I follow the subreddit r/writingadvice on Reddit, and Redditor u/Paxwin_25 recently asked if writing just to write was worth it. I think the best way to both answer and introduce myself to those who do not know me well is to tell you about my personal writing journey.
I've always been an avid reader, thanks to my mother reading to me before bed as a child. In first grade, I read so much that my teacher feared she'd have to bring more books into the classroom so I had reading material. By the time I was in fourth grade, I had reached a college reading level and could read any book I wanted in the library. I immediately gravitated toward speculative fiction. I loved to escape into the fantastical worlds and imagine that the impossible was possible.
The best thing about books is that there isn't anyone who is mean to you in them and you know the hero always comes out on top in the end. When things are going bad in life or you had something horrible happen, books are always there to help you recover and escape, especially as a child. That's part of the reason why I loved them so much.
When I got into sixth grade, our teacher challenged us to write the first chapter of a book we had bouncing around in our heads. I absolutely loved the assignment and immediately knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life writing. From that point on, I told everyone I was going to be a writer, and I followed through by studying writing in college and becoming a full-time writer. Like Alexander Hamilton, I need writing to survive.
Learning more about writing and honing my skills in it wasn't the only reason I kept going. Creative writing allowed me to express feelings I had and share ideas and opinions. Isaac Asimov, an American science fiction writer, is credited for saying, "writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers." I understand that and give a part of myself to every story.
For me, writing is worth it because I need to release my stories and express my emotions. It may sound weird to you if you are someone who doesn't write, but my characters are alive in my head and will not leave me alone until I share their story with the world. Plus, it helps me express a part of myself that words don't have the ability to express in normal conversations.
On the other hand, I know there are people out there who were like me when I was younger. There are people who are stressed, depressed, and bogged down by everyday life. They need somewhere to escape to and feel welcomed. You always have friends in book characters.
That being said, I think there is a reason why you feel compelled to write something, and that alone is reason enough to write it. Whether it's essentially a diary entry that's just for you or it's a book idea that you want to keep secret or it's something you want to share with the world, I think you should write it. Something in you feels the calling, so you need to answer it.
If twelve-year-old Ally could see me now, I know that she would be amazed. To me, that's worth it. Ask yourself, how you can pursue your dreams and make your younger self proud?
Until next time, Ally Mac
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