Don’t be afraid to look at your reflection…
Everything you need to reach your goal,
is staring back at you.
I sometimes wonder if the only thing holding back a writer, is fear. Fear of writing from the heart, fear of being too authentic, fear of letting the reader get too close. Writing is a personal act, especially writing well. The best pieces of writing though are the ones that bring the emotion to the page, the ones that make the reader feel something.
Don’t be afraid to go there. Don’t be afraid to dig deep within yourself to bring your own emotions to the page-the good, the bad, the ugly. All of it, not just some.
Have you ever cried as you wrote a scene, or laughed until your stomach hurt? Have you ever scared yourself at the thought of being trapped right where your main character is trapped, or energized by their new idea? If you don’t feel these things as your write them, and then feel them again- right in the pit of your stomach, every single time you re-read them, then most likely your readers won’t either.
Don’t get in your own way. Don’t be afraid to really write that scene, the one you need to write. Only you can write what’s in your heart…and until you do, your readers will be missing out on the best you have to put on the page. And I know you can do better than that!
So don’t be afraid to look at your own reflection, the one that only you see when you look real close. The key to your best writing may be looking right back at you. ❤
So guys…that’s my two cents for today. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts. I’d love to know how you get out of your own way when writing an emotional scene, whether the emotion is anger, love, excitement, nervousness, grief, or despair.
I hope you all had a fun weekend, whether it was crazy or calm… Mine was filled with a little writing, a bit of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a lot of track and field (those high school meets are long!), a house full of teenage boys eating all the food, a stint dropping my daughter off at a team overnight at her soon-to-be college (*sniff, sniff), and a sprinkle of movie time with my hubby (Martian was completely amazing…Go and watch it now!!). Oh and I can’t forget Mexican lasagna night. Yum!
You’ll want to check back here later in the week, guys…probably Wednesday. We’ll be welcoming our very first guest ever to swirl and spark. My fantabulous critique partner, the lovely Melyssa Mercado! She’ll be stopping by to share her getting the call story! I’m so excited for you to “meet” her if you haven’t already. Like I said, she’s fantabulous and her writing is too!
*Photo credit- unknown
swirl and spark 