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As I thought about what topic to discuss in my first post, focusing on Taylor Swift was really the only place to start. Afterall, my whole personality can essentially be summed up as obsessing over books, fun/cozy drinks, and Taylor Swift.
There's no doubt that Taylor Swift is having her moment right now! The ERAS TOUR is breaking records left and right. As an OG Swiftie (she's been my favorite artist since I was in middle school!), I couldn't be happier to see the heights she is reaching!
As an OG Swiftie, I also think there's a distinction between being a Swiftie and liking Taylor Swift. I joke that “Real Swifties know it's not a fandom—it’s a lifestyle” (thinking on making this into a t-Shirt—any takers?)!
While I’m not a fan of social media, I joined Twitter in April (2023) to connect with members of the writing community. One of the very first things I noticed was how many of my fellow writers were hardcore Swifties. The kind of Swifties who will spend hours going down rabbit holes to decipher innocuous messages that may or may not be easter eggs.
My conundrum was, what is the connection between being a Swiftie and being a writer? Taylor Swift was a huge part of why I started writing fiction in the first place, although that’s a story for another day. But I wonder, did all these other writers have a similar experience? Or does being a writer turn one from a casual listener to a totally fanatical Swiftie?
I couldn’t quite pin down the relationship between these two identities until I came across a TikTok from another fellow Swiftie-Writer: Lauren Kay (her debut novel, WE SHIP IT, just came out last month – go check it out!). Lauren shared the following quote from Ira Glass that helped her through many of the downs of writing:
All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be. It has potential. But your taste -- your taste is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. . . . It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap and your work will be as good as your ambitions. It’s gonna take a while. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.
While there is a lot to unpack from this inspiring and motivational quote, when I heard it, it answered my question of why there were so many obnoxiously obsessed Swifties who are also a part of the writing community.
It’s because we just have killer taste :) Taste that drives us to create and taste that makes it impossible to not go crazy over the magic of Taylor Swift’s songwriting abilities.
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