Will you keep writing even if you have no readers?

This question was thrown at me recently and I just gave a smile back.

And another friend asked me – “why don’t you do Vlogs? People have no patience to read, and all your efforts might not get fully appreciated??”

It is true when a dub smash/ Tick Tock video goes viral with 2million hits, while I have only a handful readers who appreciate my work and join me in healthy discussions.

These are very valid questions and helped me self-discover myself.

It is just not for a writer… What will happen when a performance on the biggest stage happens without an in-house audience? Now, there are many debates about performance of different sport players during pandemic without live audience and cheer from crowd.

So is it necessary always to have a set of audience to applaud?

Of course, I feel pleased when someone says, I read your blog. I was definitely thrilled, when ‘total number of blog views’ hit 10K, and when some of my articles got published in a newspaper, obviously wider audience.

But largely, I just have a few consistent elite readers who appreciate or criticize me when I publish any article. Other than that, no one is waiting with baited breath to read my blogs. There is absolutely no monetary reward waiting for me when I successfully write something.

Then it is clear that “likes & applause” is not the only reason I write. Then, what else?

May be, I need to time travel back to unveil few memories.

First of all, Am I a writer?

I looked at many explanations of who a writer is and realized I may not exactly match book definitions. But I get a feeling of Euphoria by recreating my ideas/ thoughts using a best tool- my words, which otherwise only existed in my mind. So, in that sense I am a confident writer.

Since my childhood days, I am a good story teller at heart. To me, writing is an extension of storytelling in a different style.

In 80’s/90’s, vacation always meant spending time with cousins at grandparents’, I enjoyed sitting in the middle of all the family members to listen & to narrate soulful stories, real and made up too.

At school, my most attentive classes were English & Value education, and if someone asked me, ‘What I wanted to be?’- I just had one answer, Journalist (until I stepped into an engineering college). But Nevertheless, I am still a story creator, by profession – only that my sales stories are highly technical and are targeted for selling.

During my mischievous days, my dad used to make me write about it. I believe, he never read it till date, but it was always for me to reflect what I did. Every time it was addressed to ‘Dear God’, raised in a conservative Hindu family – What else can be expected other than an apology letter to clear conscience. But that sure did help me hone my writing skills.  It is just funny now, I had been telling stories & sharing ideas to GOD all those days. Also, my dad encouraged me to write journal every day. Though it is still an unaccomplished New Year resolution, I remember maintaining for once in a while to pour out.

I read these quotes somewhere:

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot “

“The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading in order to write. A man will turn over half a library to make a book.”—– Samuel Johnson

But such quotes does not define me.

I am not an avid reader, but I do like to read some good books and flare up my imagination. And I strongly believe no two readers will conjure up the exact same images in their mind for the same story.

Likewise, I don’t set any times lines for my blogs like monthly two/ weekly one etc. I do get encouraged to write a book, but the odds of being published still looks negligible.

But no matter if I have huge audience or not, I have one first demanding reader to satisfy, Obviously ME.

If this first reader does not enjoy the writing, then it is going to fail intrinsically. And if this reader finds it boring and not entertaining, then I would not be writing.

Yes, I had been writing, reading, relishing and appreciating it myself. And some random day decided it to share it with many others.

But I know, if I don’t spill out those lingering thoughts, I hear them constantly inside my head vivid and clear, and stays until I share it verbally or by writing. I cannot tell you how liberating it is when I share it. There are so many opinions/views/beliefs/feelings/judgments running continuously in my head and a backup through blogs helps me create fresh and new ones. And such creation defines my eternal happiness which cannot be just expressed and understood by others. It has to be experienced.

Now, not all days at the writing desk are the same.

There are days when there is a complete mind block, only haze remains,

Somedays, I am completely lost in translating subject from my heart & mind, the words just freezes,

And best days are when nothing could stop the stream that flows beyond me or deep within me

But yet there is always a compelling thought that persist “Writing : It is what I do”.

So, my failure to promote or market my blogs has never diminished me at all. Although I very much want to find my audience, I am pretty much the same person without one.

I am looking forward for lots of sharing soon… via Podcasting & Blogging…

Yes you read it right – Podcasting is my next dream for 2021!!!

Happy New Year Everyone – Let 2021 unite us back not through just gadgets but in person.