@2024 Wendy Scheuring, The “Authentic” Author’s Writer
To be an author means that we have authorized what we have written, meaning sharing it with others through some means of publishing. There are many forms of publishing that we can pursue, two of which we have discussed in a previous post. I’ll be writing more about that later. But, first, let’s discuss the act of authentic writing itself.
Throughout history, many people were never taught to read and to write. That was certainly a privilege. It is my mission to make sure that the precious gift of literacy is never taken away from us nor ever taken for granted.
Now, how do we write?
What do we need?
Writers are artisans so we need tools.
In the digital world, we write with a keyboard on a pad or computer with a stylus or keyboard. But it is much more meaningful when write with pen and paper.
The digital world is distracting. Yet the art of writing with pen and paper is soothing. You select a quiet space and with your pen and paper you begin to write your thoughts.
Writing with a pen is meditative.
Writing with a pen is superior to writing with a pencil. Penciled words can be erased, yet because every word is a gift, whether it is written or lined through, it is not forgotten. When we write with a pen, we can come back to it later and ponder upon this word or phrase, or later choose to ignore it. The choice as an “authentic” author is ours to make.
When writing with a pen and paper, the hand slows for it cannot keep up with the mind. When we slow down our thoughts, our writing becomes meditative, allowing us to delve into the depths of our being.
When we get to that special place, we may not like what we find. It may feel uncomfortable or even scary. We may have to work through thoughts and emotions that we have hidden or have forgotten about. Yet when we write those thoughts and emotions on paper, we can choose to unleash them from ourselves by crumpling up our paper and throwing them away, or we can examine them to learn more about ourselves.
As you write, you may unearth questions and look for the answers. Or, you may have questions you cannot answer. Being able to question is a movement and a moment of growth. You can always find the answers later when the time is right. That’s what “authentic” authors do.
