Writing Coach Tip: How Values Create Impactful Writing

What you value has a huge impact on your writing. If those beliefs come through in your prose, your words more strongly impact your readers. To move your readers to action, which is necessary if you want to write a book, e-book or article that creates change in readers lives or in the world (such as a self-help, how-to, inspirational, or motivational book), you must, write in such a way that your values come through loud and clear and make your readers want to take them on as well. They may already share them, but you want readers to finish reading your book and feel recommitted to those values so strongly that they get up and do something. You want them to take action. You want them to become change agents.

To ensure that your values impact your writing, you must first know what they are. To discover your values, yourself these questions:

1. What matters most to me?
2. What do I care about most?
3. What concerns me most?
4. What do I value?
5. What values do I want to uphold in my life?
6. What values do I want to teach my children or others?
7. What values do I want to teach or instill through my writing?

Now, go back through each of your answers and simply ask yourself why you answered the way you did. The answer to that question will give you insight into your beliefs, because your values are supported by beliefs.

Finally, ask:

1. What do I believe in?
2. What are my five most strongly held beliefs?

Take the information from this exercise and begin constructing writing projects around your values and beliefs. When you do this, you’ll find that you write convincingly and with both passion and purpose. Then your writing will impact your readers and, hopefully, move them to take positive action in their lives and in the world.

If you are interested in publishing books about change, I suggest you attend the Writing for Change conference. You can learn all the essentials of writing and publishing books that impact others and change the world. Come along with me! Become and author and a change agent!