The Dangers of Being a Writer in the 21st Century

Dear Vocal Readers,

Oh, writing, how I love it so. But as much as I love writing, the whole concept also terrifies me. Nowadays it seems as though every original idea has been taken. If someone has an idea for a book, it may have already been written years ago. If someone has a specific beat in their song, it may sound just like one from the past. I mean Google it, I'm sure you will get pages of videos showing songs with similar words or beats. In this day and age, it is extremely hard to come up with something original that can't be compared to other pieces.

I see it on the backs' of novels all the time. It will say something like, "This book is the new Hunger Games," or "This book is a mix between Game of Thrones and Divergent." Everything is compared to something else, and having an idea that is completely new is seemingly impossible. There is always the threat of having your work viewed as plagiarized. Even if you had no idea you were copying something else or had a similar concept, it doesn't matter. Every writer is held accountable, and somehow has to be aware of every other book that has ever been created. It horrifies me, as my goal in life is to become a successful author. What if I have an amazing idea that I fall in love with, only to find out it's too similar to another? What if I spend months or years on a novel only to find out I can't even publish it? These are the worries that plague me, and put my future at risk.

Do you want to know the even funnier thing? I bet I'm not even the first person on here to write about this. Because like I said, everything has already been done before. If only I could turn back the wheels of time and write everything I've ever thought to write about. I wouldn't be worried about being too similar to a novel I've never even heard of. I would have complete creative control, and no worries over possibly being sued or hated. And that's where my next worry comes into play.

While everything original has already been taken, it seems like we are also very limited on what we can say or write anymore without offending someone. There is no rule book on what we can or cannot write about (thankfully, because if so that would be a clear violation of freedom of speech) but there are still topics we are suggested to turn away from. If it offends anyone, well that's a problem. And offending people in today's day and age is one of the easiest things anyone can do.

Your writing also has to be inclusive. You must showcase a wide range of races, and there must be female and male characters. There are also the extra things such as adding in LGBTQ+ characters, like J.K. Rowling is trying to do years after she actually published her work. We are also getting more tuned into the topic of gender identities which makes the female and male characters rule that much harder. If people do not feel connected to a novel or that they are not being represented, you will hear about it. You could have one of the most progressive novels ever, but still get in trouble for not including one specific race.

I understand that there are things you should not write about. But it becomes a problem when anything you say can be a problem in someone's eyes. You could be doing everything right but add in one line that you seals the fate of the whole book. A line that you may not have even thought twice about, but it offended someone.

These are the dangers us writers face in the 21st century. There is nothing blocking our freedom of speech, except for societal rules that hide as the silver lining. So, while you try and think of what to write about, make sure it hasn't been done before. Oh, and also, make sure it's inclusive and doesn't include anything sensitive at all. It's not like some of these topics should be addressed or anything, we can just ignore them all and keep everyone happy! Unfortunately, I fear my frustrations will only grow throughout the years as more things become taboo in our society. I hope people will become a bit more accepting of people's creative ideas, and a little less critical on small details. And if you have a problem with a book or don't like it, the solution is just to not read it. Easy enough, right? I know I am not the only person who feels this way, but perhaps I am one of the only people who will actually say it. I'm sure that someone reading this may also have a problem with it as well, or not agree with my views. Well, to them I would say, "Click the X on the top right corner of your screen, thank you!"

Sincerely from my terribly frustrated mind,

Kacie