Writing Naked

I know that some of you are already squirming just because I used the "N" word. Relax. I'm not going to ask you to take off your clothes while you write. Unless you find it helps but that's strictly between you and your computer. I don't need to know about it.

What I do want to talk about is vulnerability, which is just as scary for some of us. It means taking off the masks and armor we wear. It brings up all kinds of uncomfortable stuff around judgment - our own and from others.

Writing (and just about any creative endeavor) is risky business. There is always the tendency to hold back and, in some cases, hide altogether. Resist the urge.
Until you're willing to show up completely, your work will always be missing something vital -- that unique core of who you are. As a coach, I know my own willingness to be vulnerable allows deeper communication between myself and my client. It invites people to come closer.

The same principle applies in your writing.

Go fearward. Go to that place that has energy for you. Be brave. Be determined. It doesn't mean the subject has to be Stephen King-esque. It could be at the other end of that scale completely.

Look for an idea or topic that has a little 'zing' when you first approach it. Get nervous about looking it in the eyes. Moving closer seems like a really bad idea. What if it bites?

If you've done any writing at all you know what I'm talking about. And if you haven't run into fearward yet then take a moment here to pause. Think about something you wouldn't write about in a million years. Now sit down and write.

Feel that?

I'll bet your Inner Editor immediately jumped up with his big red STOP sign and waved it in your face, screaming, "You can't write that. What will people think? What if (gasp) your mother reads it!"

When that happens, here's what you need to do. Shove past your I.E., sit down and start writing. That STOP sign is a pretty good indicator that power lies in this particular bit of prose or poetry. Emotion already weaves through it. The words will leap off the page for you - and your reader if you choose to let it out to play.

Now stop wringing your hands and pay attention. See that important little word 'choose' in there? You don't have to share this writing with anyone.

There. Doesn't that feel better? Choose to write it, as scary as it may be. Follow it to all those nerve-wracking, vulnerable places. Don't leave out a single wart. And then choose how much of it you actually share with others. Even if you only offer the tiniest bit of your fearward writing, your energy will infuse the words. The reader comes closer, recognizing another human being. You connect.

And if you choose not to share any of it? It's still valuable writing. You've built creative muscle, invited discomfort and discovered you can be afraid and do it anyway. That's power.

So take a deep breath, find that fearward place inside yourself and go for it. Get naked on the page.

Following your energy makes your writing come alive!