The world runs on stories. Watch television. It could be the
five o’ clock news, a sitcom, or a movie—they’re all stories. Listen to the
radio. The lyrics to the songs, a Dj’s repartee, and the advertisements you’ll hear
are all stories. Every single second you spend on social media, you’re bombarded
with them—stories on which celebrity did what, on which team beat which team, or what
juncture each of your friends are at in their life. Blogs, advice columns, rant
rooms—there’s no escaping them. Even after you click off that electronic
device, stories are everywhere—in jokes told, in gossip spread, in simple conversation,
or even within our own minds. We are a world of many cultures united in the
enjoyment a good story can bring.
And who brings all these stories to life? A writer, of
course. Without writing, where would we be? Word of mouth is only trustworthy for
so long before it stretches and bends into something else. History is only solid
when it is written down. That story bouncing around in your head won’t stay
there forever. It needs to be written.
While we, as people, crave stories as a world in whole, as individuals,
we each seek out stories as diverse as we are. From fiction to nonfiction,
romance to politics, fantasy to historical, there are all kinds of readers out
there. So also, does there need to be writers ready to provide it them.
Still, most writers have doubted the sanity of writing at
one point or another. Some question the worth and value of their works. Others routinely
feel guilty about the time they spend scratching on paper or tapping keys. Then
there are those who view the time they put into writing as self-indulgent. And,
most writers worry that there are other, more important things they should be doing with their time.
Such drivel!
WRITING IS IMPORTANT!
YOUR WRITING IS IMPORTANT!
Writing matters because the world needs stories.
So, writers, do not doubt the worth of your work. When you find
yourself questioning the sanity of spending hours on end putting down words,
remember that the world runs on stories: big and small. Whether it’s happy,
sad, fantastically bizarre, written to upset the status quo, funny, or
comforting, your story will be written in the unique way that only you can
write it.