I know you struggle with this. Know how I know? Because everyone struggles with this. I posed this question to Twitter recently asking people if they would still write if no one read what they wrote. The results surprised me. Not because just about everyone said they would continue writing. It’s what so many added to their response. By and large they said, no one reads what I currently write so of course I would continue writing if no one reads it. Here’s a simple truth. Writers don’t write to be read. They write for a much more powerful and instinctual reason.
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Would You Still Write if No One Else Ever Read it?
Here it is.
A simple question to the Twitterverse.
Would you still write if no one else ever read it?
Maybe you were one of the 63,000+ people who saw this Tweet flutter by.
Maybe you were one of the 1,700+ people who engaged with the Tweet with a comment, like, or retweet.
Or perhaps, you were one of 500 people that had the urge to respond.
If you were one of the 500 people who responded, statistically you probably said yes.
Yes, you would continue writing even if no one else ever read what you wrote.
Is that surprising?
Is that shocking?
Is it remarkable that almost everyone who answered this question would not stop writing if they were writing to or for themselves?
The Desire to Write and Express Ourselves is No Surprise
What really came as a surprise is that, without being prompted, many respondents added no one reads what they are writing now.
We know that’s not entirely true, but the symptom is real.
The feeling is real.
Most people feel like they are taking their private thoughts public and receiving no legitimate feedback.
No real sense of impact.
No clear sign that what they have shared has impacted other people. Even one single person.
Have you ever felt like this?
Have you ever felt like you’ve taken a courageous step into sharing your private thoughts with the world and the world doesn’t even say thank you?
It doesn’t say wow and it doesn’t ask for more in the vast majority of cases.
In some cases, you see tremendous feedback. Incredible applause. Clear signals of appreciation and change being reflected back at the writer.
Would J.K. Rowling wonder if the world was impacted by her Harry Potter book series?
Do you think she was unsure if the books made a mark with a single reader?
Here’s a better question.
Did J.K. Rowling have a reader when she was writing the book?
No.
While the beloved author was pouring her heart out on the pages of her imagination, there was no applause.
No readership.
No world rushing to her side granting her permission to keep writing, keep going, keep chasing the dream.
She wrote in solitude.
She wrote for the same reason all writers write.
It’s the reason you write.
And it is what drives you to continue writing even when you feel like no one is reading what you wrote.
Writers are Explorers. As we Write we Explore.
Writers write to explore.
We know writers don’t write to be read, or all of us would immediately stop writing the moment we got the sense that no one was paying attention.
Exploration is at the heart of a writer.
We seek to find out what is on the other side.
We write to learn the answer.
While writing begins with a spark of an idea, the art of writing is the exercise of exploring the idea to its uttermost.
See yourself less as a writer and more as an explorer of ideas. You seek to know if the idea will stand or if it will fall to ruin.
The idea that keeps you up at night. You must find out why. You must find out what happens. You must simply write.
When writers block happens, the writer has shifted focus from exploration to something else.
We get in trouble with the something else because all a writer has to do to become successful is to write.
Writers must write.
Said another way, explorers must explore.
Can you imagine an explorer from the 1600’s focused more on whether or not their neighbor approves of their job than the passion of finding something new?
That would be preposterous.
Of course the linen factory worker living next door is going to think the explorer is crazy. That’s a given!
But the explorer must explore regardless.
It’s who they are.
It’s who you are.
Writing Connects Our Society with Ideas
Each day we are connecting with more and more people in more and more ways.
What was impossible decades ago is now common and mundane.
At any moment, one person can explore their idea and create something new.
Something never seen or read before.
Something old but told in a new way that impacts people enough for them to want to tell other people about it.
In our connected society we need more exploration than ever before because people are hungry for something new.
Access to the old things has spread and the old things have all been digested.
You may love a classic book and read it again and again from time to time but you’re never going back to discover it once more.
It has already been discovered.
One of my favorite books and movies is The Count of Monte Cristo. Many people share my love for this incredible, fanciful tale of sorrow and victory.
But I will never look for another The Count of Monte Cristo. Ever.
And neither will anyone else who has already discovered it.
In such a connected world discoveries are being made faster and faster.
A book can spread globally within minutes or days.
Translations occur faster than ever.
But the point remains.
No one is looking to re-discover anything.
Everyone is looking for something new.
Write Something New and Your Writing Will be Read
If you write something new, you will write something valuable.
If you write something valuable, it will be remarkable and other people will make remark about it.
But how exactly do you write something new with such a plethora of old options available online and in store shelves?
The answer is clear and simple.
You must explore.
It is the only way.
If you have even a nugget of an idea, explore it.
Write it down and ask questions.
- What would happen if this were true?
- What would happen next if this person walked into the room?
- What would happen if all was lost?
- What would happen?
- What would happen next?
As you explore the ideas that miraculously appear in your mind, you’ll learn a wonderful truth.
You will feel like your soul is on fire.
You will be thrilled beyond measure as you wade into the unknown.
And know this.
If you are exploring, you are creating something new.
Not the words, not the format, but the story.
The idea.
The collection of thoughts and the configuration of letters and words one after another.
What you create will not be what’s on the NYT Bestseller list.
What you create will not be the classic book you loved in Middle School.
Because you are creating something new.
Something unique.
Something that, if you truly explore it to its depths, is unlike anything in existence today.
It will be rare.
It will be precious.
And people will want to read it because people inherently realize when something is new and when something is not.
This will take courage though.
I’m warning you.
Exploring a new idea and seeing where it takes you is scary. But it’s worth it.
Do not be a copycat. Do not try to make what others have already made. No one wants another one of the same.
We all are starving for something unique.
Give us that unique idea.
Let us read it.
And then, when you’ve explored that new land, don’t settle.
Don’t exchange exploration for farming.
You are not a farmer.
You are an explorer.
When you’ve made your discovery in full and shared it with the world, be off again.
Go explore some more.
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- I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Did anything resonate with you? Are you going to trade in your life of writing for a life of exploring? Will you write even if no one else ever read it? I hope you do because someone will read it, and it will change their life. And while their life is changing, your life will be too.
lorelie Leffler
October 20, 2021Very inspirational…alas, not practical. How does one get their very unique remarkable creation (such as a self-published book) into other people’s hands so they can “discover” it? This is the problem! This is the BIG problem. Unfortunately, the market is too saturated.
Rhys Keller
October 20, 2021Hi Lorelie! Thank you for sharing that. Believe me, you’re not the only one thinking that or feeling that way! There is an element of selling that is absolutely required for any level of success…it’s the element of vulnerability. We can create anything we want, but if we keep it to ourselves forever, there will be no success. Our remarkable thing will never live. It will simply be a “what if”. In the act of being vulnerable, and I mean intentionally vulnerable, we have to invite other people in to our lives. In those moments, when we share how we’ve used our time, what we’ve worked on, and what we hope for…those vulnerable moments are powerful sales transactions. No, they’re not monetary, but they are the basis in which future sales or interest occurs. When we vulnerably share with someone what we have created, we are giving them power over what they decide to do with it. They can reject it or they can embrace it. Realistically, the concept of creating something remarkable is truly Step 1, while vulnerably sharing what we have created is Step 2. We sell people all the time (why they should hire us, why we should only pay so much, why it’s their turn to take the trash out, etc.), but most of the time it’s not from a position of vulnerability. Also, it’s easy for us to think the odds are stacked against us or something is wrong with the system. But remember, if something is truly remarkable (like a self-published book) people will be compelled to make a remark about it. If you or anyone don’t see results of people wanting to tell others about it, the best thing we can do is take another look at why. We repeat this cycle over and over again: Create Something Remarkable, Vulnerably Share, Make More Remarkable, Vulnerably Share, and so on. Please know this too…the market is NOT oversaturated with remarkable content. It’s only over saturated with regular content. If we aren’t standing out, we’re too similar to everything else. I hope this helps!
Rebecca Christophi
November 15, 2020I was recently thinking about exactly this…because it is hard to write something you love or feel is beautiful and not share it. We also write because we want to be heard, we all hope someone will read (and dare I say love) what we write. And of course I’d be lying if I claimed not to want the same, but writing can also be therapeutic and that type of writing doesn’t need to be shared, it just needs to get out. I do love the idea that, at least in the beginning, it is a rather lonely, solitary effort, and that we have this in common with the world’s greatest authors. And yet I think it is mostly every writers hope to have others read what they write, that longing to be seen and heard and maybe even admired a bit runs deep.
Rhys Keller
November 16, 2020Well said, Rebecca! Couldn’t agree more. As difficult as it is to separate the act of writing with the act of receiving some reward or recognition, simply writing to write is, and should be, enough for us to keep at it!
Annie Lynn
October 2, 2020You are amazing Rhys. So positive, seeing good inside the not so good, and believing in people’s ability, as well as their ability to believe in themselves, with a little encouragement. This piece resonated with me because it is the same with songwriting, though I have to admit, that since I started writing for kidlit, my focus on airplay has decreased, thus my spins on kids radio, only every few months…. and it does make you feel a little less relevant…and yet I did realize that I am having too much fun to seriously worry about it. I like that Kidlit has pushed me out of my comfort zone, and allowed me to try new styles (like with Megan and Jorge Lacera & Colombian Music) that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Thanks for another relatable article.
Rhys Keller
October 2, 2020Thank you, Annie. I’m so glad it resonated with you and encouraged you!
GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO SUCCEED | Treat Yo Brain
September 5, 2019[…] wonder what if no one reads what we wrote. Rather than try and create, we wait for the prince to rescue us. We wait for someone to tell us to […]
Lisa Alioto
September 4, 2019Great post… I’ve often pondered this!
Rhys Keller
September 5, 2019Thanks, Lisa!
rachelmarcelle1
September 4, 2019I have always loved to write and journal, so yes I write with no intention for my work to ever be viewed. As far as online I fully intend it to be read and if no one reads I or gives me feedback I know I either have not promoted enough or I’ve written something that others are not interested in so I adjust in these areas and it fixes the problem. Again, I love writing but there’s no point to posting content online that no one else will benefit from. (imho)
Rhys Keller
September 4, 2019Thanks for sharing, Rachel! The key really is in your last sentence. There is always someone who benefits from our writing. The expectation is that it must be “someone else” and we nearly always ignore the fact that writing improves US in many ways. Statistically, half of what we write is below average. Yet, to create the below average work means we are also creative the above average work. With each writing we are improving, even if only in the ability to communicate our thoughts to words on a page (or screen). If “no one” would benefit, writing surely wouldn’t be so important. Yet, someone always benefits and, if we are working hard to be authentic in providing value to other people, more people will be impacted than we know. It sounds like you are doing a great job focusing on the necessary effort of writing and not giving up. Thank you for doing that! The change your words will bring for generations to come are not quantifiable.
Elizabeth Holly
September 3, 2019This is a great post Rhys! I couldn’t agree more and thank you more for posting this. I needed this.
I write no matter what. Always have. Always will. It’s how I figure out the world, my life and how I’m feeling deep down. It is to explore, as you said, and that makes so much sense.
Even when writing for an audience, I write for me. If I didn’t write for me, I wouldn’t write at all. If I’m not exploring something even for others to read, it’s my need to write that drives me.
Great post!
Rhys Keller
September 3, 2019Thank you, Elizabeth! I couldn’t agree more. Writing can be such a lonely, solitary endeavor, filled with ups and down, ruthless setbacks and demoralizing self-doubts. Yet, if we shift our mindset to the act of exploration, to see what’s around the bend, to find out if the spark that started our adventure is worth discovering and later on worth sharing, we feel such fulfillment. Keep writing. Keep exploring. Keep sharing!
Alisa Russell
August 31, 2019I love this! I especially liked the part about writers being explorers! Thanks for posting!
Rhys Keller
August 31, 2019Thank you, Alisa! So glad it resonated with you. Keep exploring and sharing your discoveries.
Jaya Avendel
August 30, 2019So many people write for numbers and likes. I know how dark and dismal it is when one looks at what they have written and shared and sees only small numbers. It is discouraging but it is no reason to quit! Keep going. When you truly write, you write for yourself and not for others.
Rhys Keller
August 31, 2019Yes, don’t give up! It wouldn’t be fair to ourselves or other people.
aimlief
August 30, 2019“Writers don’t write to be read.”
Thank you so much for this post. I know it can be frustrating to write and have nobody read your piece, but I think it all comes down to how we manage our expectations from the very beginning.
Keep it up!
Rhys Keller
August 31, 2019I agree! Writing with the sole purpose to get positive feedback turns us into machines churning out sub-par content. In our quest of exploring something new we will appeal to specific people and make an impact. Keep exploring and creating!