What do you write when you don’t have anything particular to write about and are still supposed to write something?
Or even worse, What do you write when you have too much to write about and have to pick between too many good stories?
Or worse still, What do you write when you are afraid that people will actually read what you write?
Yes, I confess, I am afraid of what people will think of me when they read my writing (I know, I know, odd time to mention it, since I have written so many blog posts already, but my points still stands). These past years, I have grown very comfortable with the essays and short stories for English class because they are nice compositions with a nice rubric, compositions which nobody reads except the teacher and maybe my peer editor. Then, after having my composition read, I will receive some criticism sandwiched between praise, a grade, and then the teacher will promptly forget about it. This way, I can still practice writing without risking anything since teachers are paid to read what I write and soften their critical blows. But, when the rubrics are in abeyance and I can write whatever I want, I am terrified of overexposing my thoughts because odds are, that after being cradled in my head for a while and birthed into words, they will go off to war and be shot full of holes by people not paid to improve my writing. Or worse, by their bizarre nature, my thoughts will be misunderstood, scoffed at, or even written off as lunacy.
Additionally, I am not helped by the thought that there are so many good writers that are so much more skilled than me, have much more experienced than me, and are so much more worth reading than me. Compared to Moses, David, Isaiah, Luke, Mark, and Paul, and sixty-one other authors from the canon of scripture, I am nobody. But then again, I realize that these authors were not anybody in particular, either. Moses was an exiled murderer. David, a young shepherd. Isaiah, a naked madman. Luke, a doctor. Mark, a teenageer. Who were these people to write some of the most important literature in history? They, like me, were nobody, and I think that therin lies the key; since these authors were not impeded by fear or by pride, they simply expressed what God wanted them to express, and God did the rest of the work.
These people did not lobby extensively or undergo long writing workshops for their work to be included in the canon of scripture. Instead, they simply lived out what God commanded them, and then recorded their observations in the process. These writings were included in the canon of scripture decades and centuries later because of the Holy Spirit radiating of the text and not so much for the literary excellence that these authors contributed.
This is why I have decided that I will continue writing even when there is the likelihood people will read it and cross-examine my writing for run-on sentences, comma splices, misplaced modifiers, common spelling and grammar mistakes, unnecessary wordiness, logical fallacies, etc. (And bonus points if you check for all of these, or if you know exactly what they are, because odds are that you are one of the nice English teachers who like to give out the nice comfy rubrics 🙂 With that knowledge I have entrusted to you, dear reader, I ask of you to give me a little grace. I promise that will make all sorts of mistakes and maybe will offend, confuse, or shock you. If I do, please notify me kindly so I can clarify myself, defend an idea, or laugh at my mistakes.
