A Case for Writing

Everyone should find their creative voice. I spent time in the art studio and experimented with photography, but I have always enjoyed the written word.

Before writing or typing the first sentence of my debut manuscript, I reflected on the prospect of writing a book. I always did well in English and Literature classes, so I thought it would be time-consuming but easy. What I found was that it took a tremendous amount of time and effort, like my brain was constantly working in the background to further the story. I solved problems and created more simultaneously, working to craft the twists and turns that put characters in impossible situations, make stories exciting, and keep the pages turning.

After finishing the first draft, I assessed the situation. I went to trusted sources to vet it. I hired beta readers and professional editors who worked for major publishers to refine the manuscript. The story was good, but who the hell was I to think I could pull off something great, something solid enough to catch the right attention to bring the story to the masses?

I realized that it didn’t matter, and as much as I'd love to sell a ton of books (and plan to), that's not why I chose to write, or why I continue to do so. Writing is about sharing your voice, no matter who else experiences the output. And the writing process has been one of the most difficult and satisfying things I have done in a very long time.

As humans living here on this fine planet, we all have a voice, a perspective, a view on life, shaped by many things. Experiences and biases, opinions and habits, inform our worldview and how we articulate it. The people who raised us and those we spend time with also help shape us, for better or worse. There are 8 billion unique viewpoints on Earth right now, many of which could change the world with words.

Writing reflects the writer’s world, but it's not a mirror image of what you see. It's a filtered, distilled, and refined version of experience manifested in combinations of symbols known as words. It's how you process the world and explain it to yourself first, then to others in the form of a story. You take your perspective, all the things you’ve learned, the books you’ve read, the life you’ve lived, the places you've been, and the mistakes you've made, and (consciously or subconsciously) weave them into your writing.

Believing in yourself, believing in your unique voice, in your worldview, and that you have a story worth telling, are the only prerequisites to becoming a writer.