IGNITE - DISCOVERING YOUR MESSAGE

Welcome to today's class! - Today we'll be examining the subject of the writers' message.

Every writer has a specific message that surrounds their writing skills. Some writers have a message of purpose; others have confidence, emotional strength, and mental capacity, among others. Your message could be relative to you as an individual, or it could be a subject matter that attracts your attention. 

Your message is something primal—something that you can't put directly into words. Some sort of passion that burns within you on a particular subject matter—something you feel that you want to share with the world.

Don't you have such feelings? Don't worry—read on!

Why is this important?

• A writer without a message is a writer without an audience.
• Your message is what propels the right audience towards you.
• Your message could serve as a pointer to your destiny. For example, if your message as a writer is "hope," you might be on your way to becoming someone who creates opportunities for people around the world.

How Do You Discover Your Message?

Something motivates you to write or to create. In fact, that core message probably trickles through all your writing. It fuels your creativity, and tapping into it feels fulfilling. It’s a life message—something you can’t help but share. If you look back at your life, you’ll see you’ve been trying to share it over and over since you were a kid.

Read this story from the Writers' Practice:

My friend, Marianne Richmond, says her core message is connection. She suffered horrible seizures as a child that made her feel completely disconnected from her friends and from her family, which made her live every day in fear that she would be found out. But when she finally became open and vulnerable with people, instead of rejecting her, people celebrated her. She finally felt connected for the first time in her life. That led her to write her first children’s book, and her books have gone on to sell over 6 million copies, all based on that core message of connection.

My friend Terrence Lester’s core message is empathy. You might have seen Terence already at this event. Terence was homeless as a young man, and he has this amazing ability to treat everyone he meets with dignity, no matter how clean or dirty they are, no matter how rich or poor they are. And his work invites us—most of us who probably haven’t experienced homelessness—to enter into that experience, and it’s extremely effective. Terrence has helped over 300 people get off the streets because he has told his core message so well.

Your message is either something that is relative to you as an individual or a subject matter you love with so much passion. It could be your story that the World needs to hear

        Please Answer these questions:

1. What topics do you often find yourself talking about with so much passion? Sports? Fashion? Events? Books? Music?
2. What kind of posts do you often save or screenshot on social media?
3. What kind of posts do you engage with (like, comment, or share) on social media?
4. What kind of books do you prefer?
5. What kind of movies would you prefer to watch?
6. What subject have people given you commendation for?
7. What is that one thing you do with so much passion?
8. What activity do you do that you could say "I Love Doing This"

Read this article on Medium by Tom - What's Your Message by Tom Kuegler

Ask yourself what topics you're passionate about, what kinds of writing projects bring you the most joy, and what areas you have experience or knowledge in.

Now, do you understand what we mean by "you have a message"? Have you been able to catch a glimpse of what we're talking about?

Now provide the answers to those questions in the comment section below, and watch out for our next message. Take a look at the answers you provided to the questions above, do you think you can guess your message? Find out!

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