The Power of Writing for Yourself
“Write for yourself,” says Elizabeth Gilbert. When writing her next book after her mega successful Eat Pray Love, she wondered how to write the next book for the millions of adoring fans. For this new book she had written 500 pages but felt it did not work.
A Moment of Realisation
Perplexed, she realised that she did not write Eat Pray Love for millions, but only for a few and mainly for herself. In her own words, “I had needed to write that book for my own personal reasons…” Pondering her next book, she realised that she was writing for the masses, and it was not working. She reverted to writing for herself, and I may add: that if she liked it, then it was probably good for the masses.
Authenticity Over Audience Expectations
When you write for others, your voice changes, and you put pressure on yourself to write what you think the audience wants to read, not what comes naturally to you.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s Writing Voice
And if you have read any of her work (I have not read Eat Pray Love, I saw the movie, but I have read The Signature of All Things) her writing is wonderful, probably so because she is relaxed and writes in her own voice. Her authenticity shines because it comes from a place of truth—not strategy.
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