Letters to My Fellow Wrimos

Writing Status: Unfortunately I haven't been able to get ahead as much as I would have liked, but in a few days packing and traveling will be over, so I'm hoping I can make up ground toward my goal then.

Note: To anyone confused about National Novel Writing Month, here's a link.

To: The Discouraged Writer Who Would Like to Get Published

Dear Writer,

I need your book. I need your words like I need coffee (and that’s a lot, in case you were wondering). You may be sitting there, at your desk or in your recliner or wherever, thinking sadly to yourself that no one will ever care about the stories you want to tell—that no one will ever recognize the beauty of the landscapes you craft in your mind. Not true.

I own hundreds of books, but my personal library remains incomplete without your voice, your inspiration, your insight. It’s missing the unique way you see and process the universe, the reflections and emotions that only you know how to express. It’s missing your heartbeat, and your soul. Without your contributions, the bookish world is a hollower place. Maybe some people don’t notice the void, but I do.

Whisk me away from this reality. Show me something better, or something worse—I don’t care. Just take my hand and lead me through your mind. Whisper about buried secrets and long-lost love and pain and joy and that feeling you get when you jump in mud puddles like a little kid. Tell me about leaves blowing in the wind, or your character’s first breakup. Demonstrate what it’s like to lead a kingdom or fight an illness. Help me view the world in a different way.

True, yes, I am addicted to many forms of story, and no, I cannot say you are the only one for me. But you are the only you. No other writer could replace your distinct vision. So please, don’t waste your time feeling sorry for yourself or doubting your skill or second-guessing your choice to write in the first place. Every moment that your fingers fail to type those wonderful words is another moment we all miss out.

Please don’t deprive us for much longer.

Sincerely,

A Reader

 

To: The Writer Who Writes only for Personal Amusement

 

Dear Writer,

Hey, you. Don’t worry—you haven’t slipped through the cracks. While I would love to see your beautiful words on the shelves someday, I totally respect your desire to keep your writing to yourself. You may never edit your books, or you may—but you don’t feel the same need/pull to get published, and that’s fine. The fact that you write just for the sake of writing, and for nothing else, says a lot. It says that you understand writing, that you appreciate it for what it is, not just for what it might get you. It means that you won’t feel that same pressure to conform to popular standards, to write more quickly, or to face the constant feedback that might sap your writing pleasure. It means you get to enjoy writing in its most pure and unadulterated form. In some ways, I envy you, not because I don’t want to get published, but because you will always be freer than me.

So, enjoy this month. Write that wonderful novel, the one you’ll keep tucked away in your hard drive and in your heart, the physical takeaway from a month well-spent. I hope you make the most of this time. I hope you discover new and exciting things about yourself, about this world, about everything. I hope you never lose your untainted love of writing, and I hope your personal appreciation of literature deepens. And, if you ever decide to venture out into the publishing world, then I will find a place on my shelf for your masterpiece.

Best Wishes,

A Reader