When I wrote about my writing weekend, I was so excited to articulate the feelings of authenticity and fearlessness I experienced that I neglected to share what I learned about what it means to be (and become) a writer.
First and foremost, I learned that I need to find a local community of writers. Real, flesh and blood writers, not people inside the computer or on the phone. As I sat knee-to-knee with other writers (and aspiring writers) I felt an unfamiliar and very welcomed kinship. It was something I didn't even know I was missing until now. I learned that writers, particularly those of us who write personal narratives, are a unique breed. I learned that we're all "sharers" who feel compelled to write about the most personal and shocking parts of ourselves. I learned that, as writers, we're all motivated by the same essential desires: we want to create connections with others; we want to illuminate the universalities of life.
We want you to read our stories, exhale with relief and say "Yeah. Me too".
It was liberating to realize my need to share so much, to be so open, is part of what defines me as a writer and not just something else to be ashamed of. Someone shared a quote, I don't remember the exact words or to whom it was attributed, but it went something like this "writers have one less layer of skin".
Yep.
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