When the subject of my fifth book release comes up – with my launch events that JRW members are absolutely invited to – one of the first questions I usually hear is “What do you write?”
As a multi-genre author, I adore this question that I once dreaded. While a long explanation could follow, regarding my fiction and nonfiction, including my writing reference and storytelling empowerment books as well as my dual timeline fiction and literary history work, I’ve learned a new strategy.
Everything I write, no matter the genre, has the same cohesive theme. When I realized that I could put this singular idea into words and introduce all of my work within a sentence, my answer to this tricky question not only coalesced, but my professional focus also solidified.
Rather than speaking of genre, I share my personal mission as an author. You could call it my thesis, my leitmotif, or my author brand. Defining what’s at the heart of everything I write allows me to have an easy answer, but also an answer that invites further questions. And isn’t piquing curiosity our goal when we speak of our work?
Defining my mission made all the difference.
What is an author’s mission?
If you’ve attended past memoir or fiction editing workshops I’ve held with James River Writers, the idea of a mission statement might be familiar. This concept is one I recommend for individual creative projects, ensuring the whole hits the mark the writer intends. However, when we’re thinking about the all-encompassing mission of an author’s career, a deeper analysis of works, audience, and goals comes to the surface.
What steadily drives you to write and create?
What do you want your readers to take away from your projects every time?
Is there a consistency of theme that holds all of your creative pieces together?
For me, every book I write focuses on how well-written words and well-told stories have the capacity to change the world. Everything I’ve published falls under this umbrella, and my future projects, some of which are already defined and underway, will continue to.
Is this concept broad? Absolutely. But my work as an author, editor, and literary historian chases countless curiosities. My readers know this, and when I’m clear about my future intentions, hopefully, they’ll continue with me for the ride.
In modern life, we must understand the power of sound bites.
From 30-second elevator pitches (or should we say “escalator pitches” at the James River Writers Conference?) to perfectly wordsmithed query letter language, knowing how to be captivating but brief is a skill to hone. The “What do you write?” question is similar to the “What is your book about?” question. You’ll lose your audience, in person or writing, if you neglect to reach your point both quickly and enticingly.
For better or worse, we live in a sound-bite reality. Still, you can seize upon this short and sweet attention span to pull your potential readers in if you’re thoughtful about your answers to these questions.
Genre can define an author, but it doesn’t have to.
There was a time that I stressed over the fact that I loved writing fiction, even though my first three books weren’t fiction. Anxieties arise around countless aspects of a creative career, but genre restrictions in an author’s brand shouldn’t be one of them.
I continue to write what I love, and I argue that you should too – as long as you are thoughtful about the way you present yourself.
We all have our missions. Defining yours may transport you to the next stage and new possibilities for your creative career. It certainly has for me.
About the Author
Kris Spisak wrote her first three books—Get a Grip on Your Grammar, The Novel Editing Workbook, and The Family Story Workbook—to help writers of all kinds sharpen their storytelling and empower their communications. Her award-winning debut novel, The Baba Yaga Mask, was inspired by her family’s experience in the post-WWII Ukrainian diaspora, and her fifth book, Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods, explores the complex origins of this Slavic folktale character.