Write your purpose

How to turn your message into a bestseller

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Shortly after I completed my degree, I received an invitation to attend a writing retreat in Portugal, entitled Write Your Future Bestseller, hosted by literary agent Jacq Burns and writing coach Laura Gale. It seemed like a counterintuitive thing to sign up for, given that I had spent the better part of two years on pictures. Yet the workshop description piqued my interest. 'Can't figure out what to focus on? Have a lot to say but don't know how to say it? Need time away from work and home?" Yes, to all of that!

I was at a pivotal point in my journey. Armed with my new knowledge, skills and creative ideas, I was ready to take on the world. But what exactly was I going to do with it? Maybe a writer's retreat could help me find my purpose?

On the first evening of the retreat, I met my fellow attendees. Most of the 11 other people were running businesses or doing jobs with a strong sense of mission (from a menopause warrior to a teen mental health advocate), which they wished to translate onto the page. Even the sci-fi novelist had a burning message to share about the future of artificial intelligence.