The Power of Honest Writing

Another week has started and we are fully into March now. Mothers’ Day at the end of this week, then the next thing to look forward to is the springing forward of clocks which takes us firmly into spring and towards summer – always a happy time for me.

The first thing I did this week was take stock of my submissions so far this year… I have sent out 71, had 2 acceptances, 30 declines, and still have 39 out there. There are some stories out from last year too, but I am not counting them as I am only counting this year’s. As you can see, the declines way outnumber the acceptances, but I would never have had the acceptance if I had not started subbing. So it’s a necessary evil.

I have been looking at my folder where I keep all my new an “in development” stories and it is looking rather empty, so I need to get started on that. I have a project in mind (aside from the novel I am trying to get finished) that will require a certain degree of soul and memory searching. That’s always a daunting thing. But as I have been saying in my posts, you need to be honest in order to create an authentic story.
 
Honesty creates the strongest writing, because it will sound and feel real. Don’t worry about revealing too much of yourself. Honesty and confession are two different things, and to be honest doesn’t mean you have to reveal your own deepest, darkest secrets. Skew and warp those moments from your life and give your reaction and emotions around them to a character, who can deal with it the same way you did, or in a different way. And, start with small truths instead of big, dramatic ones.

Try this exercise (and you can post the result in the comments): Write one paragraph about something ordinary that happened today, but write it truthfully.

And a question to leave you with (again, you can put the answer in the comments): Do you find it easier to write honestly about small moments or big experiences?