Is it the song with the words or does the song follow much later?
Does it begin with an image first or an observation?
Are you always seeking to achieve something with your writing or it simply flows?
“Why I Write” is resting on your shelf or you breathe through it? Or maybe, you do not care about it.
Its been a very long time since I began writing. Never with the intent to become a writer.
When I am at work, I know what I am writing about and what do I intend to achieve with it.
In the quiet corner of my home, I just want to write. About me. About you. About the silences that scream through my walls and the walls in memory. About the world that wants to convey so much but fails to. Sometimes, lost in the noise and at times misunderstood in the times of social media.
Amidst all of this, I often ask myself, “Do I feel empowered as a writer? If yes, what empowers me?”
You may wonder, why is this important.
Let’s look at it this way. Whatever profession you are in, if it doesn’t empower you in different ways, would you have any reason to hop on that bus to work? Yes, it is that important.
In modern times, the hustle is not really for the money but for the utmost satisfaction, of making a difference. The feeling that you are making an impact. The emotion that keeps you inspired and keeps you moving forward.
We already know how insignificant we are in this big wide universe. Thousands of battles are won and lost. Millions are born and dead. Every moment, there is something new discovered, which makes you forget the old. How do we matter in all of this and do we really matter?
This is where empowerment comes into the picture. With whatever you are doing. Not just personally but professionally too. And true empowerment comes with knowing your own strengths and follies. The road is long and inspiration is not enough. It can get really brutal if you don’t feel empowered.
What empowers me as a Writer?
“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” ― Ernest Hemingway
The simple fact that I am doing justice to someone’s story.
If I am embellishing a piece of writing for the sake of applause, with words or figures that not even tell half the truth, I am making a false claim. And not just that, it would make me feel weak and I will be filled with guilt for lying. I wouldn’t do that to myself. Absolutely not to the writer in me.
After all, there’s so much glory in truth. No matter how distasteful, dark, or ugly. As a writer, I expect myself to throw some light on the truth, on what really matters.
There is art and power in manipulation, I agree. But not to the extent that it turns into an erroneous piece of writing. A story that never existed or a character that never lived. Even in fiction, the truth of the times must shine on.
Free thinking follows naturally when I am paying attention to the truth. To the little details that define a story. To what an individual wants to express and to conceal.
Perhaps, the greatest empowerment comes from not attaching my own biases and prejudices to the character. It is an exuberance of its own kind when a piece leaves behind a thought. A thought that makes you question and lets you answer. A thought that leaves you unsettled and content, at the same time. And also, not necessary that you feel either. A thought that you take home, every day.
Such empowerment is not driven by any goal. It is simply the lamp that lights the long nights when I put the pen on the paper. And for the present times, the LED light in my room, when I play with the QWERTY on my lap. It is the moment of poetic frenzy and also the moment of truth. Inspirare and recognition. More than anything, this empowerment arrives from being curious. To dwell into the what, who, how, why, and where.
I am confident, most of the writers out there have their own unique fundamentals for why they write and what empowers them as a writer. We can be on the same page for some and on different for another. But it is there. Bold and loud. Every time, we attempt to write. Every time, we dwell on a new story.
What empowers you as a writer?
A lot of strength comes from knowing and learning what other writers are working on. What is their original idea? What gives them power? What empowers them to make an impact?
I am all ears. I would love to know your source of empowerment. We have had so many ‘isms’ to show solidarity for people who think alike and experience a similar trajectory. I need not go into that for now. Asking you this question is my way of understanding you, recognizing the complexities that reflect in your writings, and standing by your side, as a fellow writer. Showing my solidarity to your spirit and courage.
Feel free to write to me or submit your journey to The Story Bar. This space empowers me and I look forward to hosting you.
“A word after a word after a word is power.” ― Margaret Atwood
With love,
From one Writer to another