Step 2: What’s the point? (And who is it for?)
If you’re playing along, here’s what you’ve accomplished towards your project so far. You:
And if you haven’t done these things yet, you can always catch up!
Let’s keep prepping!
What’s the point?
Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, every project is at heart an argument for something. You’re writing to demonstrate or express a belief, a way of life, a vision of the future, a way to solve a problem, etc. Your point is connected to your “why:” you are called to write something for a reason. Bring that reason to the forefront.
Here are some examples of what I mean by having a point:
Nonfiction books:
Big Magic proves that everyone possesses the power to be creative.
Strengths Finder argues that it’s more powerful to focus on your strengths than your weaknesses.
Grain Brain argues that carbs are bad for your brain.
The Happiness Project shows that changing small habits can lead to a happier life.
The Tipping Point proves that ideas spread like epidemics.
Fiction books:
The DaVinci Code proves how faith can withstand the truth.
The Great Gatsby proves that money is a corrupting influence on individuals and society.
Gone Girl shows that love is not always what it seems to be.
Both the Harry Potter AND The Hunger Games series prove that love always triumphs over evil.
The point is ultimately a takeaway. What will the reader believe or be able to do after reading your work? Think of the point like a “bumper sticker” for your book. If it sounds like a cliché, you are probably on the right track. What’s your point?
Now, let’s think about who you’re writing for.
Who’s your ideal reader?
Who needs to read your book?
We read books for reasons. Yes, we read for entertainment or education or art, but we also read because we want to get into someone else’s head or world for a while. And we want to see how this person or character handles the situation they’re in, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction!
Who will your project appeal to? It can’t be everyone, sorry. (Is there a book out there that literally everyone loves?) If you start out by identifying a smaller, narrowly defined group of readers who have specific needs and desires, you will likely appeal to more than that group. But it doesn’t work the other way around. Aim for your target.
The things I’ve been working on over the last couple of years are about and for fatherless daughters. Because I am one, and there are things fatherless daughters feel and experience that are not talked about, and that makes us feel isolated and alone. So I write to express that and to share what I know after what I’ve been through: that we’re not alone, that we can learn from and move on from our personal histories. (See my “point” among my “why” and my “ideal reader”?)
It’s your turn: who are you writing for? Describe them in terms of: What is their pain point? What keeps them up at night? What do they want more than anything in the world? What can your book do to help them get it?
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