Why should I write a book?

 ‘Writing a book’ is on the bucket list for many people for very good reason.  As Maya Angelou says in, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, ‘There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you’, and as a ghostwriter, I understand this all too well. By the time clients meet me, they’re more than ready to tell their story!

Putting our thoughts, feelings, our voice on paper immortalises our experience. Writing can give us clarity of thought, a sense of validation and is arguably the most expressive art form available. Writing a memoir can pass on a sense of who we are to future generations.  

 Finding a ghostwriter to help you become a published author is one way of making this dream a reality and at GWA we connect aspiring authors like you with bestselling ghostwriters like us here.

 Meanwhile, here’s six very good reasons for writing your book. All of these interesting points were made by my former clients.

‘I’ve always wanted to write..’

1)    It could be a burning desire, a childhood dream or just because. Many authors caught the writing bug, often as children, but life/ families/careers got in the way. I’ve spoken to clients who were inspired by other books and always wanted to try to write their own novel or had an idea that’s eaten away at them until they decided to go for it. The experience of writing can feel like a primal need for some wannabe writers, and once they have the time and headspace to seriously consider it, many want to give it a go. As Philip Pullman puts it, ‘After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.’

The human brain is designed to make sense of the world through stories. The stories we tell ourselves about our personality, our experiences and our lives are how we actually process what it is to be human. It is no surprise the need to share those stories runs so deep.

‘I have a specific experience I want to share’

1)    This is very common for business professionals who have aced their field and want to share their extensive knowledge. Successful businesspeople often see a younger generation rising behind them and want to encourage ideas on how to make it easier/ quicker/ less stressful than they did! Business books can become client magnets, and we explain why here.

‘I want to help other people and increase awareness’

Human beings are naturally altruistic and the longing to share our life experience purely to help inspire or motivate others is a human need. I have ghostwritten memoirs for childhood abuse and sex trafficking survivors. Authors who are survivors often begin the project with a profound need to encourage and reach out to other survivors alongside removing the stigma and shame around these painful experiences. There are many taboos in our society and if a person has personal life experience of the ‘unsayable’ there is often a deep need to explore this.

‘I want the experience of writing a book’

Authors sometimes admit they have always wanted to write a book and yearn to experience the process at least once in their lifetime. Sometimes they don’t even know exactly what the book will be about! As a ghostwriter, my job is to steer a potential author’s thoughts into focusing on who the book is aimed at, what the market would be, or their overall goal for the book. I always like to see my authors succeed whether it’s to write the best book for their family to keep or to dream big and find that elusive publishing deal.

At first it can seem like madness, wanting to write a book but not knowing exactly what will go in it. But translating your thoughts into words is a good discipline for understanding facets of ourselves or our ideas. At times it’s only in the act of writing that we can truly visual what we’re trying to achieve and what we want to say.

My clients often tell me that working with a ghostwriter is a transformative experience. I’ve worked with businesspeople for example who have only been able to crystallise their unique lifework philosophies within the draft of a book. Book writing often answers the big questions such as: Who am I? What do I stand for? What do I believe in?

‘I long for my family to understand my story’

1)    As we get older, we end up more reflective about who we are and where we came from. If our parents or grandparents die, we often wish we’d asked them questions about their life experiences, to appreciate fully what sort of people they were or how they navigated the world. I know I do! How I would have loved to know what it was like for my Grandad who was in the Navy in the Second World War, or what my grandma got up to when she was in the Wrens. Humans are tribal and we have an innate desire to know where we came from and if it’s informed the person we are.

 As Jonathan Gottschall author of The Story Telling Animal says, ‘We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.’ Leaving a book is one surefire way of telling your ancestors, in your own words, who you were and what your life was like. You can quite simply leap back to life as your voice echoes from the past on the page. I am only left with memories of short, snatched conversations with my grandparents because nobody ever considered writing a book or getting their memories down.  

 Sadly, I have met the families of clients who tragically left it too late to write their book. When it comes to writing a book, especially a personal memoir, don’t put it off until ‘the right time’ comes along, because it never will. If you want to leave a legacy for your family, start today.

‘I simply want to tell MY story’

Most of us feel we have at least one compelling life story to tell and invite (albeit nervously!) the self-reflection we’d need to put a draft together. This could help validate an experience, whether for ourselves or others. Whether or not our story is interesting enough to find a commercial audience and publisher is often debatable, but many of us have a life defining moment we long to process and share.

Writing is a powerful, cathartic experience and subsequently very therapeutic. It can feel like a huge relief once the story is told. As Zadie Smith says, ‘The very reason I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life.’