Not every writer is a social justice warrior, and not all of us feel the need to use our writing to make the world a better place. But we all have issues we care about. Problems that concern us. Things we want to change.

One of the first books I read about writing, many years ago, was Writing to Change the World, by Mary Pipher. I’ve read it numerous times since. And its message has always stuck with me. If I’m going to put my writing out into the world, why not use it to try and make a difference, in some small way?

If you want to change the world, even a little bit, you could start by writing about the issues that bother you. If that appeals to you, here are some things to think about.

We may not spend much time thinking about it, but most of us want to leave a legacy. We don’t want to check out of this life thinking we had no impact whatsoever on the world. If we choose writing as a career, we have the privilege of being able to be creative, earn money and possibly leave a legacy, all at the same time.

Everyone has different motivations for wanting to write and get that writing published, but most of us write to communicate, share ideas and spread a message. Figuring out what your message is before you start a piece of writing is a way to give your writing clarity, strength and meaning.

Before I start to outline a new piece, I ask myself what I’m trying to say and why it matters. If I get carried away with a new idea and forget to do this, it shows. I end up with a piece that lacks focus. I also end up having to come back to those basic questions before I edit the piece, and I’ll generally find the editing process is harder.

I’ve written about green living, natural parenting and domestic violence. I’ve written about travel, education and philanthropy. I’ve written articles that promote volunteering, donating to micro-finance organisation Kiva, and supporting local organic farmers.