The Writer's Heart

I'll admit I stalk certain sites. Luckily, I do this in the privacy of my own home with little to no traces of such tom foolery. Scroll to the bottom of this blog and you'll see some of my favorites. I have a few more that I need to put on my list, but truly when I'm having a bad day or when writing doesn't coming as easily as I would like for it to, I take a moment and read. Today I rewarded myself for finagling my way through chapter 12 by surfing the web. I scrolled down the blog roll and the title on Wordplay  was "Why No writer Knows What He's Doing". Already feeling better, I smiled and clicked on the site. If  you write so much as a post-it note this is a blog you should follow.

One of the many reasons I love writer's is their ability to just be honest. In other facets of the arts, it's frowned upon to acknowledge your inhibitions or frailties. Writers openly admit them, embrace them, use them for characters, even publish them. I think the reason for this strange anomaly is the act of writing itself. It's terrifying to put your deepest thoughts and feelings on paper. Diaries have locks for a reason, you know.

Take a look at  Lori Osterman. She's an author whose courage has allowed her to be painfully honest about her life outside the writing realm. Or what about Jenn Delucy?  Her heart jumps off the page with every word. If you don't know her, just click on her name and you'll see what I mean.

The ability to just be honest, to make ourselves vulnerable, to put our hearts on the line, is what causes writing to come to life. Actually sharing it with the world? Now that takes courage.