You know the feeling. You’ve carved out time to write. You’ve got coffee (or tea, no judgment). You’ve told yourself today’s the day you finally start. Then you sit down, cursor blinking, and… nothing. Your mind races with what you should write, but your fingers stay frozen.
It’s not writer’s block. It’s something deeper, blank page paralysis.
And if I’m being honest, it’s not really about the blank page at all. It’s about identity. It’s about whether you actually believe you’re a writer before you’ve written anything worth showing.
Most people treat writing like it’s a performance. They sit down expecting brilliance on the first try. They want their opening sentence to sound like Twain or Austen. So they wait. And they edit sentences that don’t exist. And they convince themselves they need more research, more planning, more something before they can begin.
“But what if I write the wrong thing?”
“What if I waste time going down the wrong path?”
“Shouldn’t I know where I’m going before I start?”
Let me ask you this: Are you asking those questions because you care about stewardship, or because you’re afraid of looking foolish?
Writing isn’t a performance. If God has given you an idea or a message that could serve others, challenge assumptions, or point people toward truth, then sitting paralyzed in front of a blank screen isn’t humility. It’s fear. It’s pride. It’s perfectionism.
You need to stop waiting for the “right” words and start stewarding the ones you already have, for the people you care most about.
Get Started Writing – Knowing Your “WHO”
Stop fretting about what you are going to write and how perfectly you are going to say it. Stop thinking about the awards and accolades. Stop thinking about how impressed your friends will be when they learn you wrote a book (heck, even strangers will be impressed, that’s how it works). Start thinking about WHO you are writing your book for.
The writing process may begin with WHAT you are writing about. But when you can’t overcome the blank page, you might want to focus on WHO will benefit from your book.
I’m easily distracted. I like hanging out with my wife, playing video games with my brother, and hitting golf balls with my friends. What I’m thinking about and planning on writing is just a distraction to the other good things in life. But WHO I am writing for, well, that is a motivator.
If you want to write with meaning and purpose, and quickly, figure out WHO you are writing to and WHY your message will matter to them.
Exercise: Identifying Your “WHO”
Start with some basic questions about your target audience. And if you can (and you should), identify one person in your life that you want to share your message with. Envision sitting in a coffee shop (or standing on a tee box) talking about a certain pain or question in their life, the very one your book promises to address. Then answer these questions:
- Male or Female
- Adult or Child
- Age
- Relationship status
- Income
- Education
- Occupation
- Where do they live?
- What is their relationship with God like?
- Whom do they desire to serve?
- What are they angry about? Afraid of?
- What do they hope for? Dream of?
- What problem are they trying to solve?
- What is their need behind the need (point of pain)?
- Do they have a political, church, or social affiliation?
- What are their interests? Hobbies?
- What do they value for themselves? Spouse? Kids? Family? Society?
- Where will they physically be when they are reading your book?
Then write a detailed description of WHO you are writing your book for. Need an example?
I lead a writing retreat at the Glen Eyrie Conference Center twice a year, and I’ve written a profile for my “target audience” (aka, “right fit client” or “avatar.”)
The Igniting Your Writing retreat’s ideal participant is a woman in her 40s-60s who is not only a Christian but also has a biblical worldview. She is married with kids and has an entrepreneurial spirit. She holds a leadership role in her work or ministry, is a member of her local church, and has an extensive professional and personal network. She has a strong affinity for sales and marketing and is seeking help writing her first book so she can write her next three books on her own. She desires to grow her influence, credibility, and impact, all for the glory of Jesus.
I know my audience. Do you know yours?
Writing to Your “WHO”
And here is my basic tip on shaping the tone and content of your book: Write your book as though it is a conversation with ONE person about THEIR problem and suggest a Solution.
And now, it is time for you to go discover your WHO and start writing.
Have fun!