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Empowering you to write the stories of your heart and increasing your impact with a book. Helpful information for your writing career each month In this issue:
Craft: 5 Questions Your Content Needs to AnswerWhen a manuscript isn’t working, the problem usually isn’t the writing itself. It’s that one of five foundational questions hasn’t been answered clearly—or at all. These questions are the same whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, and until you can answer them, no amount of editing will fix what’s missing. Whether you’re a blogger, content marketer, or book author, these five questions ensure you create content that engages your audience and achieves your goals. From identifying whose story you’re telling to understanding what you want readers to walk away with, these are the foundational pieces of any compelling content. Whose story is it?In fiction, this is your main character. That might seem obvious, but not all writers craft their story like it is. The main character is the person whose journey we’re reading about, the one your reader needs to emotionally engage with if you want them to keep turning pages. If you’re not clear on this, your reader won’t know who to root for—and they’ll stop reading. In nonfiction, it’s not quite as obvious. Can you guess who it is? It’s your reader. You’re taking your reader on a journey of transformation, so the story is about them. This is why knowing your target audience and what they need matters so much. The more time you spend on this question, the more targeted your content will be, and the more your reader will feel like you’re speaking directly to them. What’s happening?For fiction, this is the journey your characters are on, focused primarily on the main character. What do they want? What obstacles will get in their way? What are they trying to achieve? For nonfiction, this is the transformation journey you’re taking your reader on. What are you promising them? Why should they read your book? What will they gain from the experience? What’s at stake?For both fiction and nonfiction, what will happen if your main character or reader doesn’t reach their goal? What if they don’t experience the transformation you’re offering? How will their lives be affected? What will they miss out on? If there are no stakes, it doesn’t really matter whether your main character succeeds. There’s no urgency. And if that’s the case, why are you writing this book? Make it matter. What’s the lie?I think this is one of the key points that authors often overlook. Think of your main character or reader. What has been holding them back? Why haven’t they reached their goal already? It’s because there’s something they believe that isn’t true. They believe they can’t do something. They believe they aren’t good enough. They’re not smart enough. This is the internal obstacle they have to overcome to reach their goal. For them to achieve what they want, they have to realize the lie is a lie and embrace the truth. Until then, the lie will hold them back. This is one of the questions I work through most often with my coaching clients, because it’s hard to see your own blind spots. Sometimes you need someone to ask the questions you haven’t thought to ask yourself. What’s the theme?Why did you write this book? What is the big takeaway you want readers to have after finishing it? In nonfiction, this is part of the transformation you promise your readers, but it’s also your specific passion for writing this book. In fiction, it’s often the lesson your characters learn or something they discover—friends are the family you choose, or you are stronger than you think. I find authors don’t spend enough time here, and they need to, because this is the emotional resonance your readers will carry with them long after they’ve finished your work. Putting it togetherWhether you’re a plotter or a pantser or somewhere in between, these five questions give you foundational points to create strong content. They work at the beginning of your writing to organize your thoughts and give you direction. They also work as a guide during revision—asking yourself whether you’ve answered each question fully will make your work stronger. If you can answer these five questions clearly, you have a foundation to build on. If you’re struggling to answer even one of them, that’s worth paying attention to. It’s usually a sign that something needs to be worked out before you keep drafting. That’s not a failure. That’s just part of the process. Want to go deeper?I created a YouTube playlist where marketing expert Stephanie Feger and I discuss each of these questions in detail on our Beyond the Page series. You can find it here: YouTube: 5 Questions You Must Answer Career: Strategic AssessmentThere’s no lack of information out there on writing. But how do you sort through it? How do you know which of it applies to you? One of the things I hate most is when an author comes to me after wandering around the internet for a while, taking advice from various sources, and ends up with a book they are unhappy with. If they’d just talked to me, I could have pointed them in the right direction, saving them time, heartache, and usually money. That’s why I started offering strategy sessions. We’ll get on a Zoom call and talk about anything related to writing or publishing. When you’re not sure what kind of help you need or where to go with your book, a strategy session is a great way to get professional advice. For $295, You’ll get 60 minutes to ask any question about writing or publishing and get professional feedback and thoughts on your situation. It’s a great way to determine what would be good next steps. And then you won’t be left wondering, “Did I do the right thing? Did I make the right decision?” Click here to get on my calendar. Craft: Get on My CalendarSpeaking of calendars… My 2026 calendar is filling up. I’m booking into March and beyond, so if you think you’ll want my services this year, get your slot reserved. I’m typically booked 60 days out. Book a project with me and get a free 45-minute strategy call. I love referrals! Send your writing friends to me and get a free 45-minute strategy call when they book a service with me. Where you can find meI’ve been on a couple of podcasts recently talking about how to turn what you know into a book. The Thoughtful Entrepreneur with Josh Elledge: Proven Strategies for Entrepreneurs to Write a Transformative Book Business Roundtable with Dave Carr: How to Turn Your Expertise into a Book 📺 Tandem Services has a YouTube page! Check it out at YouTube.com/@TandemServices Want personalized writing advice? Share a writing, editing, or publishing hurdle you have faced or a question you have and I will email you an autographed copy of Eat the Elephant: How to Write (and Finish!) Your Book One Bite at a Time and send you a personalized five-minute video. Click here to find out more. Writing quoteA writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error; He should tend to lift people up, not lower them down. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life. — E.B. White Pressing on! Jennifer PS—You should assume any link in this Update is an affiliate link. It costs you nothing more but gives me a few pennies. 🙂 |
