Decades ago, when I began writing fan fiction about various television shows, I didn’t think about how important I was as a writer, or how much the world needs writers. There are a lot of reasons that writers are special and needed. These are general reasons, not personal, but I will get to that soon.
Look back at the writings from the classical greats in Egypt, Greece, Rome, Italy during the Renaissance, Europe during the Reformation, the United States during the Civil War. We can learn about the thought processes and cultural conditions that led to each of these times and places becoming an important part of world history. We understand the education of the people, how slaves and other “lesser” citizens were treated and thought of. We can visualize what they wore, what they ate, and what motivated them to do certain things.
K.M. Weiland shares in her blog post “5 Reasons Writing is Important to the World” that Plato is quoted as saying “Those who tell the stories rule society.” It’s true that for the majority of history, men wrote the stories and ruled not only society but also politics, religion, law, and so on.
Ms. Weiland goes on to say that writing is important, that stories change the world for good, and even tragedies can show us truths we don’t really want to observe, but these truths not only can make us more empathic, but can also inspire us to live better lives.
When I began to write seriously, I took all criticism and rejections personally. Why don’t they like me? What’s the matter with me that I can’t write a good enough story? The answer is, there is nothing wrong with me. They like me, but can see I need to improve my writing skills. Each critic and rejection saw enough talent in me to make the effort of talking to me important. I had a lot to learn, mostly that I had such a chip on my shoulder that it prevented me from seeing my own light and path.
I am aware of my persecution complex and work hard to accept the fact that no writer produces a perfect first draft. Working at the novel is key to becoming a better writer. And keeping in mind that some reader out in the world is waiting to see life through my words and my imagination, I will continue to write and continue to find ways to improve my own end product.
Thanks for reading; I’ll be back on Thursday.
Romance-ology 