A much-needed introspection into how Google has changed my creative writing world
Creative writing has always been my interest. I write spontaneously whatever comes in my mind. I still remember the time when there was an essay writing competition during my school days and I was staring at the paper, not knowing what to write. I would not lie that I prepared well for the competition; I just thought that my English skills would help me. But that was not the case. I just stared at the paper sometimes, not getting the flow. And now at this age of 40, I am still striving to establish myself as a good writer, and spontaneity is the key that is making me proud even amidst tough competition.
While I don’t generally blame anyone for anything in life, there is one thing that I wish to shed light here. With the introduction of Google into my life during my college days, and with my entry into the world of content writing, I was highly fascinated by the concept of researching in a search engine, getting the idea and then writing in my own words. They said that the content should be plagiarism-free ,and as a responsible content writer, and more as a sensitive human being, I grasped this whole-heartedly. While I was busy writing content for websites, I failed to realize that there is a creative writer in me, who wants to be patted at the back frequently. While this was pretty well done by my close friends and some well-wishers, most of my time had been spent on using my mind for content writing for work. And there the poor creative writer in me was waiting for my attention: when will I get enlightenment?
Is my creative writing process halted halfway because of the entry of Google in my life? Did I stop nurturing my talent as a creative writer because the gleam that Google gave was too attractive to forgo? Was I intimidated by the verbosity and lucid language of certain people that I just knew to appreciate without being too much of a critic? (Maybe, If I had the inclination to look with critical eyes the works of other authors, then I would be even more a polished writer now).Was my decision to take up job as a content writer a wrong step which hindered my growth as a creative writer? Was sometimes the writer block because of too much dependence on Google, such that I failed to present my real and accumulated skills in the right manner? There are several questions that are getting answers from me now. But the heartening thing is that now I can confidently write original content without depending too much on Google, in my content writer job.
Finally, I come to terms that it is by being myself (in this context of content writing) that I am enhancing my talents. My writing style will automatically reflect my path that I have travelled. While it is true that Google had halted the spark in me and continued to remain an essential part of my life, I am happy that I still have the creativity fresh, which will reap rewards. As a passionate writer, I never developed disinterest for writing, and so here I am, who still knows how to put creative writing into its best use. After all, writer’s block is not a death sentence for a writer!
Nice read. Your closing line is powerful!!
Well, that takes guts to pen down. You have this wonderful talent (whether you use a tool is secondary).