I watched a television talk show this week, featuring a man who was exonerated of three murders for which he had been convicted nearly thirty years ago. Having been on death row for over 27 of those years, he has now written a book about his ordeal.

Hopefully, you and I will never experience an injustice like that, but we still have stories to tell—ours, or someone else’s.

Whether fiction or nonfiction, we can still make sure our books send a message to our readers. Messages of hope, love, forgiveness…

The written word is a vital force. It has power to move readers in a new direction, to change their viewpoints, to solidify their beliefs.

Before we begin to write—before we even put that first word on paper—we must decide what our book’s purpose will be and let that purpose guide us each day as we put pen to paper.

I find it helpful to print out my book’s purpose and post it near my computer. I read those few sentences each day before I begin to work, letting it guide my writing so that when I finally type, THE END, I can rest assured that it will be THE BEGINNING for someone else…