Member-only story
Shush About It To Family and Friends
I don’t want family or friends to read my work.
When I write, I’m not the person they know or think they know.
In writing on sites my friends haven’t heard of, so my ideas can shine.
I don’t worry what anyone might think of me as a real living person,
one who lives near a small town of 4000 very nosy people.
When I write I have the freedom to be all aspects of me.
To swear, to be sexy, over-emotional,
to say what I think without applying social filters or niceties.
I love it that way.
I’ve held onto two very intimate, sexualized novels I wrote until after both parents had passed away.
I couldn’t contemplate Mum or Dad imagining that side of me.
Being unknown as a writer frees me of self-doubt.
I’m never bothered by being judged on my work.
On Medium, I write what I want to when I can.
So, if someone asks, I often say I write gooey love poetry.
They usually pull back and change the subject,
especially if I say I write a lot of really bad poetry to men.
It’s a great instant conversation shutdown mechanism.
And, that’s how it can stay.
Unless I get on the NYT best-seller list, it will.
Though, I must admit, when I nail a phrase…
I feel like a real writer.
And that’s okay too.
It’s like I’ve let this kooky alter ego out of her ‘normal’ cage.
I can be me unleashed in words.
