WRITE YOURSELF THE Seven deadly attachments (that get in the way of writing)
PURPOSE
You don’t need a reason to write. If you like to write, then do it whether it makes sense, looks good, is neat or logical, messy or pitiful. No one else ever has to see it.
The more you write for yourself, the more you play with words, the more comfortable you will be in your own skin. It might even make you happy, and then you’ve gotten It.
PASSIVITY
You are waiting for what? The right pencil? More RAM, full moon, sunny day, rainy day, to feel better, to feel worse? Just write, no one else can do it for you. If you feel stuck, just pick a word and spin off from it in as many absurd directions as possible.
Take control of the words, no one is going to give you a morning wake up call. When you really don’t want to write, then read - as much variety as you can stand. Or take a walk. Call a friend. If you simply can’t imagine putting word to paper because your life is so pitiful, remember that writing can help you move past a "I am victim, hear me roar," mindset. Are you ready to give up being helpless?
Perfection
Right. You have a long list of imperfections: haven’t memorized Elements of Style yet, someone else has done it better, no one could ever do it right, vocabulary too small, have nothing to say, self-conscious even when alone. Warts, dandruff, deep dark secrets. Oh, just get over this.
Life isn’t perfect. It flows and bubbles, burps and spatters. Slavering after perfection is the perfect gold-clad excuse for never taking a chance.
Purple-prose
Please learn to tell the difference between writing that resemble trays of plaster desserts and words that form lush, breathing sentences. No one eats those fake delicacies. Tune your ear. Be ruthless. If you are in love with a phrase, but it snags your socks when you walk past, get rid of it. If you can’t bear to kill it, keep a purple-prose file. Rarely, some people speak in purple-prose; if you are one, try to get over it.
If you are kissing cousin familiar with big shiny words, then you might get away with using them in your writing. You will certainly limit the audience, however, which might not trouble you in the least. The biggest problem with purple-prose is that it occupies space that could be used for heartful writing. When you write yourself, your goal is to be more authentic.
Power
Some authors believe that writing has touched them like a magic wand, imbuing them with sex appeal, glamour, and the right to manipulate in the name of their craft. Oooh, you’re a writer……People write for many reasons. If you are solely motivated to be in control, to seize power, to assert your blooming authority, go ahead. I probably won’t buy your stuff, but someone will, because there are always folks looking for stern, but sexy parent-surrogate to tell them what to do.
The real power of writing comes from the journey you take. The power comes from the practice of awareness, the privilege of witness. Writing can be power because it lets you let go and lets you hold on. It is the difference between power and Power.
Permission
This is hard to get past if you’ve waited for approval and permission all your life. Writing is between you and yourself. No one has to approve it or approve of it. Writing can help free you from the need to get permission. It can pour creativity on the half-burned logs of your life. The flames will warm your soul.
If you need permission to start, here it is: You have my permission to write. Now. However you want to. Even with bad grammar.
Publication
How nice. Make money writing. Some people do. They work as technical writers, greeting card writers, novelists, journalists, screen writers, columnists, even poets. You’d be surprised how many of them are earning a living writing something, but it isn’t what they’d love to be writing!
In the beginning, just write what you want to write. Write more. Let someone read it. Listen without weeping or celebrating. Find your voice. Then find someone to publish. Then keep writing.
selfcraft.net/writeyourself
Copyright 2003
Constance Lee Menefee
Cincinnati, Ohio
