I realized today that there is something more important than ability in writing. Even when honed by practice, the ability to string a sentence or paragraph together can only get one so far.
What's really valuable is the ability to bring a new perspective to a subject.
Every conceivable general topic has been covered to death, and every day more about each is written. Most things that can be written actually fall under these topics. The ability to bring a new perspective and new ideas to the table makes some people stand out.
"What do I have to offer, though?" some may ask. One's own experience's may seem completely average . . . but what's average to one person may not be to another. What may seem petty to one person may be major to another. Like snowflakes, there are no two people who are alike. No two people have had the same experiences, and furthermore, no two people view a shared experience in exactly the same way. No two people have exactly the same outlook on everything.
Even the most menial experiences can mean something to someone. If someone had only menial experiences, they could use those to shape their ideas. But the fact is, nobody has only menial experiences. Every life has both times that one wants to remember forever, and times you want to forget as soon as possible, in addition to their unique day-to-day lives. These times give people perhaps their greatest tools--even if one doesn't want to share their most personal and private experiences to the rest of the world, these give them perhaps the most unique perceptions they have.
While not everyone is a best-selling author, each and every one of us has something to add to the craft, and to the world. Seek it, learn it, and use it; then there is no limit to what one can do.
Author's Note:
I got inspired to write this after reading a Digimon fanfic series called "A Teachers POV"; it was written by an actual teacher, and according to the author's notes, some of them actually happened. It made me think, "man, wouldn't it be nice to just be able to write what you know?" Because she had a unique perspective on this--teacher, instead of student (which is the case for most Digimon fans) . . . I mean, it's well-written, and stuff, which may be more the reason, but it just seemed neat. I eventually managed to write this.
Non-Fiction -- Home