Today we’re going to play a little game of would you rather.
Would you rather… have your book become a well-known classic and read by millions?
Or, would you rather… have only one person read and love your book, knowing that it greatly moved that one person?
This was a question asked one time within a writing community I used to be a part of. And you know what? The majority answer was that they would rather just one person read and love their book if it truly moved that one person. When I thought about it, I realized this would be my answer as well.
Think about all the classics we have. Great Expectations, Little Women, Moby Dick, Tom Sawyer, The Secret Garden. These are timeless classics that have been well-loved for years upon years. They are amazing books (I mean, there’s a reason they became classics…).
But then think of a book that really moved you. I’m talking made you cry or question what you’re doing with your life. Maybe it caused you to ask important questions about yourself, some that you hadn’t thought of before. This book moved you. And you love it because of that.
Which are you more emotionally attached to?
Now, maybe it was a classic that moved you in this manner. That’s awesome! Classics are some of my all-time favorite books and I don’t mean to down them in the least! That’s not what I’m saying here.
What I’m saying is that the point of being published is not to hit the best-seller list. While that is a great bonus if it happens, the true point is to move your readers with your words. I don’t know about you, but that’s what I want to do.
I want to make my readers feel something. Whether that’s joy, sorrow, excitement—whatever! I want them to read the last page of my book, sigh, and wonder at the emotions coursing through them.
That might seem a touch dramatic, but it’s my dream. I have read books that have done this to me and it was amazing. It’s a feeling that perhaps can’t be described, just felt. If you’ve read a book like this then you will know what I’m talking about.
However, everyone has different dreams with their books. Perhaps your dream is to hit the New York Times best-seller list. If so, that’s great! Dreams spur us on to accomplish great things. We all need plenty of dreams in our lives.
But if I might add, if your dream is for your books to be well-known, ask yourself why this is your dream. Evaluate if this dream is a dream meant for your own pleasure and success, or if this is a dream you have to glorify God. Because the latter dreams are so much for beautiful and rewarding. All things from God are.
Your turn!
What dreams do you have for your writing? Would you rather have your book become a classic or read and loved by only one person? What are your reasons for your dreams?
Blessings, Allyson
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