reader. writer.

I’ve taken to heart the advice for writers to post online in ways that interest them, rather than out of the sense that an online presence is required. Out of the various options to share one’s writing online, blogging still appeals the most to me, as long as I approach it as optional. As I’ve dug deeper into my fiction writing, I’ve begun viewing online venues as fairly distracting noise, or worse, a nod to Calvinism because it can make one feel somehow productive. Despite those somewhat mixed feelings, I set a goal to blog more often this month. Why is this important to me right now, I asked myself this week.

Here’s my answer, for now. I am almost ready to publish some of my fiction, a daunting prospect. Posting my words online like this is a way to get acclimated to sharing my work publicly. Reactions to my posts may vary, which seems reasonable. No matter how anyone reacts, it won’t mean that everything I write is good or bad. This experience is what it means to move through the world as a writer—you win some and you lose some. And that is what I hope to practice, accepting it as neither more nor less than that.

Posting my words online can be helpful in other ways. These posts let me sort out my thoughts and sometimes play with language and ideas. What I write in my novels often feels so different from what I post online, yet sometimes I observe connections, the ideas that percolate underneath some of the worlds I build or the conflicts that speak to me. So, for now, I will keep posting to see what else I discover.