Writers Must Make A Human Connection With Their Readers

I was humbled the other day by a comment I received from one of my followers. She stated that she loved reading my articles because through them she feels like she knows me as a human being. She said I am so very real to her, that my words have given her an insight into who I really am. I was gratified by that comment because my goal in writing has always been to make a human connection, to somehow form a bond with my readers, to allow them to see me as a real person and not just a crafter of words.

Of course, as is my nature, I began reflecting upon her words. The mere fact that she found me unique said a great deal to me because by extension, if my being real to her was worth noting, it must mean that she rarely sees that in others. In truth, I can say the same thing. As I have grown older, I have seen less and less candid behavior in my fellow man, and more and more guarded behavior. Why is that? Am I the only one who sees that in society today? If I am correct, why is it that people are building taller walls around themselves? Why is there a need in many to camouflage who they are?

WHAT IS A WRITER?

“I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.” ~James Michener

“The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.”~Anaïs Nin

This article began as something completely different. This was to be a celebration of my 200^th article on a site called HubPages, but somewhere between the idea and the actual writing, the article took on a different purpose.

Writing has always been a mystical voyage for me. When I read good writing I am transported into another time and place, and I am mesmerized by the words I read. The great writers, to me, are the ones who have that uncanny ability to make words come alive. They are able to reach inside of their readers and tug at their hearts, elicit tears and happiness, and twist the reader’s guts around their little fingers. They can paint a picture using language, and after you read their work you are reminded of a time in your life, emotions you once experienced, and you then re-live those moments all over again.

Writing is about passion for this writer. Writing is about connecting with the audience on a visceral level. As I stated earlier, I see less and less human connections in my everyday life today. There seems to me to be a reluctance to let other people inside of our guarded towers. During a time in our history when so many people are struggling, we are seeing more and more shrink away from connections, when in fact human connections are exactly what we all need.

We are a pack animal by nature. Since the days when we crawled inside of caves we have sought out companionship. We gain strength from having others nearby. We are able to find strength, compassion, empathy and understanding in our relationships with others. We are able to experience love through others. These are all at the very core of being human, and during these tough times I am reaching out, through my writing, to make more and more human connections.

THE VERY ESSENCE OF WHY I WRITE

Let me share a couple comments I have received on articles I have written; perhaps then you will gain a better insight into my motivation for writing.

“Thanks for touching my soul - I was also adopted as a baby and had a marvelous set of parents. I also wondered about my origins and the circumstances. You have opened up my mind onto a higher plane by your loving letter. It is the middle of the night and for some reason I couldn't sleep. Now a fountain of tears have washed away my tensions and I feel light and ready to sleep sweet dreams.”

I don’t know about all of you, but a comment like that feeds me for weeks. “Thanks for touching my soul.” That’s why I write! That’s why I spend hours in front of the computer straining for just the right words. Through my words someone was touched on a human level. Through my words someone had their tensions eased for a brief period of time.

That’s why I write!

“Bill, this is a beautiful, eloquent, and yes, disturbing piece of work . A story of the human conditions that rock one to the very core, as well it should. Though we now tout our once shunned war veterans as heroes, I believe we see only what we wish to. See only that with the honor we bestow on them, we somehow make up for their experiences. It is not often that the pain that will stay with them always is even considered. You have brought to the for front of our thoughts, the devastating cost to one's soul, when taking a life.

I for one am greatly touched by your beautiful work of art. With tears still in my eyes, I thank you for your superbly emotional look into a terribly sad subject.”

That’s why I write! The lovely lady who wrote that comment has since become a very dear friend. We have shared much about ourselves in emails: we have been a support for each other. None of it would have happened if I had not written words that somehow reached her.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I will never become rich writing for this site. I guess it could happen that I will be “discovered” someday, and money will follow that discovery. However, I did not write 200 articles with that in mind. I wrote that many articles because I have a passion for writing. I wrote that many articles because something inside of me compels me to reach out to others, through my words, to make a human connection.

Writing affords me a platform from which I can reach a maximum number of people. Writing allows me to spill my guts and expose my heart. I never have to worry about whether my writing is relevant because there are seven billion people on this planet and each of us has similarities that far outnumber our differences.

It is truly miraculous what we writers can do with our words. Just as painters and musicians do each time they practice their crafts, we have the ability to shrink this world just a bit. We have the ability to toss aside the carefully-constructed walls of protection and reach an audience on a very personal level. It is the human experience at its most basic level: Two people, reaching out, making a connection and being human.

That’s why I write!

Here is another point to think about as you go about your day, mixing and matching words in that unique style that is yours and yours alone. Long after you are dead your words will remain. Whatever you are writing now has a forever shelf-life; your words are, in a very real sense, your legacy for generations to read and learn from. Long after you have breathed your last breath there will be people who will connect with your words, generate emotions from your words, and yes, be changed by your words. If that doesn’t fill you with a passion for writing I’m not sure what will.

I now walk on a road that was paved by giants. Thousands came before me, breathing the passion into me, and teaching me the importance of writing. I am now the protector of that road, the living continuation of that legacy. It is a responsibility I take very seriously. I do not have to be a giant in writing; I simply have to be the best that I can be.

That is why I write! The human connection! The legacy! The passion!

2012 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)

"Helping writers to spread their wings and fly."

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