1. Leave a legacy

I am fond of watching ancestry programmes. It is intriguing to see the joy people feel when they discover the journals, letters, diaries, or books that their ancestors wrote. Something they left and they can touch and hold with pride and joy in learning something about the person who wrote it and is no longer with them. Imagine your future generations stumbling upon that book you wrote. We all have a story to tell. One day we will leave this earth, and our children’s children will have something to read. The joy they will feel in knowing that you wrote it. Wonderful! Is it not?

2. Become a better writer through the process 

Most people wait to be perfect or discount themselves because they feel their writing skills are not good enough. I was one of those people. I make a lot of mistakes, and that played severely on my self-esteem and confidence. The more I thought about writing, the more anxious I felt because I knew someone would tell me about how ‘un-English’ my writing is in their opinion. I still get that now, but you know what? As I have started expressing myself with the imperfections, my writing skills have improved. I get someone else to proofread my work. It makes me happy to know that despite my dyslexia, I am still able to write, and you are reading this right now because I took the step to write it. So, you too, can write. It would be best if you started writing, and your skills will improve. Zig Ziglar wrote, “you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

3. Sharing your knowledge can help someone

We all know something that someone else does not do. Or we have a spin on a topic that may seem straightforward to us but not to others. Writing about your subject can help someone to improve their life. When you write in a book, you are likely to reach more people than you would in your day-to-day life.

4. It helps your mental health

Putting words on paper can be therapeutic, whether you put pen to paper or type on a computer. Expressing yourself through writing can be beneficial for your health and emotional well-being. Writing without worrying (expressive writing), involves pouring your heart and mind into words, without worrying about spelling, punctuation, grammar, and other writing conventions, focussing on what is suitable for you at that moment. The corrections can come later. Research has found that writing helps with recovery from loss and depression. Research also has shown that there is a link between evocative writing and a mood boost. According to Baikie and Wilhelm (2005) and Niles et al. (2014), the benefits of expressive writing linger and pay off in the long run. The benefits include reducing stress levels and depressive symptoms, leading to lower blood pressure and improved lung and liver functioning. Some research has also suggested that expressive writing could help people with post-traumatic stress disorder. So, there you have it, you have every reason to share what you know, or how you fixed that problem others are grappling with.

5. Creating a platform as a speaker on your topic

People are always looking for someone who can speak or teach on a particular topic. As an author, they can find you and request you to speak at their events. You can also get paid for your book. Though a book itself might not get you a high income unless you are J K Rowling, it can certainly put you in a position where you can sell your products and people can find you based on your market. It also adds the title Author to your credentials!