In your author journey, it is easy to view yourself as the hero. You’ve worked hard on your writing, books, and marketing. You’ve conquered emotional obstacles. You’ve proven to yourself that you can do it.

All of those are heroic acts, to be sure, but it may surprise you to learn that in your author story, you are not the hero. You are not the main character. You are not whom the story is about.

So who IS the hero, then? The hero is your reader.

No matter if you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, your goal is always to serve your reader. They are the one you’re trying to influence, entertain, inspire, educate, or change. They are the reason you’re writing in the first place.

You’re not the hero. You’re the mentor, the wizard, the guide. You are the Obi-Wan Kenobi to the reader’s Luke Skywalker. You’re the Gandalf to their Frodo. You’re the Glinda to their Dorothy.

What you are doing as a writer may be heroic, but you’re not the hero—the reader is. Make sure to do everything in your power to help them get what they came to your writing to find.

Daily Question: As the mentor to your reader, what do you hope they take away from your writing?