Anyone Can Be A Writer
A pervasive myth clings to some who aspire to write.
That being a writer is a fool’s errand because everything worth saying has already been said.
Why write about philosophy when Aristotle and Plato answered most of the big questions two thousand years ago? Why write a horror story when you can read Stephen King?
On the surface, these seem like fair points. Are you going to reconfigure western philosophy? Unlikely. Are you going to write more compelling novels than King. Again, it’s unlikely.
But this is no reason not to write. Culture is not fixed. It’s a moving target, which deviates as we pass through the ages.
The lived experience of philosophers in Ancient Greece are different from what we experience today. Likewise, King’s novels are a reflection of his experiences and imagination.
This is the essence of writing. Your writing is an expression of the way you see the world. The way you experience life. An experience which is unique to you and you alone.
The world wants to hear your voice. It needs to hear your voice. Your thoughts are as valid as anyone else’s. A lack of followers, book deal or rave reviews shouldn’t deter you from expressing the way you see the world.
We may have similar views to other writers, but they aren’t one and the same. They’re different pages in the same book.
The point of writing is to convey an insight only you have. To think about your lived experience and use this to educate, entertain and inform the reader.
The point of writing is to speak your truth and to speak it well.
I agree a person should write to “speak your truth,” but the rub is will anyone publish your truth?
Really enjoyed your article. So true when you said at the end, "The point of writing is to speak your truth and to speak it well." - That is a very good saying.