The reader becomes a fellow pioneer with the poet. – Walter Dain
The writer/reader relationship is very interesting. The writer creates something from the heart. The reader reads it and gets to know the writer on an utterly unique level and seldom do these people meet.
…a fellow pioneer…
This is an excellent term to describe the writer/reader relationship. Books or columns are not movies or songs: there are no remakes. Everything written comes from something deep inside a writer because he has something to tell you. Any writer not writing from the inside out isn’t writing, he’s typing.
It’s said if you really want to know a writer, read their work. This is so true because writers share things on the page they might not share over lunch. Don’t take it personally. Writers write; it’s how we say what we feel needs to be said. With each word a writer is exploring uncharted waters, taking his readers someplace they’ve never gone before. If he’s doing his job, he’s taking himself somewhere he’s never gone before as well.
It’s said that there is nothing new in this world. In fact, there’s a saying I’ve seen attributed to the Hindus that says everything has happened, everything will happen. True enough. We only need to see how often us humans insist on repeating history to see how true this is.
Still though, the writer/reader relationship remains unique because there are always fresh insights into old thoughts, unwalked paths leading to a never-changing destination. Speaking as both a writer and a reader, it’s fun being a pioneer leading and being led on the journey.
