To My Fellow Writers

Writing is no morally neutral pastime or a mere livelihood -- it is a way of life. While those of us with a passion for recording and sharing words are known to the world as “writers,” at heart, every human is a writer. All people desire to express themselves with words, and we all live a story, seeking to make it the best story we can. The art of writing is in our very nature. It is a gift given to us by our Creator, and we are intended to use it well in shaping lives and influencing the world.

The writer’s mission is not merely to arrange words in an original and appealing way, but to have an alert mind at all times, constantly drawing truths from daily life to incorporate into his work. Writing has tremendous potential to change lives, both of the audience and the writer. The process of writing can improve our own character, compelling us to think deeply about important issues, to craft stories around morals. We all want to see good triumph over evil, and as we create that victory in our writing, it encourages us to seek victory in our own lives. As writers, we have a responsibility to fill our readers’ minds with thoughts that will not merely amuse them or distract them from life, but, after they put down the page, will continue to inspire them to make a better story of their own daily lives.

Writing expands our influence in space and time, allowing us to touch lives in ways that are otherwise impossible for one human to accomplish. Most of us will never have the opportunity to travel the world and speak our minds to millions, but through writing, our thoughts can extend to people we may never meet and places we may never see. Writing may also be preserved for centuries. As most of history would be lost to us without art and written records, so nothing will remain to tell the world in generations to come of who we were except what we have created, and no art can so accurately and vividly describe our hearts and lives as the art of writing.

So, my fellow writers, let us use our gift to the very best of our ability, not flippantly or frivolously, but purposefully, with respect to the One who entrusted it to us. Let us cultivate our own minds so that we can share words to influence others and change lives for the better, both in this generation and the generations yet to come!

~Written November 19, 2013