In a recent attempt to motivate myself back into running following a slump I decided to read two books about running: Your Pace or Mine by Lisa Jackson and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by  Haruki Murakami. 

On the surface both books were the 'same'. Both authors are marathon/ultramarathon runners, both are passionate about running and both books were a story of their lives in running. 

However, one left me annoyed as it represented everything I hate about running and the running community and the other made me lace up my trainers and register for a couple of races (fingers crossed they go ahead). I may even buy a novelty hat to get into the spirit. 

Jackson's book was about the joy of running, and the wonderful positive experiences she has had. As an ultramarathon runner (more than 26.6 miles in one go), and someone who runs at least one marathon a month her approach to running was refreshing. She didn't care about time - other than she never wanted to be picked up by the sweeper bus - and judged the success of a race by how many people she had chatted to on the course.  

Murakami's  book on the other hand was about pushing yourself to the extreme. He runs every day for at least 6 miles, and runs one marathon a year. After running the same routes for years he is on nodding terms with other runners. He considers a sub-four hour marathon to be a disaster, and is fixated on time and pushing past the pain barrier. 

Jackson's book was about motivating people to run and showing that the running world can be an inclusive place, whereas Murakami's book was a personal account, which left me as a slow runner feeling utterly dejected at my marathon times. Jackson's book made me actually look at my times for Bournemouth 2017 and London 2018 and be proud that I earned those medals, blisters and manky runner's feet. She made me feel two marathons in six months (and one of the hottest on record) was an achievement. Murakami's book made me want to hide the times and never discuss them again. 

These two books demonstrated perfectly to me the importance when writing a book to actually think about your reader and what you want them to feel when they've finished. 

Lisa Jackson obviously wanted to make the reader feel motivated to get out running. For me, I feel Murakami wanted the reader to understand more about what made him tick as a runner and was not intended to motivate them. 

When I work with authors on their books this is one of the first questions we work on - what is the reader going to get out of finishing your book? How do you want them to feel? As a writer you have this power.

If these questions are answered carefully then it can help guide the writing so that this goal is actually achieved. 

If you have an idea for a book pootling around in your brain and you would like to start the journey to getting it written contact me about my mentoring programme today or book a call with me.