One of the houses I grew up in was known for it's unusual closets. The house was actually the first one built in my hometown and was nearly a century old when my parents bought it. The front parlor and sitting room had been converted into two bedrooms with a two way closet between them. There was something unnerving about that closet and whenever I slept in one of the bedrooms, I always wondered what might be hiding in the closet just waiting to jump out at me. I thought there was definitely a skeleton or two in that closet and I wanted them to stay in there!
We writers have plenty of skeletons in our mental closets just dying to get out. Fear, uncertainty, and frustration, just to name a few. Those skeletons always seem to be lurking somewhere in the back of our minds, just waiting to consume us it we let them.
Sometimes readers look upon writers almost in awe and we don't want to let them down. Instead of dealing with those skeletons that weigh so heavily on our minds, we decide instead to shove them further back into that closet and hope no one ever discovers them there.
But soon they begin to multiply until we have no choice but to decide what are we going to do with all them bones? Do we let them continue to pile up until they have buried our creativity so deep that we may never find it again? Do we try to ignore the skeletons and simply hope they will one day do a vanishing act? Or do we take a deep breath and face those skeletons head on and vanquish those fears once and for all?
Writers have to realize we aren't alone with our doubts. Other writers have experienced the same fears we have, and sometimes it's best to reach out to those around us for comfort and inspiration. This writing community we are all a part of is a vast resource of knowledge and strength to help us weather any storm we may be dealing with, and the friends we make along the way can help clean out those closets for good.
Instead of living our lives trying to hide those skeletons, maybe we should just invite them to the party and let them celebrate that new freedom from fear with us?
