Are We Special?

   Well, are we?
   Is every painter special, or are only the likes of Da Vinci and Monet classified as that? 
   Is every person who puts pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, special?
   I believe so. 
   If two people in two separate rooms were each given a plot, two main characters and a setting, they would both produce something completely different, and I find that amazing.
   Their writing styles, the way in which they mould the story, how they force the characters to interact - that is what makes a writer special. The writer puts him/herself on the line and onto that page every single time they sit down to write. Even those not recognised for their work - which is 90% of writers out there - still get to achieve as others do. Reaching the end of a chapter or even a sentence is a triumph for most, however ordinary it may seem to most others. 
   In literature, one of the most enthralling debates is whether it was indeed a man named William Shakespeare who wrote 'the works of Shakespeare'. The strongest debate that I can see is that it doesn't matter who wrote Romeo & Juliet, The Tempest or King Lear. If they were written by John Smith, it would not make the work any more or less glorious than it is. 
   Yes, Roland Barthe's 'The Death of the Author' is an incredibly popular viewpoint for literary critics, and it reinforces the importance of text over author.
   But, as a writer myself, or someone who attempts to write, I'd like to believe that we can be just as special as the words on the page.

   And now, during this chilling winter week, let me transport you to another place where sun and beer will be sure to warm you up.