Why bother being someone you’re not?

I spent a longtime not writing for a variety of reasons. First, I kept thinking if wasn’t as good as Hemmingway, so why bother? Another prevalent thought of mine was this: “If I can think of it and write about it, then why can’t everyone else?” What did I really have to offer than anyone else could offer? If I can think of this plot or idea so easily, surely everyone else can too, so why bother?

Oh, the tortuous thoughts of writers.

I’ve finally come to realize a simple truth – be yourself.  Now, I don’t write for anyone else. I don’t write to be loved or to win someone’s approval. I don’t write in order to impress someone. I write because I have something to say. I have these ideas just rattling around in my head and so I write to release them. If people like my ideas – great! If they hate them, I’m okay with that too because I no longer write for anyone but myself.

I’ve also come to realize that no one quite thinks like me. No one else has experienced the same unique circumstances that I have and so no one’s writing will be exactly like mine. It sounds like a simple thing to realize, but I have a thick skull. I’m just now understanding what it is to be a writer.

A writer is not about being the next Hemingway. It’s about being yourself and releasing the creative, pent-up energy that your mind has been experiencing.

And so I admit, with some reluctance, that I enjoy being a writer, and I will continue being a writer whether or not I have readers. I’m not doing it for anyone else but myself.

At the same time, I do hope you enjoy.

And be in touch.

Sincerely,

MWSasse