Successful Writers Put the Human in Their Writing
Becoming a Humane Writer
Writing Career or Hobby?
Being a human is hard.
Being a human — and humane — writer is even harder.
And no matter who you are …
if you’re starting your writing career, it’s a HOBBY.
For until you make money at it, it’s just a way to learn how to help others be better than you.
And the only way your writing will become a CAREER is to Consistently Attend to Readers by Expending the Effort to wRite and rewrite.
For that’s the only way you’ll capture a reader’s eye and entice them to read.
Because it’s impossible to read something that hasn’t yet been written, much less entice reader’s without putting some effort into thinking about what a reader wants to read …
and then writing and rewriting until it says something a reader wants to hear.
Especially hear from you.
Spilling Your Guts
Of course, much writing is done without any thought of the reader. For beginners usually write for themselves. They often write to hear themselves talk. They write to puff up their ego. Or maybe even just to shed their pain. For writing about yourself is often cathartic.
And, truth be told, most of us need to spill our guts in order to feel better.
For life often tends to give us many wounds. It’s as if we were born to bear the burdens others inflict on us. And as those wounds add up, and our misery increases, no one seems to really care.
No one wants to hear about our pain. Our grief. Our gut-wrenching grievances.
Until we start writing. And discover that’s there’s a lesson to learn from everything we go through.
Perhaps your mother was crabby much of the time. When you look back on your childhood, maybe you see her pain and struggle just trying to survive. And you begin to realize that you could have comforted her by being less of a brat and giving her a hug. And you suddenly realize how much your children need a hug from you each and every day.
So you now can relate that experience to what your reader may be experiencing when they look back on their own childhood. You can empathize with your reader’s bitterness about their parents’ failures and help them see their parent’s as wounded humans who did the best they could. And you can help readers realize how their pain is affecting their children …
Help them grow past their pain enough to be a nurturing parent instead of being a crab themselves.
Becoming Your Reader’s Hero
That is how you become one of your readers’ HEROES … by helping educate your readers so they own their experiences and struggles.
Any time you get an insight into your own mistakes and misguided perceptions, you can write about that experience. You can use that story in a way that others are able to think, “Hey, that’s me! That’s exactly what happened to me. That’s how I felt. Now I see my mistake … and how to be better. Now I see how I can even help someone else!”
The more insights you get into your own problems, and your own behavior …
The more stories you have to tell you readers. Stories readers can use in their own life. Stories that help them see themselves. Understand themselves. And improve themselves and their lives.
Then you are becoming a real writer. A writer whose writing is helpful. Interesting. Educational. And worthy of being read.
But, it ain’t easy.
It’s work. Hard work.
It takes a lot of effort.
Effort you put into learning to understand yourself. And effort you put into understanding other people. For even though we are all human and go through much of the same things … people don’t always react the same.
How You Respond to Reader’s Reactions
Some people will relate to what you have to say. And respond. Others won’t.
Some people will thank you for your opinion. And others will react and deny even your right to say something. Simply because they can’t bare to face their own problems. Can’t bare facing their own pain. Their own anger. Their own resentment.
So sometimes what you write will fall on those eager to read your words. And they will respond with appreciation. And other times, someone will turn against you. And rant and cause you grief. And you will feel like giving up trying to help anyone.
So, above all else, you must reassure yourself. You must be your own best supporter. You must be you own biggest fan.
You do that by remembering that you write to heal yourself as much as you write to help others.
And you decide to be your own HERO … someone who realizes healing exists by reaching out. And every word you publish is your reaching out to heal and be healed. Because you’ve learned that hurt is eased by remaining open — open enough to reveal your vulnerability.
Because that’s what it means to be a human. That’s what it means to be a writer. That’s what it means to be a success.
And you’ve finally become who you really wanted to be. A successful writer who reveals your humanity. Who isn’t afraid to be humane.
As John C. Maxwell puts it, “Only when you make the right changes in your thinking do other things begin to turn out right.”