The Journey Of A Writer - Part 5

Who Do We Write For?

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Who do we write for? For us? For others? Do we write to get paid, or for the sheer passion of it? Do we live and breathe our passion or toil for dollars, keeping us afloat in rising inflation? It may not be one or the other, it could very well be both.

Yes, there are times that we write for others, but I’ve learned to also write for myself. There are pieces that I write that make me feel amazing and I want to share. But then there are pieces that I write, that are for me, and me alone. These are the pieces that hold the secrets of my soul, my heart, my mind.

One of the things I’ve learned on my writing journey so far, partly in thanks my amazing writing coach, Janna Lopez, is the freedom in letting go of what others and, or more importantly, what I think. I’ve learned that giving myself permission to not to judge or censor the words that come out is beautifully powerful.

We can always change it later, right?

This concept was difficult at first. This is when I was faced with the fact that I kept a lot of my writing inside a cage, afraid to let it out. Part of it was being afraid of letting others see my words, but the real clincher was when I let the words flow unencumbered, I was shocked at some of the things the rose to the surface.

In our writing workshop, we are given prompts and there’s no time to think. You just write what comes up without the censorship or judgment. I found in doing this, memories or feelings that I might have ignored or repressed, came forth. Things I forgot or pushed down came up for review. Things I didn’t want to see myself. I mean, it’s call it survival, right?

This is where I learned how to silence the Inner Critic. The truth is silencing my constant companion isn’t easy. It takes practice, self-love and determination. And as I mentioned before, it’s a continuous process, at least so far.

The beautiful thing in observing myself and my fellow writers in the group, when our authentic voices come out to play, the words take on a different cadence. The authenticity shines through, like beacons of truth, and we can feel the difference. We can relate, acknowledge or get inspired, for it affects each person differently. Speaking our truth, even in the form of words, is incredibly freeing.

I think it’s true not only for ourselves, but for the reader as well. This lends dimensions and depth in the relationship between the writer and the reader, when one can tap into that magic, because when authenticity shines through, people respond to it naturally.

And now, when I ask myself who do I write for, I mostly write for myself. And I might have owned the words as I created them, channeled them through my living soul, but I’ve learned to accept that when I release the words out into the world, it now belongs to the reader. They can now own them, however they choose to. Or not.

This is where I’m at on my journey as a writer.

The journey of a writer is never over.

It begins again and again, each and every day.

The writer’s journey continues…

Previously published on August 2021 on Medium.com.

© 2021 A.N. Tipton