The Godlike Feeling of Being A Writer
I’ve been a writer for well over seven years now, and a bulk of that time was spent writing just for the fun of it. Until two years ago when I chose to go professional and publish some of my works. And even went as far as becoming a blogger.
I have to say, the journey so far has been exhilarating. I have learned a lot, not just about the craft of writing, but also about myself and how it makes me feel. As a writer, my strength lies mostly in thrillers and suspense. It is the genre that gives me the space to flex my creativity. Also, I dabble into article writing every now and then, ghostwriting for friends when needed.
And if there is one this the gift of writing has taught me, it is the ability to do what I choose without qualms. The lives of the characters are not as important as the story itself I am trying to tell.
And that is just how I perceive God to be.
He is unquestionable, and he answers to no one. We are like puppets in his hands, and even though we have the gift of choice, we always succumb to his will eventually.
Just like how it feels when a character has to die in one of my books, even I might not be too happy about the death, because I know how it will affect other characters close to the deceased. But I do not limit my thoughts and feelings to only one character. Instead, I expand it to the entire story. Because death is essential for the story.
And apart from death, I have the power to create and destroy. I make things happen just for the fun of it, I can easily uproot a mountain and plant it in the sea and then I will decide what the consequence of that action is. I get to decide who is successful and who is a total failure, I decide the government of the day and the criminals who disrupt peace. And none of my characters can question me.
But then, having this gift also comes with a price. Every story I tell has to come with a message that I must pass across. But unlike my characters, these are read by real people and I have no sway over their actions and thoughts.
I have to write stories that make readers see themselves in a good light, which makes them feel better about themselves. My readers have to resonate with my characters, which means that the characters have to be as realistic as possible with real-life issues that will require real-life solutions.
Sometimes, all this pressure makes it difficult to write, it causes writer’s block. I begin to wonder how I can write a good story and still pass a good message, usually, it is not so easy. But with time, I have been able to pull out a message in whatever story I write and make the message something that any of my readers will relate to.
After all, the dream of every writer is to be read.
Image by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova
And so, while the gift of being a writer makes me feel like a god at times, it also makes me feel very much like a man. And it is the best gift I could have ever asked for. One I am highly grateful for and I would keep honing until I become the best in the game.
Thank you very much for reading, see you in the next post.