We have all heard the question, " What do you want to be when you grow up?” or “What will be your purpose?”
That question about life is not easy to answer, but it should be the first question asked when writing a book. Without a purpose, a book is just words on a page—nonsensical.
The easy answer is to entertain but dig to a deeper, more meaningful purpose—the purpose that will drive you to write the best book you can. When struggling with a large problem (determining your purpose), it is easier to break it down into smaller steps. These smaller steps come in the form of five questions.
What’s your concept?
Knowing your concept does not mean you know your purpose. You can have a concept for a story and have no clue how to begin. The concept could be as simple as a poetry book. But without knowing the book's purpose, it could end up being a set of random lines that don’t flow as you hoped. Or you may have something more complicated, like a family with hidden secrets. Knowing the purpose will help guide the intricacies of a complicated concept.
What genre are you writing?
This is the easiest of the questions. It goes hand in hand with your concept. Will you be writing fiction or non-fiction? From there, decide what subcategory you will be writing - horror, suspense, sci-fi, educational, picture book or one of the many others.
Each genre has its own spin. Suspense usually has a twist, whereas educational is much more straightforward. Genres can always be combined, like horror and sci-fi or Western and crime. Whatever the genre, stick with it.
Who do you want to read the book?
The way you write the book will change depending on who reads it—children, teens, adults, parents, single individuals, etc.
Small children enjoy simple sentences, especially ones that rhyme. Plus, pictures can add an entire layer that words cannot. As the writer, you may not be the one to draw the pictures, but you are the one who controls what they convey. Older readers have a larger vocabulary, and pictures are not often included.
What point of view will you use?
Before you start writing, you need to decide how the story will be told. Consider your concept, genre, and audience.
Most children’s books are through the voice of a narrator. Non-Fiction are often first-person using “I” and “we.” There are some fantastic crime novels using a rotating first-person. No matter which you choose, it has to remain the same throughout the book. It can aggravate the readers when you switch partway through a book. It shows sloppy planning and won’t help your purpose.
How long do you want it to be?
This doesn’t need to be set in stone, but it will give a great starting point. If you are hoping for a quick read, you may need to cut out the extras. Avoid side quests and stay focussed on the main characters (or main theme if you are writing a non-fiction/educational book).
If you are okay with a lengthy read it will give more time for setting and character descriptions. The third question will help determine the length. If your audience is a child, keep it short and condensed. Whereas an adult has a longer attention span and wants the backstory and depth to characters, creating intricate storylines
All of this leads back to the bigger question—what is the purpose? Beyond entertaining, the purpose is to craft a compelling story that your audience will want to read.
Let’s follow an example and find the purpose of Thoughts of a Warrior.
The hope is that it will entertain, elicit some emotions, and be a 5-star book, but what is its deeper purpose? To figure that out, the five questions need to be answered.
Concept - a light-hearted poetry book showcasing the joy in life
Genre - poetry/non-fiction/picture
Audience - adults
Point-of-view - narrator
Length - short read
Putting those questions together, the purpose is clear: a quick burst showing joy in life through words and photos that adults can take inspiration from each day.
Knowing the book's purpose before writing is essential to a solid story. Knowing the purpose guides the structure of the story and keeps the author on track, ultimately creating a book that your readers will want to read and share with others.
Find out more at https://www.rbwriting.ca.
Article published in The Relatable Voice Magazine - January 2025.
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