I am not a real writer… at least not in the professional sense. While I do enjoy writing as a pastime—and sometimes as a distraction or diversion—my desire to write stems not from any need to make a living at it. It is born instead of my occasional want of an outlet, which, more often than not, begins with something tugging at my heartstrings. I freely admit to being easily beset by such things… which is why I frequently choose to write from the heart.
But what exactly does it mean? To write from the heart?
When a (real) writer says they write from the heart, it is my belief that they want you, the reader, to experience the same emotions they are feeling. They want you to connect with their story at the deepest of levels.
If I were a real writer (or simply a better one), I would accomplish this more often. In any case, I continue to work at it… because, in my eyes, to fail at this is to fail at writing. John Cheever (American short story writer and novelist) spoke of it when he said, “I can’t write without a reader. It’s precisely like a kiss—you can’t do it alone.”
In her book, Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg offers this guidance: “Writing can be very lonely. Who’s going to read it, who cares about it? Think of sharing your need to talk with someone else when you write…write so they understand.”
But how can a writer be sure that they have accomplished this? How can they be sure the reader understands?
The truth is, they can’t. But there is a prerequisite that, if met, assures a better chance of the writer creating that connection. New England’s renowned poet, Robert Frost, defined it in his 1939 essay “The Figure a Poem Makes.” And he did it with just ten words: “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.”
The bottom line is this… If a writer aspires to connect with their readers at the deepest of levels, their writing must stem from a humble truth within them. Some might be tempted to cite the popular idiom, “Write what you know.” But I suspect most writers discover early on that restricting themselves in this way leads to disappointment.
I say... you must search beyond what you know… sort through your humble truths… especially the ones that lie hidden… and then… "Write what you feel."
