It's not theft
Writers often trap themselves by copying others. They think that's the way to succeed.
Look at Indian restaurants in every town. Identical menus. The same red flock wallpaper. The same copper serving bowls and bland curry house classics.
It's like walking into photocopies of photocopies. Each one got blander than the last. The vibrant regional flavours of real Indian cooking fade into a generic tikka masala haze.
Let's look at plants as an example.
You know stinging nettle. As every nettle in a patch has its own character, your writing needs to grow from your ground up. Don't report what others say.
Live it, breathe it. Let it seep into your bones until your experience gives rise to the words.
When you borrow ideas from others, transform them through the lens of your life.
This isn't about copying.
It's about using inspiration to create something that is yours. Think of it like cooking. You might start with a recipe, but your hands, kitchen, and ingredients make it unique.
Your writing should carry the weight of your lived experience.
Every sentence should pulse with the rhythm of your particular journey. This isn't about being weird for weird's sake. It's about being true to your path, your struggles, and your victories.
Time is sliding through the hourglass, grain by grain. What mark will you leave? What stories will echo after you're gone?
Will you leave behind pale imitations of others' work? Or, will you craft something that could only have come from you?
Stop worrying about what others might think.
Stop trying to fit into someone else's mould.
Write like yourself – messy, complicated, real.
Your readers aren't looking for another generic voice; they're looking for yours.
So write it. Write it now. Write it true.
P.S. Every post of mine is an absolute gem. And like all gems, you'd be daft not to collect as many as you can get your grubby mitts on.