Writers: Don't Forget This

Photo credit: Taylor Liberato on Flickr
I am handwriting this blog post. Or rather, I was, before I typed it up and posted it online for all of you to read.

Point is, I’ve been thinking about the process of writing—not the techniques and structure and style of the words, but the act of writing itself, the literal scraping of graphite on paper that forms into shapes that our trained brains then interpret as words or the tapping of labeled keys that send electronic or wireless signals into a machine that replicates the letters we ask it to reproduce.

I’m talking about the signals that our brains send to our hands, our fingers, the thousands of internal, automatic processes that in turn lead to words cemented into paper, into computer code, into the outside world.

I’ve come to realize that writing—hell, any type of creation—is amazing and beautiful and special, and sometimes we forget just how incredible this writing thing (or painting/drawing/sculpting/composing thing) really is.

We have this ability—this incredible ability—to create something out of nothing, to transform blank pages into beautiful prose, to tell a story that no one else knows. That no one else would ever know if we didn’t tell it.

We writers are special, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve been writing for two weeks or two decades, if all you’ve ever written are short stories and poems or if you’ve published twenty novels. Every one of us has something to share, something that only we can create, something that sets us apart from everyone else.

Don’t forget that.

When you spend months or years pouring your soul into a manuscript that only receives form rejection letters, don’t forget that you’ve already done something incredible.

When you write post after post and you feel like no one is listening, don’t forget that your words are special because they’re yours.

When you’ve rewritten your fourth manuscript nine times and you still can’t get an agent/publisher to notice you, don’t forget that you’ve already created something out of nothing—that you will create more.

Writers/painters/sculptors/musicians—artists—are special. You are special.

Never forget it. 

What else do you think it’s important for writers (or artists in general) to never forget? 

16 comments:

  1. GREAT POST! Every day I've been waking up saying aloud what I'm thankful for. And one of things, I always say is "I'm thankful for my ability to write, to create stories, to be given the gift of words." It is something we can easily take for granted. We shouldn't . It is a gift. 

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  2. Wonderful post, a very nice reminder.

    Writers shouldn't forget that not everybody can. I mean, not everybody can get published, either, but not everybody can produce something that they think should be. 

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  3. Thank you, Tina! The ability to write (and read) fantastic thing to be grateful for. 

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  4. That's an interesting thought. I tend to believe that anyone can write, however it takes a lot of work and refinement to reach the point that the writing could possibly be published that not everyone wants to do. 

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  5. A crazed X-men fanatic huh? I consider us crafters just as you can take a skein of yarn and knit a beautiful scarf, we take words and craft stories. The one thing we should never forget; We can't please all the people all the time.
    Hope you have a wonderful day.
    P.S. My son is an X-men fanatic too and loves to sketch them. You can check out a few of his drawings here 
    http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/my-kids/ 

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  6. We should remember to enjoy the PROCESS, & not focus on the product. We learn & improve every time we sit down to write, & in a product driven business, we can easily lose sight of that. Writing fills my spirit!

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  7. And thanks, by the way, for validating what we do! :)

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  8. Very true! If we try to please everyone, we are doomed to failure. 

    And yes, I do love X-men. :) 

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  9. I don't have anything useful to add, just wanted to say I love this post. :)

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  10. I think I love you :) ... It's so easy to get down about writing. I feel I'm happy with my stories now that I have the aim to indie publish but I constantly question my blog. Without feedback I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I guess I should just carry on

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  11. I wouldn't worry so much about doing the "right" thing and just doing what feels natural to you as far as your blog goes. 
    If you enjoy blogging, I encourage you to continue, but if it's become a source of stress or worry, then maybe not.

    Also, you're very kind. I'm very happy to hear my blog has been helpful to you. ^_^

    Thanks for commenting!

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  12.  I  know a lot of people who just feel that they can't write. I've workshopped with people who...should work on it more. Granted, I'm such a reader, that I can be hyper-critical, and I do try not to rain on peoples' parades, because who am I to say?

    It's more to the point, though, that not everybody will put the work in to refine and make things publishable, as you say, and that's more along the lines of what I meant!

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  13. I absolutely agree with your conclusion, Jennifer. Not everyone is willing to put in the work, and that's what sets about those who are serious about writing and those who do it for fun. Neither is wrong, but there are different expectations for each. 

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  14. Wow, what a wonderful post. I can feel the passion as I read your words. THANK YOU.

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  15. Thank you, Elizabeth. I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed the post. :)

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