Many of you know I'm a communications instructor as well as a writer. I recently heard another instructor say that early in his career he felt like he wasn't qualified to teach students just a few years younger than he was, and when he got older, he felt like he couldn't relate to them. Now, though, years later, when asked how he felt about those earlier theories and how he relates to his students, he said he doesn't care how they feel because he has something to offer. I love that response, because many writers feel the same way.
When we begin, we may feel like we aren't qualified to call ourselves writers, and after years of work, may feel disconnected from a younger audience. When writers pay attention to the latest blockbuster books and movies, feeling out of touch may be the norm. That probably isn't your audience anyway, and letting others dictate the type of writing you do is a mistake. You have something else to offer.
When you are 20, you worry about what other people think of you. When you are 40, you don't care what other people think of you, and when you are 60, you realize no one was thinking about you anyway. I'm closer to 60 than 40, so am happy to say that putting myself out there isn't as scary as it once was. I don't know if it's because many people I deal with are younger and seem less intimidating, or after having been a writer for so long feel a higher level of confidence. It's probably some of both.
Recently, I realized that in 100 years, the planet will be populated with an (almost) entirely different group of people. Most of us who are here now will not be here then. So, what are we worried about? Is it that "they" may not understand you? To be honest, "they" may not care if you succeed or not. My advice is to stop worrying, because "they" aren't permanent. And "they" shouldn't determine how you perceive your work.
In 100 years, you will have been a writer. And that won't change. You have something to offer. "They" can't stop you.
Mary Horner writes fiction and nonfiction, teaches communications, worries about getting older, but not as much about what others think of her writing.
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When we begin, we may feel like we aren't qualified to call ourselves writers, and after years of work, may feel disconnected from a younger audience. When writers pay attention to the latest blockbuster books and movies, feeling out of touch may be the norm. That probably isn't your audience anyway, and letting others dictate the type of writing you do is a mistake. You have something else to offer.
When you are 20, you worry about what other people think of you. When you are 40, you don't care what other people think of you, and when you are 60, you realize no one was thinking about you anyway. I'm closer to 60 than 40, so am happy to say that putting myself out there isn't as scary as it once was. I don't know if it's because many people I deal with are younger and seem less intimidating, or after having been a writer for so long feel a higher level of confidence. It's probably some of both.
Recently, I realized that in 100 years, the planet will be populated with an (almost) entirely different group of people. Most of us who are here now will not be here then. So, what are we worried about? Is it that "they" may not understand you? To be honest, "they" may not care if you succeed or not. My advice is to stop worrying, because "they" aren't permanent. And "they" shouldn't determine how you perceive your work.
In 100 years, you will have been a writer. And that won't change. You have something to offer. "They" can't stop you.
Mary Horner writes fiction and nonfiction, teaches communications, worries about getting older, but not as much about what others think of her writing.
