Is There Still Room for One?

Have you ever sat in front of your computer and wondered why you bother? Maybe it’s just me, though I doubt it.

You look at the books on your shelves, or think of the number of books releasing every year (spoiler: it’s a LOT), or read about a story about to release from a multi-published author that has similar notes or themes to the one you’re currently laboring over and wonder why. What’s the point? Why put all this time and effort and heart and passion and tears into this one little book when it’s just a book. What do you have to offer the world that [insert name of every famous, brilliant, respected, multi-published author] hasn’t already written or couldn’t write better?

Why put all this time and effort and heart and passion and tears into this one little book?

Because it’s not just a story. It’s your story. And not one of those [insert name of every famous, brilliant, respected, multi-published author] could write it the way you do.

Whether you plan it or not, each time you sit down to write, your heart shows. Your experience, your passion, your hopes, your doubts and your fears. Your writing is influenced by the books you’ve read and the ones you chose to skip. It’s impacted by the education you received, the friends you had at school, the things you succeeded in and the things you failed. It’s the way you see the world and what brought you to the keyboard today. All of that shows in the words you write.

No one has a story quite like yours, which means no one can write a story quite like you.

I love the Casting Crowns song, One More Song For You. Yes, it’s about writing a song, but it encourages me so much as a writer. Here’s a portion of it but go listen to the whole song if you haven’t heard it.

Have all the songs been sung?
Is there still room for one?

Maybe one more hand in the air saying, “You are holy”
One more shattered heart singing, “You are good”
Maybe one more voice crying out for mercy
One more hungry soul declaring You’re enough
As long as there’s breath in me
Lord, there will always be
One more song for You

Yes, there are thousands of authors in this world. Yes, you may feel like you’re just one more flooding an already flooded market. But it’s not true. You have a place, and so does your story.

Keep writing.

This post was first published on LearnHowToWriteANovel.com