Journalist and author Carlton Stowers (“Careless
Whispers,” “The Last Breath”) did an interview with Baylor University’s The
Lariat Online, and he pointed out what I think is the one thing you need to be
sure about before starting work on any book or other writing project:
“Find that subject that really generates some emotion in you, the writer. Find that subject you can stick with and embrace over the long period of time it takes to do a book. You're halfway there if you are fascinated by your subject. I've always considered myself a matchmaker. By that I mean that, whether I am writing books or magazines or whatever, I find that place, people or situation that interests me to a point that I feel duty-bound to introduce you the reader to these people or places because I think, boy, this is such a neat story or an important story or such a unique setting or group of people that I've convinced myself I need to tell the reader about or I'm convinced that you'll be interested in. I think that is the sort of thing an author needs to search very hard for.”
If you have that passion and get it across in your writing, there’s a good chance the reader will catch it, too.
(Catch my passion for helping people be more creative and productive by subscribing to my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request to [email protected])