What You Have

Most people who love to write also love to read. Usually – though by no means always – these people’s love of reading preceded their love of writing. In many ways, the reading began teaching them to write, teaching them how a story is told and, most importantly, how good it feels to be immersed in an imaginary world. The relationship between reading and writing is so common, in fact, it would seem to be a prerequisite. I have heard some writers express precisely this, that you simply cannot be a writer unless you read often and deeply.

In one way, my reading and writing habits were typical. I fell in love with fantasy literature about the same time I fell in love with writing. I wrote the kind of stuff I was reading. This remained true when my tastes in reading changed. When I started reading what is called literary fiction, I gradually began writing it as well. With both types of fiction, I learned a lot from what I was reading about how these kinds of stories are told, about the different approaches one could take, about what made for satisfying and unsatisfying endings.

Except I’m not a fiction writer anymore. I am happiest and most naturally drawn to the personal essay. The first time I wrote one, as an assignment my freshman year in college, I knew exactly what it was: a story with a lesson. This was not explained by the teacher; I didn’t learn it from a textbook. Nor had I ever read a personal essay in my life. The story with a lesson simply made sense to me. Why tell the story unless there’s some point to it? I would not write another personal essay for another twenty-five years, but when I did, I again understood the form as if I’d been writing them all my life.

I’m sure that all the fiction reading and writing I did taught me much that I brought to my essays; a story is a story is a story, after all. But essays are different, and I like and am most comfortable with that difference, as this form most closely matches how I think about life and stories. Reading is great, as is taking classes and reading books on craft, but absolutely nothing can replace what resides exclusively within the writer. It’s a mistake to believe that what you need to write your story exists outside of you. Yes, there’s help a plenty if you want it, but all that help will only be pointing you back to what you have always had and need only decide you want to use.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt
You can find William at: williamkenower.com