Today is the first Wednesday of the month, making
it IWSG day. If you feel like joining in, you can. Here is the link.
IWSG is an acronym for Insecure Writer’s Support
Group. The meaning and purpose of this group is near and dear to my heart.
I’ve been a
reader all my life and it never once occurred to me that a writer could be
insecure, that it might actually be difficult for them to publish. Now, I’m not
talking about the publishing process itself, that’s a whole different topic for
another day. No, I’m talking about writing in the first place, and then, being
willing to release that writing to the world. I had no idea, until I became a
writer myself, that putting words down on paper is like barring your soul; and
that to relative strangers. I never realized how incredibly courageous that
was, how super-hero worthy. I just
thought they were words, made into stories. I didn’t know they were the essence
of a person, and therefore should be handled carefully. That’s why I rarely
review. I’m just too critical, and I
know how that can hurt. So here I am,
raising my glass to all of you brave souls who have had the courage to reveal
yourself, and to you, who are still trying to work up the nerve. I say go for
it.
The world needs to know who you are.
We are super heroes! Or just gluttons for punishment, one of the two.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting--I put all that work in, but the publishing process is SO slow, you don't really even think about that heart and soul until you read a horrible review...and then it's gut-wrenching!
ReplyDeleteA writer sure does put their heart and soul into their writing. And I did notice that you rarely review. When you rated Hurricane Crimes with a 3, I was worried you didn't like it but I guess I should be grateful. ;) This post is lovely. I love your ending thoughts. *raises glass* Here to you, too!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how much emotion goes into it, even when we're writing fiction that has nothing to do with us personally! You just can't help but get attached to your writing so putting your work out there can be scary.
ReplyDeleteFebruary IWSG Co-host
Yes, writers have to be brave, and yes, there is a lot of emotion that goes into writing.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the scary part is that it seems that a writer's work isn't always interpreted the way I believe it was intended to be. But all we can do is try our best.
Those words are incredibly personal and a part of us. It's hard to let them go, all the while praying no one kills them.
ReplyDeleteIt's very true that it's hard to put your feelings and experiences on paper! Everyone has different ideas about what's good and what's not. Its so easy for them to misunderstand what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteLong ago I thought courage the most important virtue. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking (have been for a while) that gentleness is up at the top...
ReplyDeleteI think writers are incredibly courageous! I think everyone has a unique voice that deserves to be heard. Spending twenty-five years teaching 6-10 year olds has taught me compassion when evaluating the work of writers ~ because they're always baring their souls! Have a good one, Melanie!
ReplyDeleteExactly, and I think of all the ones that came before us. They didn't have the community we have today. We are a lucky bunch. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from Shout with Emaginette
Excellent advice, Melanie. The world DOES need to know who you are. Thanks for this post, brightened my day :)
ReplyDeleteI spent years writing in journals and never sharing them with anyone. I did show my stories to my classmates in a fiction writing class I took in college, but they ripped the stories apart (admittedly, the stories weren't very good). One person even accused me of plagiarizing my story, which I hadn't done, and the irony was that someone else's story in the class (which was praised by everyone else) really was plagiarized verbatim; that "writer" had stolen a famous writer's work for her own story and passed it off as her own. So that experience discouraged me from showing my writing to other people for several years, until I started blogging and actually letting other people read and comment on my writing again. Blogging has been a much more positive experience, and it gave me the courage to send my writing out to literary magazines too.
ReplyDeleteI think I clicked away before hitting publish on my last comment. Sorry if it show us and I didn't notice. This was an encouraging post. Thank you.
ReplyDelete