by Blythe Daniel @BlytheDaniel

Over the years I’ve gone to a fair share of conferences. Church conferences, writers conferences, creatives’ conferences. Many of them have had some type of message about “focus on your why.”

I understand that this is a popular thing to do – to have people look at why they are doing something. But the question that I’d like to pose is: What is God’s why and are you doing that?

Jesus’ mission was to tell others about his Father – that there was a way to have a relationship with the Father and He was preparing a place for his disciples with his Father. He always pointed people to him rather than to himself.

What I see in some writing today is people writing to point people to them – to their story. As an agent, I see how this can be limiting to write your story for others to see without inviting people into the God story.

Think about this with me. It’s okay for you to write a non-fiction or fiction book that includes your story. That’s a big difference from your book leading with your story and not leading with a  strong God message that connects with people and then brings some of your story into your book.

Though authors like to write their why, readers aren’t looking for a book on someone else’s why. They are looking for a book to inspire and encourage their story (non-fiction) or to be entertained and enjoy a good story (fiction). The reader’s why has to connect with the book or they won’t keep reading.

I know many people like to tell their story. It’s understandable – you’ve lived through things that some people will never know about. And that is a challenge in and of itself to sell your book widely to people who have not experienced what you have experienced. But what’s missing is the important, well-developed-over-the-entire-book, God story that you get to tell.

My why is to tell God’s story in whatever books I write and as an agent to tell his story through the books I represent to publishers. We’re living in a day when people are not going to hear about God unless we include the story of Jesus, the story of creation from God, the story of Jesus’ return for believers, and more if we don’t include it in our books. If his children don’t bring this into their writing, who will carry his why?

Not all books have a heavy emphasis on spiritual content – but it’s there. No one wants to be taught or driven hard into doing or believing something with our theology. But when you present Jesus as he truly is, now there is a story to follow. When you show all the facets of God, now there is a truth to understand.

We can remember this verse: “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)

Is it okay to share your story? Absolutely! Blogs, websites, articles, and podcasts are all great ways to weave in your story. Practice writing the parts that will resonate with others. In your book, you want to write to a topic that people can connect with and use God’s story as a way to bring hope and encouragement. That’s how we move through the mountains we face  and go forward rather than give up on God, our faith, or sharing a message that reflects God’s why for each one of us.

One of the reasons I love to read scripture is to see how Jesus spoke with people. How those writing his stories captured his voice and posture. But all of the Bible reads like an action-adventure story to me. However, notice that Jesus doesn’t preach at people but walks alongside them, knows the questions to ask, and shares parables many times to share his Father’s message.

That’s us – parable givers, storytellers to point people to the God who can save, redeem, restore, and ultimately give us the greatest reason on earth to write.

I don’t know about you, but it’s a good reminder to me that when my story is over on earth, his story will never be. I want to leave people with a lasting impression of who he is so that they too can embrace him for their lives now and in eternity.

I hope that as you write and discover your why in writing, it will include him as well since we are the people who are the hope carriers of the world. May you carry him well in your writing!

Blythe Daniel is a literary agent and marketer and has been in publishing for over 20 years. She has written for Proverbs 31 Ministries, Focus on the Family, Ann Voskamp, and Christian Retailing. She and her mother Dr. Helen McIntosh are the authors of Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters (Harvest House Publishers).

www.theblythedanielagency.com; www.ourmendedhearts.com