What It Means To Be A Writer

I've had a lot of people ask me why I want to write.  "Of all things to be, why a writer?  It's never going to be a steady source of income.  Don't you think it's a waste of time?"  I don't have to think of a response to give them.  I know what being a writer means.  I know if I get anywhere with it, it'd be out of pure luck.  I'm confident that I can do it, though.  A true writer is always confident in what they write.

When I'm asked questions like that, I tell people, "I don't write to make myself seem better.  I don't write to tell the world what my life is like or what my problems are like.  I write to tell the world what their life is like and what their problems are.  Even if I never get published, as long as I've touched at least one person with the things I write, I will die happy."

I write not to appease you or give you a sense of happiness with yourself or your life.  I write not to express the happiness in my life.  I write to destroy you, haunt you.  I write to give you a sense of purpose to believe that you may become a better person if you take one second to look back at your life and your mistakes and wonder, "hey, maybe I'm wrong."  I write to give you something to think about, something to mull over in your mind over and over again.  I want to be a broken tape recorder replaying these words repeatedly until your about to explode, and then....within seconds....you find your epiphany. 

I never write to directly hurt anyone.  I don't stoop to that level.  I write to make sense of the questions society faces.  I write to make sense of the stereotypes, the ignorance, and idiocy we see everyday.  I don't need to hurt someone in order to make my point.  I may offend and I use terms that are very improper in today's "Politically Correct" society, but what kind of writer would I be if I didn't use these terms?  What kind of writer would I be if I didn't use these terms, regardless of the repercussions I face from you, the reader?  When someone gets offended by what I write, I know they aren't open-minded to different opinions of society. 

I take risks in what I write.  I will write about what hurts me, what haunts me, what I've faced.  Do I write it to make myself feel and look better?  Yes.  Who wouldn't?  But more importantly, I write to let people know they aren't alone.  I write to offend people who deserve to be treated poorly because they believe society owes them something.  I write to make a point.  No one cares about my day-to-day events.  People care about what other people do wrong.  People care about things they share in common with others.  People read magazine and newspaper articles and silly little blogs because they can relate to the articles being shared.

For instance, if I wrote an entire blog about how fed up I am with people walking down the middle of the street and how I come within mere feet of hitting them every time I drive by, people can relate to that.  If I wrote an article about the ignorant people I see everyday who feels that we, as Verizon Wireless employees, owe them our lives because they chose not to pay their bill, someone can relate to that.  If I wrote about the violence, crime, death, and destruction we see on our streets everyday, people can relate to that.  If I wrote about how I brushed my teeth for fifteen minutes then took a shower then went to work, no one would care. 

As long as I've gotten through to one person with the words I write, I'll know that my job as a writer has been accomplished.