the second question is an unrealistic one. If, for instance, you want to change the world with your writing but aren’t willing to cancel your cable.
This is where the rubber meets the road.
I want to write books that change the world. That drives the decisions I make: I got a job as a bartender so I can write every morning. We live simple lives (a supportive spouse is pretty helpful). I turn down a lot of offers to write other stuff so I can work on my novel.
Regardless of why you write, I think you’ll find useful stuff in this blog. But those answers will drive how much effort you put into improving your craft.
Said another way, you may not like all of my suggestions and ideas. If that’s because you think I’m wrong, fine. If that’s because your writing goals don’t require putting forth as much effort as I suggest, (again) fine.
But if your goals outstrip your willingness to work...well, we’ll see how that works out.
So why do you write? What are some sacrifices you’ve made?
About Josh Kelley: I’ve written a spiritual living book, Radically Normal (published by Harvest House). My current project is a general market novel, Double Vodka. I’m also a writing coach that specializes in helping writers see the big picture of their strengths and weaknesses, offering an affordable one-session model.
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