I often find myself wondering: When can I finally call myself a writer?
When I typed the first words into the document? When I put the final period in the draft? When my book was finally published?
All of that is true, but I believe a writer is born in a person even earlier. Specifically, in the moment when you get your first reader. It doesn’t matter who that person is or how many there are for now. The most important thing is that in their eyes, my text comes alive and turns into a real story.
Yes, writing is a solitary pursuit. I sit for hours at the keyboard, talking to characters who exist only in my head. But the paradox is that writing cannot exist in complete isolation. (Of course, except for the case when you write “into the desk” and never show your work to anyone, only hoping for posthumous recognition 🙂).
In every other sense, the writer and the reader are two halves of the same process, walking side by side.
Recently I read that my potential reader is already invisibly present with me throughout my entire creative journey:
– When I choose names for my characters
– When I decide where the plot arc will turn
– When I hesitate over whether to kill off a beloved character
– When I search for the right ending, unsure whether to leave it open or finally finish off the main villain
– When I myself cry or laugh while writing
I make all these decisions with my future reader in mind — the one who will one day open my book.
Our readers are our magical engine. They are what compels us to pour new ideas onto paper and write new books. And then their sincere comments that’ll make your day.
“Hey, I just finished your book. I loved it so much.”
“I didn’t sleep half the night… and then spent the other half crying over it.”
“I spent the whole day thinking about how to finish everything faster so I could sit down and finish reading your book.”
And it’s in those moments that you can say with certainty: “I am a writer. People read my stories.”