Saturday, February 7, 2009

Saturday Soirée - Writing with authenticity

A comment a friend made some time ago about my writing fluttered into my mind this week and eased its way into my plan for this post.
Your most moving pieces are those in which you share your heart.
Authentic writing. But the call to write authentically may make us anxious, especially if we write for publication.
  • My life on the page?
  • My heart laid bare for all to see?
  • What will this or that person think?
  • Will readers like the real me?
We don't have to bare our souls to write authentically. Being authentic in our writing doesn't mean we must always tell our life story. We can write under an assumed name. We can write fiction and still be authentic.

Authenticity in our writing comes from being comfortable with and confident in who we are in all our imperfections and without excuse or apology. Authenticity in our writing is a natural out-flow from a life lived in honour of that truth. Then in whatever genre we take our writing, our authentic selves encased in our individual passions will be evident and will resonate with readers.

Authenticity in our writing is not only putting our lives on the stage and under the glare of the publishing spotlight. It is writing honestly and passionately against the backdrop of who we truly are, whenever and whatever we write and whether we write in our journals or for publication. It is not putting our business out there but opening our hearts and letting our feelings and our passions touch and influence the topics we spend time journaling about or crafting into feature articles, columns, blog posts and books.
Our best work comes from that place of authenticity when something of our soul is poured out onto the page.
~ BJ Keltz
Read BJ's full post on this topic at Enriched by Words where she shares her thoughts about living with authenticity and transparency.

10 comments:

Sita said...

Cheryl,
Elaine at Peace For the Journey wrote this today...
"Words … void of purpose and with the hopeless float of nothingness. But when our words are spoken from a pure place—a place that harbors and collects the truest truths of our journeys—then they breathe with a clarity that strikes a chord in others who are walking a similar path...."

Words that resonate...breathe truth...I bless you with life-giving words from on High...

Hope you are enjoying your course!
Blessings, Sita

Cheryl Wright said...

Beautiful, beautiful words by Elaine. Thanks so much for sharing them. Thanks for the blessing.

Joanne said...

Cheryl, I love when you say writers must be "confident in who we are in all our imperfections and without excuse or apology." Yes our imperfections are a part of us, and it takes a certain fearlessness to finally realize and act on that sentiment. Even just to realize that alone, without writing, is empowering.

Cheryl Wright said...

Joanne,

If confidence is empowering, imagine the possibilities when we mix it with writing or whatever we are passionate about.

Anonymous said...

I'm liking this post a lot Cheryl. writing with authenticity requires courage.

Good stuff.

Cheryl Wright said...

And you have courage Mags. It's evident in your posts.

Janice Lynne Lundy said...

Cheryl,
I am so glad I rose early this morning to get caught up on my favorite blogs. Such a joy to read what you have written here. You are a woman true to my soul.

My own journey into writing began when my heart needed to be heard, not so much by others, but by my self. It was vital that I be authentic and transparent. Doing so, launched a many year process of healing through the vehicle of writing. It continues to this day. It can be so for any of us.

I've also learned this. We do not have to share everything about ourselves. We use discernment to determine how much, when, and to whom. I feel this way about my personal experiences of the Spirit. Though I seem to share much, there are miles of those types of treasures tucked safely beneath the surface, and they will not likely find their way to the "top" any time soon. Personal gems, they are, and I value the meaning they make for me. Others may not see them as so...

Lovely, lovely, writing. Keep it up my friend, you fill our wells. Hugs!

Cheryl Wright said...

Jan,
Don't we all "...have miles of those types of treasures tucked safely beneath the surface..."?

Still little by little as we connect with kindred spirits on our life's path, bits and pieces of those treasures rise to the surface and help to strengthen our bonds with one another.

Today is rainy and clammy and cold - perfect for tea and reading and journaling. I'll be curled up on my couch for a few hours.

Have a lovely day.

B J Keltz said...

Jan, I can so relate to that. Such honesty...thank you.

Cheryl, what a pleasure to be part of your writing. I'm enjoying getting to know you.

Cheryl Wright said...

BJ,
I'm happy getting to know you too. Enriched by Words is like a 5-minute writing seminar - so incitful and inspiring.

 
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