On Writing.

For some reason, it makes me uncomfortable to talk about my writing with others.  Perhaps this is because it doesn't seem like writing is "official" if it only exists on a home computer.  Perhaps this is because it's important to me, and I can't quite bear the scrutiny of outside evaluation on its somewhat nebulous existence. In explanation, I've compared my writing to quilts.  For a quilt-maker, regardless of skill level, the finished product of your efforts will be appreciated by others.  Quilts are warm.  Quilts are useful.  Unless they're itchy, you can always find a person willing to take a quilt off your hands.  This does not prove true for pages of stories stored away on a hard-drive.  All that creativity, effort, and thought - and if it's not ready for the real world - then it's only ready to be stored away as "practice."  And so, despite the fact that I do write, and that I do write regularly, I don't really talk about it.  I keep it away inside myself.  (Which is - you know - kind of the opposite of the point of writing.)

Recently I read a blog post from a published author that really made a difference in my writing outlook.

Link here: http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/2012/12/pictures-of-book-being-made.html

After reading it, one of the things I realized was that I needed to write about my writing experiences.  Not only will it help me remember them, and crystallize the things I learn along the way, but it might also be meaningful to others.

And most of all, I need to admit out loud that I am a writer.  Especially if I ever want to actually be one.