As the saying goes, “If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” I suppose the answer is yes. It is just nobody is there to hear it. Perhaps it was a big tree, like the redwoods near my house, making a large thundering sound not just from the fall but from all the trees it hit on its way down. Or maybe it is a small purple leaf plum tree like my neighbors. It made a small sound as a delivery truck knocked down a branch when it parked to close to the curb. But this is a city, with a lot of people to hear the trees falling down. What about writing? If a piece of writing is written and nobody reads it, does it matter?

 

Sometimes that is the question I ask myself when I write something, post it to the writing challenge and nobody leaves a comment. Luckily, I do have one special friend who I send my piece to separately and she always responds with a related emoji and some kind words. I know my writing matters to that special reader. 

 

But to the larger Slice of Life Writing Community, did it matter? I think of all the pieces of writing I read each day. I know part of the challenge is to read and comment on at least 3 fellow writing blogs. And I do. But I read many more than 3. I don’t always have some smart comment to make or connection to their work to comment on. So I read, enjoy and move on. I imagine, perhaps some do the same to my writing. There may be no comments but maybe 2 people actually read what I wrote. 

 

And then I wonder, maybe I am the one that my writing is supposed to matter to. Isn’t that good enough? It would be nice if others enjoyed it, appreciated it. But maybe my eyes, my brain is the only one that needs to read what I write. Maybe it is the process, the struggle, the joy, the fun of putting the words on the page one after the other that is the point. The practice. The habit. We alway tell our students, writers should consider their audience as they write. Imagine them, and use what you know to tailor your word choice, your hook or lead to pull them in, to convince them, to entertain them, to inform them. But if I am my own audience, what do I want to hear? To read? I like a cadence to the words and  a strong image that evokes a feeling. I like vignettes that connect with some poignant messages.

 

I also notice pieces I spent less time on, that are more clunky, that I am less proud of, and sometimes get the most comments. Others, that I lovingly crafted, lingering over each work, phrases and sentences get no comments. As if nobody read them at all. I am okay with that. I just think it is odd. Perhaps the challenge should include one last piece, like the publishing parties we do with the kids, where we pick the piece we are most proud of and that piece is shared. That could be the 31st day of the challenge. A grown up publishing party.  I would not submit this piece. But I have others that I would consider.