All great writers have heroes. To write well, we read books written by those who came before us. We do this in hope of finding mentors whose style, discipline, or mindset will inspire us to be our best selves, which is why it is crucial that we keep on doing this. Whilst reading, you are having a conversation with the author. They have crystallised years of painstaking research, hard-earned experience, and made it into an art. It does not matter that you may live miles apart, or that the author is twenty years your senior. All that matters is that they are gracious enough to share their mastery with you. You exchange and form thoughts and that is where the beauty of art and growth lies. It transcends barriers, unites and stimulates the intellect. After all, how else can we learn if not by having the best teachers?
This begs the question how we choose the heroes we choose. Or, is it them who notice us, or our potential? In my experience, there must be something we identify with in the way they write. It may be their style, or even some background details that we can relate to. For example, if I came from Dublin, I might find the details of Ulysses (a novel written by a Dubliner, James Joyce, and set in that city) instantly relatable because I would already know myself, or know about, the hardships that the people of Dublin went through every single day while wanting to live their normal lives. I may read more Shakespeare because of his virtuosic ability to make the unfamiliar familiar. I may read Woolf because of the way she innovated prose and stayed independent, especially being a woman in a man's world. Whatever the reasons may be, have heroes because this is the only way you can grow and then give back to the world.
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