Why You’ll Never Write Alone

When you stand on the shoulders of giants

Yesterday, I attended our monthly Portuguese Creators Guild webinar.

Somewhere along the way, in what was a rather lively meeting, the discussion turned to strategies for thriving in the creator economy.

At one point, a friend of mine posed a compelling question: Is originality key?

This brought back memories of my struggle with the “originality fallacy.”

Back when I was still an unpublished author, I had a trunk filled with manuscripts of poems and poetic novellas in prose.

Impostor syndrome had set in, and I felt the weight of the pressure to be unique.

It would take me decades to realize that creativity thrives in the fusion of all our influences.

I ditched the pursuit of originality.

Trends come and go, but the essence of genuine expression... Oh well… That remains timeless.

This morning, while brewing my first cup of coffee and watching the sunlit curtains smile over my laptop, I knew there was a story here I needed to write.

The tidbit I shared earlier serves to underscore the tremendous pressure on writers in today’s writing world.

I feel it too.

Among certain circles, I worry because competition is fierce when everything should be about cooperation in any corner of the writing world.

The good news is that you can still make a living as a writer. It’s just not easy, as some might suggest on YouTube.

Yes, writing is challenging, and it will take a toll on you. That’s precisely why you should approach it with passion.

Years ago, I gave up my career as a teacher and joined the army. After my time in the ranks was over, I returned to civilian life in the corporate world.

However, life still had other plans for me, so I decided to take my life as a writer more seriously.

How can you tell if you’re a writer?

The ultimate writer’s goal is to elicit an emotional response from the reader.

Writing is about connection.

Without a connection, reading may be tedious and uninviting.

I believe that a reader’s emotional attachment to a story is what binds everything together in the end.

To achieve this, when I put on my writing shoes, I strive to remain creative and take a unique approach, using literary devices such as figurative language and imaginative storytelling that evoke emotion in the reader, especially in fiction writing.

Without such a connection, readers have no way to identify with the story because they do not feel anything specific, such as love, anger, or excitement.

You want to enlist the reader in your story, and there’s no better way to achieve this than by putting yourself into everything you write.

If you do this, if you start by touching base with your readers and sharing what’s unique about you and your writing voice, I guarantee you’re one step closer to owning your craft.

First, be true to yourself, and then be true to the reader.

Writers have a message to convey or a story to tell

Writing has been an integral part of every culture throughout human history.

We are all part of an unbreakable chain that runs through history, connecting us to those who came before them and on whose shoulders we still stand.

Every time I sit down to write, I know I am standing on the shoulders of giants.

I am not alone; I am Legion, carrying within me the words of all those who came before me.

I’m not aiming to be original, and you shouldn’t either. No one is.

There’s no need to worry about being entirely original. Be genuine and authentic in your unique voice; that’s more than enough.

Writing is not just about putting words on paper; it’s about strengthening each link in that chain because each voice from the past still lives in you.

The stories they tell and the perspectives they offer are invaluable. In the end, though, it’s just a matter of telling a story, conveying a message, or, as Octavio Paz put it, “allowing humanity to wonder.”

Writers restore humanity’s potential to wonder

Khalil Gibran explains that “poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary.”

Any writer understands the power of words to astonish us. It is what motivates us to write and drives our work.

It’s the allure of the written word.

Writers understand how powerful it is to inspire others to learn more about the world; when we do so, we renew humanity’s capacity for wonder.

Writing has the power to bring the most extraordinary and inconceivable worlds to life.

It can influence people’s lives, thoughts, and viewpoints. It can make us feel things we’ve never felt before and transport us to places we’ve never gone.

A writer has many voices

It’s the voice of the people they’ve met and the voices of those who have spoken to them.

It's the voice of those who have loved and believed in them, and it’s also the voice that has rejected them, hurt them, or broken their hearts.

Writers’ words come from the heart and soul.

The best writers can connect with their inner voice and go beyond the rim of their personality to speak to the many layers of the subconscious mind, evoking many other personas that will resonate in the hearts of a wider audience.

Above all, a writer is a reader.

Writing is a gift we pass along

I write because writing is the gift God has given me to help people in the world. — Anne Lamott

Writing is indeed a gift, for which I am immensely grateful.

It’s a gift meant to be shared—a burning torch passed down through time.

The only way I can repay this gift is to write and help keep the sacred flame alive so it can be passed on to future generations.

At times, it’s hard not to feel like a fraud, questioning if one is truly capable of writing well enough to pass the torch.

But here’s the truth: You truly become worthy of the writer’s mantle when you abandon the vain pursuit of perfection and originality and let yourself into the writing chain binding us all.

Don’t let yourself be pulled down by impostor syndrome, as I once did. We are all made of atoms but our energy is the same as the stars.

So, take my hand, and let’s not lose sight of Ariadne’s thread as we wander through the labyrinth.

Only you can solve the labyrinth within yourself.

But you don’t have to walk alone.

Writing is a maze with no beginning or end.

Join me along the yellow brick road, and let’s find new paths together.