Your Book Isn't the Most Interesting Thing About You

When I invite someone to be a guest on My Friend Writes, I rarely begin by asking about their book. Of course we’ll talk about it… I’ll ask where the idea came from, who you wrote it for, and what they learned about themselves while bringing it to life. But those questions simply open the door to the conversation I really want to have.

Every week I have the privilege of sitting down with authors whose publishing journeys look completely different. Some have worked with traditional publishers, some with hybrid publishers, and others have self-published. Some have written one book, and others have written many. From the outside, their stories seem different.

Once we begin talking, however, those differences begin to fade.

Almost every author remembers wondering whether they were qualified to write, and almost every author can point to a season when imposter syndrome nearly convinced them to stop. And… this is the best one: most can remember the moment they realized the book was changing them just as surely as they hoped it might someday change a reader.

Writing asks something of us. It asks us to stay with an idea long after the excitement has worn off. It teaches us patience, perseverance, humility, and courage. It often asks us to revisit places we would rather leave behind, trusting that God can redeem even those chapters for someone else’s good.

By the time a manuscript is finished, something has changed. Yes, there is a completed book, but more importantly, there is a different writer.

As My Friend Writes continues to grow, I would love to introduce listeners to more of those stories. If you’ve written a book and would enjoy having an honest conversation about what the journey taught you, I hope you’ll join me. You don’t need a bestselling book, a large platform, or a traditional publishing contract. You simply need a willingness to reflect on the road you’ve traveled and the person you’ve become along the way.

Those are the conversations that encourage writers the most because somewhere, someone is still wondering whether they should begin, and your story may be exactly the encouragement they need.

If you’d like to join me on My Friend Writes, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message on Instagram at My_friendwrites, and let’s start the conversation. I have a feeling your book is wonderful, but I’m even more interested in hearing the story behind it.

Listen to Episode 12 of My Friend Writes