Why is now the time to change the world with writing?
Great literature, movies, stories and non-fiction have always changed the world, but the impact they’ve had has varied with how accessible they’ve been. For much of human history, book ownership, and indeed literacy, have been the privilege of the elite members of society. That’s still the case in many countries in the world. Even 20 years ago, if you were working as a professional writer or author, there was a limit to the number of people your writing would reach. Not everybody would buy your book, or get to read the newspaper or magazine your article appeared in.
Of course, that’s still the case. Not everybody in the world will read your writing, but technology has had a huge impact on the availability and accessibility of the information and ideas you put out there. With the invention of the internet, blogs and social media, an article or blog post, and therefore an idea, can ‘go viral’ in hours spreading across cyber-space via Twitter and Facebook and Digg and Reddit, and dozens of other social media sites.
You can log onto any one of numerous free blogging platforms, create a blog and have your first post up 10 minutes from now, you can sign up to any number of article producing sites, create an account in under a minute and start writing and producing world changing articles. (If you’re new to writing for the web, there will be plenty of information coming soon to this site about the technicalities of how to do this).
You can log on to Facebook (or any other social media site) and post an inspiring quote or a link to your favourite charity/non-profit website in seconds. Sure you can update your status and tell everyone you’re having a lovely cup of tea or a nice glass of wine, and even that may change the world in some small way (maybe you’ll inspire a tired, over worked friend to enjoy a small but much needed treat of their own, or assure an absent loved one that you’re safe and content), but you could also update your status with a link to a site that has a world changing message, and a call to action.
I want to make it clear at this point that I don’t think all writers should be writing for free. I’m an advocate of professional writers being paid professional level fees, but I also feel that we can, if we want to, be putting out messages that make a difference. I also want to say that a message that makes a difference doesn’t have to be about social justice or political issues. It could be a parenting article that reaches out to other tired, stressed parents with sound advice and empathy, or a piece that inspires someone to start a small business, plant a beautiful garden, or go back to school to study something interesting and fulfilling.
What I’m trying to impress on you is that in this wonderful, connected and often frustratingly technological era, every word you write can have an impact. How empowering is that? Now, more than ever before, words can, and do, change the world. Choose them carefully.
