11/10/11
Be Brave
In order to do good work, I need to remind myself to be brave. Bravery doesn't mean not feeling fear but going forward in the face of it. To do my best work, I need to enter places that are uncomfortable and painful. Like many people I prefer not to, but for a story to jump and have resonance I need to be more honest with myself and go places that are difficult. With the recent death of my mother, I've been thinking about all kinds of things, and one of them is a tendency in myself to hold back. I am aware of places this shows up in my life and in my writing and feel the need to explore this. I also want to write some pieces that are different from anything that I've done. I will continue to repeat these two words: be brave.
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7 comments:
"Be Brave" are powerful words John. Thank you for this post. It helps me even today as I embark on Day 10 of NaNoRiMO!
Thank you, John. This resonates with me. I hope you boldly tackle that new work. I'm sure your mother's death gives perspective and perhaps too, courage.
Your post is very powerful, John. Growth and risk can frequently be painful, but our only other option is to remain stagnant, and though I have never met you personally I feel as if I have learned a lot about you through your blog posts and your work, and you do not strike me as the type of person to play it "safe" rather than take risks and either fail or reap the rewards. Stay brave, my friend.
Lauren, Christy, and Mark, thanks for your thoughts. They are helpful as I venture into new territory. Mark, I agree about getting to know people through their posts and work, and I look forward to meeting in person soon.
Such good advice John.
I agree with Mark. I think of you as a brave, risk taker John, and you have been a role model for me in that regard for many years.
I also remember when we were both working on our first novels and how you talked about the temptation to avoid conflict in writing; that was helpful to me as I worked through that monumental project and something I've kept in mind ever since. It's another way in which I've learned from you.
John,
Thanks for being brave and for spurring me on to being brave in my life and my work!
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