As I see it, there are three types of writer:

• Type 1: The writer who doesn’t write but dreams of writing.
• Type 2: The writer who writes but doesn’t share their writing.
• Type 3: The writer who writes and does share their writing.

Over the years, I have evolved from the first type, to the second and, finally – happily – to the third, and I believe I’m just one of many who have followed this course. Confidence, opportunity, will and courage play a part in becoming Type 3, but I also think that the digital revolution has been instrumental in creating a new wave of writers who are willing and able to share their words. Here’s how:

1. The digital revolution means we write more.

In days gone by, we chatted on the phone with people and we met up with them, and we occasionally wrote letters. Now, we text, we tweet, we post updates on Facebook, we blog – each day we shape words into meaningful communications. This is beneficial because:

• The more we write, the more writing becomes a habit – the norm, easier.
• The more we write, the more we build confidence – we can write; we do so regularly.
• The more we write, the more we hone our style. Practise makes perfect, as they say.

2. The digital revolution means we read more.

Blogs, online magazines, online newspapers, websites, books on e-readers: there are so many more ways to access and consume writing now. And the more we read, the more we’re informed and inspired for our own writing.

2. The digital revolution means a wider range of writing is on offer.

No longer are media giants and publishers the gatekeepers of the content we read. We can buy a self-published book. We can read a blog written by anyone, on anything. We can sift through digital content to find all manner of viewpoints, and writing styles. Wonderful inspiration, and empowering for your confidence in your own, unique writing.

3. The digital revolution means we have access to many more mediums through which to share our writing.

Blogs. Twitter. Facebook. Wattpad. Smashwords. Amazon. The list is endless! Whatever your style or genre, whether you’ve written a poem or an article or a novel, you have a wide selection of options for how you share those words with the world.

4. The digital revolution means sharing can be on our own terms.

In times gone by, sharing writing meant traditional publishing – in a newspaper, for example, or a print book put out by a major publisher – or handing copies of writing out to friends and family. The scope for sharing was pretty narrow.

Now, though, you can be your own boss, and your writing can reach a wide readership. But every step you take in the sharing is on your own terms.

For example, say you’re a little wobbly about your writing. You want to share it, but you don’t want criticism. So, you can start a blog, disable the comments function and quietly put your work out there. You’ve published your writing!

Alternatively, you may decide to share a book that you’ve written for free in ebook format. Before digital, that was simply impossible. Now, you can offer your writing to the world as you like.

The verdict

The digital revolution may be something of a worry for publishers (well, except for Random House, which just posted record profits having sold 35 million ebooks of Fifty Shades of Grey). But it’s certainly not a concern for writers. In fact, every new development in the digital sphere is a leap forward in empowering, inspiring and diversifying the playing field for writers.

It’s an exciting time to be a writer, and I hope that every step forward we take into the digital world gets more writers writing. Because for a true writer, to write is to live, breathe, exist.