Exposing Myself

In my last post, I mentioned my coffee mug that says “I’m a Writer... Everything You Say or Do May End Up in My Novel” (okay – it doesn’t SAY it – the message is printed on the mug.) I hold it left-handed because if I hold it in my right-hand, the message is directed toward me, and I don’t want to be threatened with that kind of exposure.
According to all the Writer self-help books, this is really what I’m supposed to be doing if I want to be successful. Mind you, these self-help books aren’t there to help me solve the problems that way be writhing around under the surface of my gray matter. The idea is pretty much “hey, that psychological make-up is already established in there – let’s see if we can take advantage of it.”
We are all flawed in some way, and like an emerald, those flaws are what make us stand out, how we sparkle in our own unique way – what gives us value.
I have to write something that connects with others, and to find those deep connections, I have to write about something that FEELS real to me, and that I have a DEEP PASSION about.
This isn’t just in writing – it really applies to more of ALL of our lives and jobs than you might think. Your best road to success and distinction is to bring ALL OF YOURSELF to what you do. Don’t leave your PASSIONS at the door.
 On “The Voice” and “American Idol”, the coaches / judges advise the people on stage to put their hearts into it, to connect with something in the song, and pull that connection out of their own experience. When a girl of sixteen can make you FEEL the emotions of the story of a man of fifty, she may not have done the things she’s singing about, but there’s something inside her that connects to it, and she brings that out in front of everyone.
When it comes down to it as a writer, I am constantly exposing my most private life, my thoughts, opinions, what’s sitting in that dark room inside my skull, and dragging the good and the bad out into the open for all to see (or at least all that are paying attention.)
“Oh, come on, Bill!” you say (go ahead – try it; OUT LOUD.) “I don’t think you’ve time-travelled and fathered yourself. Or tortured an intergalactic food critic. Or nearly been drowned by a ghost. Or committed murder under the influence of an AugMentor ™.”
Read up. How else would you know?
Just saying….

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William Mangieri’s writing, including his most recent story “Reconcilable Differences”, can be found in many places, including:

·         His Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008O8CBDY

·         Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/william-mangieri?store=book&keyword=william+mangieri

·         Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/NoTimeToThink

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