Why self-reliance is the central theme for all my books
We all experience highs and lows in life. When we are successful, people flock around us. They want to be our friend. However, when we hit a low—it doesn’t even have to be rock bottom—most so-called allies disappear. It’s the harsh reality we all face at some point. At that time, we can rely only on ourselves to get up again.
Though the above is true, it’s tough to accept it. This has happened to me multiple times, but every time it occurs, it’s hard to swallow it. If it’s so difficult for me, an adult, can you imagine how rough it could be on young adults who still have a long life ahead of them? Additionally, most YA fiction today has stories of a potential romantic interest, saving the protagonist when they are in distress. Is this reality, though?
For me, it was not. I was not a happy adolescent. I didn’t have many friends and had low self-esteem. The only people I had were my family, but when I hit rock bottom, I pushed them away, too. I wished for a miracle to be saved like the books I had read, but that never happened. I was all alone—until I was left with two choices: succumb to my issues or save myself. And obviously, I chose the latter.
Going to therapy and focusing on my mental health helped me immensely. I regained my self-confidence, embraced those who cared for me, valued their support, and made new friends. More than anything, I learned how to pull myself up again if I dipped.
However, I resented those novels that gave me false hope of a romantic interest fixing my issues and heart. Before you tell me I was foolish to trust fictional books, let me reiterate that I was a young, naïve, and impressionable willing to believe in a non-existent savior more than myself.
This got me thinking about how powerful books are. They can mold the way readers think and influence us. I thought about other people like me whom these fictional novels may have impacted and who were expecting someone else to save them from their distress. A teenager’s blog post complaining about such stories and how she wished more authors wrote meaningful, relatable, and realistic novels confirmed my doubts.
That’s when I found my purpose as a fictional story writer. I would write novels for people like the teen blogger—books that would have protagonists save themselves. My characters would have a solid support system in the form of friends, family, and maybe a romantic interest. But they would always put themselves first like all of us should.
I’m serving my purpose as an author slowly but surely. I know that because many readers who have read Unclutter have told me how much the book helped them. It was a huge honor when real mental health workers recommended my book to the survivors they work with. The message of my novel of using one’s inner voice to heal and overcome abuse trauma has resonated with many people.
Currently, my genre's readership is small. Still, I am confident it will grow significantly in the coming years. With the increasing awareness about mental well-being, teenagers, their parents, and teachers will see the need for meaningful and realistic fiction focusing on self-discovery and self-growth. At that time, I would be glad to have served my purpose as an author—at least one percent more.
