Writers have influenced history since the beginning of time. We have our favorites from ancient history to today. 

But are we paying tribute to our fellow writers? 

Writing is hard work, and we have modern technology to aid us in the process—from research to editing. Consider the ancient writers who painstakingly wrote by hand on parchment or stone. Some had to develop an alphabet prior to devoting time to writing. 

Writers are readers too, and while we pay tribute to our fellow writers, we’re also learning from them—their technique and style. I’ve learned so much from Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Agatha Christie, and more. Today’s writers keep me turning pages. The works of Jerry B. Jenkins, Traci Peterson, Steven James, David Baldacci, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Lynette Eason, Angela Hunt, Charles Martin, and more encourage and inspire me to be a better writer.

Paying tribute to our fellow writers means exploring various forms of honor and respect. 

The writers who have gone before us.

• Read and reread their books for awareness of their style, voice, and genre.
• How are the earlier writers different from today’s writers?
• Research their biographies and why writing was important to them.
• Share the fiction and nonfiction that have had a positive impact on your life.
• Encourage others to read those masterpieces to show our appreciation for their work.
• Form a book club or interest group to focus on the writings of deceased authors: the classics, fiction and nonfiction books, short stories, articles, and poetry.
• Explore various social media platforms that focus on those authors and want to keep their work alive.
• Check online for a day, week, or month that the author is commemorated. 

The writers who create worlds with words today.

• Read and reread their books for awareness of their style, voice, and genre.
• Research their biographies and why their writing is important to them.
• Share the fiction and nonfiction that have had a positive impact on your life.
• Follow favorite writers on their social media platforms and comment on posts.
• Subscribe to their blog posts and newsletters. 
• Email them to express your enthusiasm for their work.
• If a favorite writer will be in your area, attend the event.
• Join a book club, online or face-to-face. Or both.
• Form a breakfast or lunch group that shares new reads with each other.
• Submit an application for a national day, week, or month for a special author.
• Some authors are also publishers, agents, or editors. Their work includes more of the publishing world than those who focus only on writing. 

Every person who places a thought on paper is a writer. Are you paying tribute to yourself?

• Celebrate your achievements and all you’ve learned.
• Take pride in your craft.
• Invite other writers to a special event in honor of each other.
• Support the hard work and commitment needed to communicate through the written word.

Writers today and yesterday act upon a passion to express their thoughts, stories, knowledge, plays, and poetry to others. They sacrificed then and now to use their gifts for the betterment of others.

When we honor writers—past, present, and ourselves—we celebrate the power of words to shape hearts, minds, and lives.