Writing from the Heart

I'm a heart writer. I love writing from the depths of my pain and joy to encourage others. For years I only journaled my thoughts. However over the past few years, I've written for publication from those deep places. Being vulnerable isn't easy. Many writers still won't go there. By choosing the safer route, they offer readers a nibble and leave them hungry and unsatisfied.

Here are a few tips to writing from the heart:

Tap into your highs and lows. By getting in touch with our emotions, we write more authentically and with passion.

Be courageous. We all experience fear. What we do with that anxiety is what makes the difference. When you're scared, try moving forward anyway. You can always hit "delete" later.

Focus on the readers' needs more than your own. Put yourself in the reader's position, what would you want to know? Don't hold back. Give the reader all of you. They want the raw deal. Aren't those type of books your favorite? They are mine.

Stop worrying about what people might think. In life, people will judge us. When I wrote about my abortion experience, I panicked about being exposed. But I had to keep telling myself I wrote my story to comfort others who suffer silently. This battle never goes away for me.

Please understand not all writers are called to write about the depths of the heart. You might be a business writer or a journalist. Still you can pour your heart into the craft and each piece. But if you choose to write from your heart, run with it. Pour your soul into your work. Don't look back or take a detour. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Beth, Scoti, and I are cheering you on. Hopefully we offer you a drink of refreshment here--along your writing road.

You can do it!

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