Why Stories Can Save Lives

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41 my friend called me up, “make something good come of it,” she told me.  I knew then I would write about it and that became my 5th book Love and Above. My way, like so many other storytellers who have lived through the centuries, is to share stories by writing or telling them. We tell them in social gatherings, on a stage, in a book or in a diary.  But we must tell them because storytellers have a calling.  We all have many soul-stirring stories. Sharing them in public gives others a script to follow, and they show us the way.  

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Why is it important to share your story? 

It’s not. Not unless you really want to. I tell writers this all the time. Writing a book is dreadfully hard work. It is far easier not to write a book. It is far easier just to read one. In fact it is terribly exposing, and chances are you will make no money out if it. So why do so many people do it?  I find it is a deep human drive to share. 

Do you have to be an expert to write? 

Not any more! Storytelling is part of how humans interpret life and navigate it. Watch how you reach out for stories on Facebook or Instagram on how others are navigating life, cancer, parenting, diets – or life. They are seldom experts. Human beings find change very difficult, impossible sometimes unless someone shows us another way. We defend our own view of the world and we want to know exactly the new one we are stepping into. When I was going through cancer I didn’t want to read medical books – I wanted stories of other women who had walked that path and lived. Many writers I work with have deeply personal stories to share, others have light fun ones. 

What about criticism?

Researcher and author Dr Brené Brown likens people who share their stories (or their ideas) with the world to gladiators of old who would fight in the public arena in front of huge crowds. It is easy to be in the crowds, or the cheap seats. It is not as easy to step “into the arena’ of life. That shows courage and vulnerability, and not everyone wants to do that. So the rare people who do share their stories in a careful way - they stand out. 

"Maybe stories are just data with a soul," said Brené Brown.

Do you have to write to be published? 

Anais Nin said  'We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.' There are so many ways to share your journey and it no longer means you have to write a book, get a publisher and walk that traditional road.  Many people choose to write their story for their family and to record history that would be lost otherwise. Or share a story in a blog or on FB. We live in an era where it is easy to make the personal public. Two decades ago it was indecent to air your ‘dirty laundry’, unless you were famous. Now it is eyebrow raising not to. 

Sarah’s tips for writing a book

Writing a book about your life, or your area of expertise, is about making the personal public. That requires structure and planning. Stories don’t just happen. Books are most often carefully structured things designed to take a reader on a journey.  Here are some shortcuts and things that can make this process easier. 

Waiting for the Muse doesn’t work 

Whatever you write, the process of writing remains the same. Every writer needs to do the work.  There is not one writer who got published though talent alone. All of them got there through discipline, tenacity, and a lot of time on their bums with their fingers tapping on a keyboard. 

Know your readerHone in. Remember, real people read books. Books are chosen and bought by individuals who stay up late at night reading your words.  Most often they are looking for information, or connection.  Why will someone want to read your story? Who are they? What are they looking for? What will they find? How is the best way for you to deliver your information or message?

Know the genreTo put it in another way – on which shelf is your book going to sit in the bookshop? What books will sit next to it? Genre is a label that tells the reader what to expect in your book. It tells the booksellers and Amazon how to sell your book. It will help you form the structure, understand how long the book needs to be, and what sections need to be included. 

Planning a book is the writer’s job.It is up to you to transform an idea into a solid, gripping and relatable story structure.   What often makes a book a 'good book', or a bestseller, is not the brilliance of the writing at all! It is the way the information is fed to the reader. It is the clarity of the concept, the argument and edge and the smart way in which the book is presented. This happens in the planning.

Your book can impact your business

In the non-fiction world, your book is a powerful business card. It can open doors, elevate your brand, open the door to a speaking career, boost your business visibility and give you more and more credibility in a sea of sameness.  It is a key to leveraging your expertise and your ideas and allowing your clients and reader to take a piece of you into their homes. They can stay connected to you.