These are my feeling-rules for writing. All they are is a set of simple opinions, which are pinned to my cork board. Somehow, they help. Now and then, I edit them -- add things, take things out.
1. If it hurts you, try and write it.
2. If you can't write it, don't.
3. A thing that's never hurt you probably won't make for a powerful piece (be that humour, satire, noir... whatever).
4. Working in metaphor, (e.g. writing about suffering using the point-of-view of a werewolf,) will sometimes help you access pain more deeply, and can therefore be braver than "writing-it-real."
5. If it's hard to write about a hurtful thing, go away and do something else. Return to the work when you've gained distance, then re-read and re-assess.
6. Wit and irony are classic defense-mechanisms against depth-of-feeling. They're beautiful in themselves, but aim to never rely on them entirely -- the work can come across as fraudulent otherwise.
7. If you're writing about something frightening, do it in a place that feels safe.
8. If you're writing about something safe, ask yourself why you're writing it.
9. To write courageously, read courageously.
10. There will always be people who won't see the pain you put into a piece. As long as you acknowledge your struggle, this is okay.
So. What are yours?
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