How to Write Better: Write As If You Will Have No Time Left to Live to Leave Something For Me and Others (Writers)

I never heard of anyone talk about the end of their lives the way one of my friends has done, in fact she even writes on this topic. She seems to have it down to and art. So, finally I asked, why this thinking and brooding about "the end." Not the end of the writing process, or having a published a book, but the "end."

Her response to my question about ending made me think. It made me wonder where my passionate writing had gone, it made me ask the question of creating a writing legacy, far beyond the usual ideas of business writing or publishing a bestselling book. Her comments are beyond what most people think of when they think of writing.

"When I Die, when it's the end, my legacy will already be established, so I need to think of the end before I can think about the beginning. Everyone thinks about the beginning not many think about the end, and It's more vital than the other. What I give now, means my legacy is in creating something for others."

So, My legacy... Well, I never thought about the end, to much to think about before the end, right? I'll have time to improve my writing, publish that book, read more books, get into a more powerful writing form. Or do I?

What Would I, If I had Six Months to Live,Do With My Writing?

Write A Piece with all the Passion I have left Within my Soul.

Spend more time with my Family.

Publish My Three non-fiction Books, At that point it wouldn't matter how or why but I would need to get it done. It could be self-published or traditionally published but it just needs to be published, time to think of advances and money is not a factor anymore when you are about to die.

Read My Top 10 books I've always wanted to read. we all have a list,t eh books we've read but want to read again or books which everyone else has read, but you have been too busy to read.

Write, Write and Write, and thereby Improve My Writing.

Observe and Write about Others.

Make Certain that the money I have is safe for my family. So in other words, will, legal forms and anything else.

Laugh More and Love more and write about it.

Of course this would be my legacy: Love and Joy and a bit of Great Writing or at least a part of it.

So why talk about a writing legacy? You can after all self-publish your memories but I think that is not the point of the question.

It is the same as suggesting that publishing a book is the only thing you will even need to worry about as a writer. At some point you will need to worry about interaction with your readers, and how they feel about your writing. You will also need to market and promote your book. You will also need to think of the next book.... and what to do with the legacy of this book.

All books have lives. Some are going to be immortal, but not all of them. I would argue that for every published book which we talk about years latter, there is thousands which aren't around.

A writing legacy can affect more than you-- in fact it should.

Your published writing-- either self-published or traditionally published will live long after you die. No matter what. People can always find years later.

Why mention it if you have limited time, either you know your life is ending or you will be so sick that you can not write? When you are about to die, will you be thinking of how much money your books should make you or how people will remember you?

Because as humans we all want to be remembered and to be admired or at least have one person who truly cares about us. My own thinking leads me to believe that no matter what stage we are at in our writing, we want to be better. We want to be beloved by others. I suspect that is human nature. This idea that our writing sparks another person to be more than what they are at the moment.

We writers long to be read. Sometimes, yes it is not about the money. It is about something deeper. it is about publishing the best work we can write. Tis means editing the work which we have written and also editing before we publish any new work. We need to think of the end, even before we begin the publishing process.

Since I read a lot of books I've found a common theme within each: acceptance. Acceptance in a community of writers is one thing that draws many people to many online writing communities, and that community can give people the acceptance that they crave in their life. If your writing is powerful and has passion then the process is easier.

My legacy is about my writing and my family. In the end, for me at least these two are the most important things in my life, and that is why I decided on my list. I can say money is great but... That's really not everything.

What About you?