An old post recently drew my attention. It was posted way back in 2013 after I started the blog in the fall of 2012. It was titled Face the Fear with Your Confident Face in Place. Back then, I was terrified of putting my writing out into the blogosphere just as I shied away from city driving. To an extent, I still face that fear, but there is now a flip side to that coin. I am now even more aware of the magic and power in words. They contain a unique ability to impact our minds, hearts, and actions.
And words on the page have even more power behind them than things spoken as there are no filters between the words and our thoughts. It’s like magic, telepathy, we read them and instantly they’re inside our heads, floating around and rubbing shoulders with all our other thoughts. To one degree or another, they’re bound to leave a bit of themselves behind.
As a writer, this truth is humbling. Not only am I risking others’ feedback – kind or unkind – but I’m going to leave an impact on every single one of my readers. It might not be a huge impact, but it’s still rubbing shoulders with their other thoughts. My hope then is that, with every book I write, the thoughts I foster inside others’ heads are more loving. Even if it’s with tears or hard truths.
Here’s a confession. I don’t feel up to such a task. I’m a little broken, a little scared, and desperately hoping for perfection in my work when perfection is an illusion. As I face this reality, I’m reminded of Roosevelt’s quote “The Man in the Arena.” It talks about being in the arena with dust and sweat and blood on your face but knowing in the end that, even if you failed, you failed while daring greatly. Instead of perfection, I’ll strive and pray that what I put out into the world brings a measure of hope and joy. And if there’s dust on my face, that just means I’m in the arena and daring greatly instead of living in fear.
All these deep thoughts…and I mostly write adventure books. Simple stories.
But as I step back from editing the most recent one, Zap Dragon, I’m reminded the broken bits aren’t always bad. The dragon in the story has its issues just like I do. But sometimes our broken pieces help us understand those around us and sometimes that brokenness is the very thing that helps others.
Blessings,
Jennifer
P.S. Hidden Mythics II is still with my Alpha readers and Zap Dragon with Beta readers. It’s a holding pattern for now while fresh eyes get a look at each manuscript.
‘Instead of perfection, I’ll strive and pray that what I put out into the world brings a measure of hope and joy’ – this 100%! 😀 A wise reminder that’s well worth repeating – thanks for emphasising the self-fulfilment that’s a great motivation for writers.
Thanks for reading 🙂 hopefully it’s an encouragement to you!
Well said! As I see it, writing is a wonderful exercise in empathy! 😊
Great way to say it! 🙂
I’ve never thought of it this way, of how our words seep straight into a reader’s mind. I only used to think of how I could teach about unknown happening in Africa with my stories and I liked the idea of that. But you’re right that writing/reading is even more intimate than just teaching.
This was inspiring to read 💙
This has become more apparent to me as readers talk to me about my books. I’m glad it’s inspiring!! 🙂
A very healthy perspective on our words Jennifer. They do, as you say, rub shoulders with our thoughts right out of the gate.
I’m always amazed by how often something I’ve read pops back into my thoughts. As my parents always said, “junk in, junk out.” I’d like to flip that to, “treasure in, treasure out.”
Good thoughts here! I love how you worded it about our thoughts rubbing shoulders with other thoughts!
It seemed an apt description 🙂 glad it communicated well!
Always praying a covering over you! Keep moving forward and all will be well.
The prayer is always appreciated 🙂
Taking steps of faith even when you cannot see the big picture but you know that it’s the right thing to do! Cheering you on!!
One step at a time 🙂