Following Footsteps

I was taking a walk at night. During my wandering, I noticed a set of wet footprints on the ground. I decided to follow them. After some time, the footprints faded and disappeared. Then I continued on, wandering where my fancy took me.

I thought about this story and realized there was some interesting metaphor in it. I followed somebody's footsteps. But where did it take me? I was more focused and determined to go somewhere while I was following them. I didn't know where they would end up, but that didn't matter at the time.

Because I followed those footprints, I ended up in a different place than I would have been had I not followed them. But, just because I followed those footprints doesn't mean I ended up in the same place that the person who made them did.

What does this have to do with writing? Copy what you like. Try something you saw or heard of that was interesting. Follow in somebody else's footsteps. Don't worry what others may say about it. You will never step in exactly the same spot as the predecessor, nor is it likely you will have the same results. However, in the mean time, you will be focused and learning and practicing. It will have an undeniable impact on your life, but it will never stop you from being you.