Get ready with me:

I wake up and throw off the covers, and—because I hate doing my morning routine to silence—I turn something on. Maybe music from one of the playlists created by apps based on music that I like. Or, how about a TV show? Without cable, I rely on my streaming services, all of which are specially tailored to my interests. Even the new shows or programs I add are, usually, because of app recommendations chosen based on my watch/listen history. 

Once I’m up and about, I’m ready to start my day. 

In my car, I listen to podcasts I’ve chosen and audiobooks recommended based on my reading history. Even the ads I’m forced to listen to have been chosen by the ever-frustrating algorithms that look at my purchase and viewing history. 

All these Allison-specific entertainment options may be a sign that privacy is a thing of the past, but, in my opinion, they’re somehow also a sign of an isolated life. We have the world at our fingertips, and yet we see only the version we’ve inadvertently chosen for ourselves. And my media mediums aren’t the only thing that isolates me. 

Before I started writing full-time, I worked at my church offices, collaborating with people who—for the most part—believed things like I do. And long before that, I grew up in a small town, a small town of individuals largely leaning one way economically, politically, and beyond. That may not seem like a big deal or a bad thing. In fact, you may roll your eyes and ask, ‘So what?’

I love the life I’ve led, and I’m not ashamed of my faith or the specific things that interest me. You shouldn’t be either. But for a writer, an isolated life equals isolated writing. Is that the writing you want to produce? I don’t.

But wait, Allison, aren’t your books Faith-based? 

Yes, my faith is always represented somewhere in my fiction. 

‘Talk about isolated,’ you may say, but let me be clear: I’m NOT saying that genre writing is isolated writing. I’m just saying that a specially tailored worldview might make your job harder. 

Think of the writer’s most asked and yet most unanswerable question: Where do you get your ideas? Maybe you guys know the answer to that question, but any explanation I’m able to string together is the equivalent of a clueless shrug and frown. However, I do suspect that everything I am exposed to and learn about feeds that mysterious well of imagination. If I’m only putting one thing in the well, I’ll only get one thing out of it. 

What do we do, then? Pack up and move? Stop learning about things we care about? Blow off our old friends? 

Of course not! Your beliefs, interests, and social groups help make you… you. But there’s no reason not to take some small actions to stimulate your mind. Perhaps, read a book or listen to a podcast about a topic that doesn’t interest you, or even that you flat-out don’t like. Learn a new skill. Find ways to meet new people. 

All of those are great, but the best thing you can do to fight isolationism is seek out and be willing to listen to people’s stories. Talk to that person who is your polar opposite and listen to them. Gain insight into their beliefs and opinions. Find out the life experiences that shaped the person they became. What can it hurt? 

Jesus didn’t live in isolation. He met and learned about people from all walks of life without judgment. He listened. Let’s all do the same. Advice like that may rub some of you the wrong way. Maybe you’re afraid of all that influence and you wonder, ‘Will it change my thinking?’ 

My answer to that question: I certainly hope so. Understanding another person’s point of view doesn’t mean losing yours. Spending time with people different from Himself didn’t make Jesus less Jesus. 

But what DID it do? It showed us—even thousands of years later—that love and grace are for everyone. His willingness to listen to people’s stories inked itself into history, showing us that we are not alone. And if you can’t find a way to understand others, even when they make decisions you don’t agree with, how can you ask a reader to understand your characters? 

My best advice to help mitigate our tendency to stay isolated is to be aware of how you spend your time and actively look for opportunities to hear other people’s stories. So go for it! Look for ways to fill your writing well with things that once seemed unfamiliar. Trust me. Your readers will thank you for it.

What do you think? Is it possible to be isolated in this age of social media and targeted advertising? Comment below to join the discussion. While you’re here, be sure to stop on my CONTACT page and sign up to get the newsletter! And if you’re in the mood for a new read, check out BATTERED & TORN!