When we write a book, we are revealing something of who we are, where we come from, and how we represent on the page, putting it out there for anyone and everyone to read, interpret, judge. It’s a brave endeavor, when you think about it.
Particularly once the book is published. In a way, “our story” is no longer solely ours. It’s kind of like raising children, who belong to us as we love and influence and maybe even contribute to the shape of who they are becoming. Yet once we “publish” them into the world, once they reach adulthood and venture out into their own lives, they are no longer ours—at least not solely. Although, my father always said, and I mean always, when we left the house, “Remember who you are and what you represent.” We represented him, them. We still do.
So, for whom are we writing? Perhaps ourselves as we write the story, and our audience as we edit it, publish it, get it out on the shelf.
Nevertheless, in working to publish our heartfelt piece, we never want to lose the integrity of our work. We need to maintain a balance between our creativity and the commerce of publishing. Both are essential if we want our book to reach others, to be read, understood, appreciated—to start a conversation, ignite emotion, connect to something the reader thinks, feels, knows from their own experience.
The dynamic of writing to be read is part of the modern human condition, opening a window to others’ experiences and what we make of them, living vicariously through their words, developing perspective on the author’s story and, in the process, our own.
Once we’ve written the poetry, the memoir, the novel, once we’ve handed it to an editor, an agent, a publisher and, ultimately our reader, each has become a participant in our story, introducing something of themselves into our words.
I repeat, it no longer belongs solely to the author.
What would we write if we imagined no one else were going to read it? Would we pull from the vocabulary we tend to reserve for our typically unspoken thoughts? Would we be more bold, more honest, more authentic? And what would we edit before releasing it to our readers? Or, what if we were to release the stranglehold of judgment and publish our authentic piece?
And when a family member says, “It didn’t happen that way,” we could remember to say, “It didn’t happen that way to you.” The difference between fact and fiction is a matter of perspective.
In writing to be read, we must step lightly across the beam, arms outstretched, to see if we can maintain that balance between sharing our story as we know it, while understanding that every person who reads it will interpret it though their own lens of experience. Yet no matter what, we also must understand that writing to be read will always be one of the finest ways we can share our humanity with others.
It’s still a dicey proposition when you think about it.
So true! I especially liked “In writing to be read, we must step lightly across the beam, arms outstretched, to see if we can maintain that balance between sharing our story as we know it...” I could see myself on that beam!
Indeed, it takes courage to write, and then courage to know when to say you are done with what you have written - and realize that you are ready to take the next step to publish it. And as you mentioned, once published, it goes to the world, and the experience that you had written about is now open for public viewing. To write about private moments, and then to share such moments with the world takes intention, intent behind the action, wanting to bring the reader into an experience that they may never have...or perhaps in some way, it is a shared experience so that the reader knows that they are not alone. Either way, the audience, the reader, is experiencing through your written word. The written word can be so extremely powerful and has the ability to change lives and change the course of history. Taking the pen to paper, or putting your fingers onto the keyboard to begin typing is as Lao-tzu said, "A Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." Do not be afraid to
embark on the journey!