Writing from the Soul

Writing is hard work when done right. There is nothing in this world scarier than a blank page but once you find the story and get into it there is nothing more fun. The words just flow out of you, almost as if someone else is writing it and you are just the dictator. It's sometimes hard to keep up when the story flows so well. You'd be amazed how many typos that you'll have when you go back to reread just because you were typing so fast and not paying attention.


As fun as it is, it does take a toll on you. When you write, you're taking a piece of your soul and sharing it with the world. It's an incredibly personal thing. I once dated a girl who told me that all my stories sounded like me. That even my scifi and supernatural stories seemed to have me in their DNA. She meant it as an insult but it was really a complement. What she was trying to say was that I'm self-absorbed and can't write anything that doesn't relate to me, because I've had a few run ins with vampires and once served on a spaceship. Long stories. But what she was really saying was that I had a strong voice. And for a writer that is a good thing. You need to have a voice when writing. When people tell you to write what you know, they don't mean personal stories, although if they are interesting go for it. What they mean is the personal sides, if you know what it's like to be in love, write that, if you know about heartache, write that. Whatever personal stuff you have been through you can write about, you can put them through genre filters if you want but at the end of the day it is still a piece of your soul you are showing the world. And be honest, you wouldn't have it any other way. That's what makes it art.