Another Little Piece of My Heart

Writing can be a very scary proposition, especially when you consider how much of yourself you are giving away when you write. When I first started to write, I began by attending a greeting card writing class, and to start it off, the instructor asked everyone in the class to introduce themselves. Each student told his or her name, where they were from, why they were there, etc. Then we came to the man sitting next to me. He said his name was John and that he wasn't giving any more information, that he wasn't good at sharing that kind of stuff.

After my writer's imagination went into overdrive and had him pegged as a serial killer on the lam or a mafioso in the witness protection program, another thought sprang to mind. Are you kidding? This is greeting card writing--you are writing your thoughts and feelings in greeting cards with the hope that they capture the potential thoughts and feelings of a card purchaser. Obviously, he didn't feel like reaching out and touching someone.

But in some ways I could sympathize with this man. It can be terrifying putting your thoughts and heart in print. But it is the only way to write. What is the writing adage --No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.

Several years ago, I wrote a column where I took a stand. I knew it would offend some people. I was very passionate about what I wrote and submitted it to my editor. The day the column came out, I was sick to my stomach. Why had I put myself out there? I wanted to go into seclusion. To my surprise, that column received the most feedback of all the columns I've ever written--all positive.

This taught me that to be a writer you have to be willing to put yourself out there--on the page, on the editors desk, on the edge of being uncomfortable. Sometimes you will be criticized or rejected, but if you believe in your writing (and you must) you will eventually be rewarded.

So I encourage you to write fearlessly!

Janice