This was originally published at The Literary Side
Often times I read a blog post and I think why can’t I write like that? I don’t necessarily mean the way a person writes, though there’s a bit of that too I admit, but more that I wish I could be so honest. I wish I could write from the deep down inside and spill it out onto the page. I often don’t. I keep to trivial things, meme’s, mild nonsense because I don’t know how more would be taken.
The worst possible thing would be rejection. As a writer facing rejection does not get easier no matter if it’s your first or your fiftieth. It hurts, it stings, it slaps you in the face and points out all your faults.
So what worries me is writing down the those ‘deep thoughts’ and being told they aren’t good enough, interesting enough or worthy enough. I don’t know where that leaves me. Maybe I will write ‘deep thoughts’ and be okay with whatever result they generate.
When I write for my characters, they aren’t real. I can make them say and do and feel anything I want, that’s the point of fiction. Yes, naturally they are all in their own ways a part of me the author because in order to make them believable (which I have to hope they are) I need to have a reference on their emotions. I need to have had something in myself that is in relation to the character. Often we think of it as the other way around, the character relating to the reader but when you are the author I think the character lives inside us.
I wrote this out the other day when I was trying (probably horribly because a lot of the time unless you live in my brain, you likely have no idea what I’m talking about) to get across a point to someone else about their own words. I said:
“Every POV is inside the author”
It doesn’t matter who or what we write about. I think inside each of us is that POV we hope to send down onto the page in pen and ink.
As I said before, sometimes unless you’re in my head you have no idea what I’m talking about. For now I’m okay with that.
As cliché as this sounds, you'll never know until you try. Blogging is an inherently personal exercise. By limiting yourself as you describe, you are doing a disservice not only to you, but to your readership.
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I think that for your own security it's good to have some things living in side your head vs out there for all the world to see.
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Opening yourself in writing is so nerve wracking because if it gets turned down, if feels like they are rejecting who you are and not the writing itself. Blogging in some ways is an easier forum because you put it out there and if no one comments then at least no one said “No Thank You.”My wife and I have this discussion (and she is an incredible stream of consciousness writer). We wish there was a way to plug something in our heads that would transfer our thoughts onto the screen. When we write it, it seems as if it never comes out the way were thinking it.Excellent post!
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I love this post!Sometimes there are things in your head that you just can't put into words that make sense to other people……..but they make sense to you.Hmmmmm………I always like your posts!
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I often have blog envy too.I find I self edit a lot since I know my husband and mother occasionally check out my blog. I won't want my little hobby to hurt anyone I love so I often don't say certain things.
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I think I felt more censored when my family was reading my blog. Now that they're not, I feel as I can write whatever I want.
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I have a hard time with this sometimes too. Sometimes you really do just have to put it out there. I agree that it's tough when family members read the blog, and I agree with CK that things almost never come out exactly as I thought them, but what bothers people isn't what we'd expect usually anyway. I blogged about a pretty big fight my husband and I had, and he was only upset because somewhere in it I said he knew all the words to some dumb song “and I only know a FEW of the words.” He was fine with the fight thing, but ALL insulted about that. I guess it's up to each person, how serious you are in your writing and connecting versus how worried you are about the ramifications.
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I love this post! I feel the exact same way.CK had some excellent input as well.I'll read anything you feel like writing! 🙂
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My ideas for writing always sound great in my mind, and when it comes to writing them down, it's so much work to get across the meaning and feeling of what I want to write! I think you've just expressed what so many of us feel about writing.
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My ideas for writing always sound great in my mind, and when it comes to writing them down, it's so much work to get across the meaning and feeling of what I want to write! I think you've just expressed what so many of us feel about writing.
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