In honor of NanoWriMo

"The act of writing
bears something in common
with the act of love.

The writer,
at this most productive moment,
just flows.

He gives of that which is uniquely himself,
he makes himself naked.
Recording his nakedness in the written word.

Herein lies some of the terror
which frequently
freezes a writer. “
--Sidney M. Jourard

When I decided to sit down and write my blog post for today, I considered what I could write about that would be meaningful and helpful. It occurred to me that many writers out there get so focused on the highway leading to publication that they forget to enjoy the scenery along the way.

I have always wanted to go to Ireland and Scotland. I do not know why, maybe it is in my blood. But, after saving for so long to make the trip, I will savor every blessed moment of it once I embark. Why do we not enjoy our writing journey in the same way? Is this not the best part of our day? Is this not the one thing that we can do that makes us unique from our spouses, our neighbors, our friends?

We write because we love it. We write because we must. Our creativity won’t let us sleep at night-it gives us heartburn as we chew the words and throw them out on the page.

But we do not have to be afraid of writing from our heart, even if no one ever reads what we have written. Enjoy your writing, drop kick your muse to the street today and let go! Free yourself from the worries and wonders of whether your characters will ever see themselves between the pages of a book, or even on an e-reader screen, and just let them tell their story.

You may find that writing from your heart, forgetting the other aspects of writing, moves you into a whole new realm of possibilities.