Saturday, January 29, 2011

Open Wounds and Writing

To be a good writer, you have to be honest.  Sometimes that honesty is painful to the writer.  But, what about when it's painful to others?  What if the topic strikes home and causes hurt to those close to you?  Do you back off from the story?  Just never let them read it?  What if you want to be published?

I'm struggling with a story that has needed to be told for at least thirty years now.  The topic is close to me and to others.  It's ugly and it's true.  I find myself starting to back off from elements that are important to the story, fearful of causing pain or anger in others.  If I do that, the story is worthless, a fluff piece that will border on cute.

So, I'm going to write what needs to be said and if it's good, submit it.  I probably won't tell the people in the story that it's been written.  I think it would damage the person it's about and they're already bleeding so much from emotional wounds, I can't bring myself to cause another.

I suppose what needs to be said, doesn't always need to be heard by everyone.