Being a writer is one of those things that are both terrifying and thrilling at the same time. On one hand, you have the ability to spread kind words, inform people of current events, and reveal the truth to the public. On the other hand, you're vulnerable. You're putting yourself out there, your opinions, your thoughts, your feelings, for the rest of the world to read and scrutinize. The population as a whole has so many different opinions that it's impossible to write, speak about, or even bring up a topic without having someone counter your opinion. It's scary, it's exciting and it's a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the way other people think. It's a blessing and a curse.
One of the best things about being a writer is that you can share your thoughts and sway people to see your point of view. To have the power to bring knowledge to others is one of the most rewarding things. Having the power to make readers feel emotions, having the power to reach out to other people is one of the best things I've ever experienced. One time, my dad said his boss at work read my articles and one of them fit his daughter perfectly and he said that I was a wonderful writer and my work reminded him of his daughter. Apparently, there were tears in his eyes. I don't think I've ever received a bigger compliment. Being able to reach out and support people I don't even know, through a computer screen no less, is a feeling unlike any other.
The bad side of all this is that sometimes your vulnerability is met with a giant hammer. You put your raw emotions, yourself, out there and sometimes instead of meeting welcoming arms, you're slammed back and rejected. Unfortunately, people can be brittle and cruel, and can jump to immediately insulting your character, even if they've never met you. They could threaten, they could stalk you or your family and those thoughts are kind of scary.
Despite all that, you have to understand those risks as a writer, especially if you cover high profile and controversial current events. Emotions run high in the midst of these things, and that can lead to unpredictable actions. You have to open to criticism. You have to open to be insulted, and you have to have an open mind and listen to the opposing arguments. That's probably the hardest. If you have a previously formed opinion on a topic, you have to be open to it potentially changing. You have to be open to new ideas. You can still keep your morals, your ideas and the way you run your life, while also being open to listening to what others have to say. You have to be open to conversation. Be prepared to back the reasons why you feel a certain way, and also recognize the opposing justifications.
When you look at all the reasons not to be writer, you could be pretty convinced not to write a word. However, a friend once told me about "good trouble, trouble that will change the world." That's the purpose of being a writer, a reporter, a film maker, a documentary director, an investigator, a civil rights activist, a feminist, a social justice warrior, a human being. Everyone has the opportunity to stir up this "good trouble," and change the world for the better. Everyone has the ability to contribute a little bit. So, when I was given this opportunity to write for the Odyssey, I figured it could be an outlet for the "good trouble." Being a writer is hard, writing about difficult topics is harder but it's worth the risks to stir up some trouble.
