The Importance of Audience

On Sunday afternoon, I listened to an interview with actor Cliff Simon that was recorded sometime in 2009. Amongst the giggle-worthy statements, he came out with something quite profound:

"Without someone watching us, we're not actors."

No matter how good the script, how amibant the lighting, how polished his performance, unless someone's watching then it's wasted.

Discussing this with Lori, I realised that the same applies to me - unless my writing is read, then it's just words on a page. It doesn't live. And I remain a writer.

So this is my belief. That writing doesn't matter, nor editing, nor subbing. Not even being published, though that helps. But it's not until someone picks up my book and reads it that I become an author.

It was that new-found belief that inspired me to take up the Write 1 Sub 1 challenge, and to sub a short story to Tor. I'm going to hold those words in front of me, to remind me of the most basic fact that stories are supposed to be read.

Just like a performance is meant to be watched.