“You’re one in a million.”
We all know the phrase. Technically speaking, we are all one in a million. No one else has ever walked your exact life path, with your unique experiences, background, and genetic makeup. You are unique. But when it comes to writing, in some ways, you are not one in a million.
Sure, your story is yours, and uniquely so. No one else would tell your exact tale in your exact way. Yet, when we, as authors, sit down to edit our works—or more importantly, have them edited—we often hear a little voice in the back of our minds whispering, “Well, yeah, but not me.”
“Authors shouldn’t use trope XYZ; it doesn’t work well on average.”
“Well, yeah, but not me.” (In my case, there is no other way to make the story work.)
“Authors should be careful about plot thread ABC; it’s too common these days.”
“Well, yeah, but not me.” (My twist on that plot is unique.)
“We need to use proper spelling and punctuation.”
“Well, yeah, but not me.” (I’m trying to make a bold statement, perhaps…)
We tend to hear advice on how to write and think that if we take it, we are stifling the creative spark that makes us special. Maybe, but statistically, that’s not the case. We think, “If Stephen King can do it…” or insert the famous author of your choice. But we are not those authors. We are ourselves.
If 999,999 times out of 1,000,000 an idea does not work, you are probably not the one who makes it work. If you are considering breaking two of these "rules" at the same time, you are almost certainly wrong because that would make you 1 in 1,000,000,000,000. And there aren’t that many people.
I am using “one in a million” colloquially to make a point. Maybe both rules do need to be broken for your exact vision to shine through. But as authors, we need to learn to hear the truth: the work we love, the work we’ve created, is often not as great as we think it is. The only way to grow and improve is to accept that you are special, but perhaps not in the way you think.
An author's tale is always their voice leading the charge, but it’s accompanied by a choir: editors, beta readers, friends, family, and their thoughts and ideas, along with countless other influences.
There’s no benefit in fighting against editors who mean well. Your voice will still be special, and your work will still reflect your unique journey. You are one in a million, but you’re also not.
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