As I wound down to the end of my Writing Down the Bones Course with Natalie Goldberg, I was struck by a couple things from the last couple videos. As writers, we always tend to weave little bits of ourselves into our work. In interviews and videos, we aren't always conscious of those things that we have already revealed.
My favorite video in Natalie's series was the one where she discussed her sexuality. Not because it was salacious or revealing, but because it was so raw. So honest. So vulnerable.
Writers tend to forget to be raw and vulnerable in their work. We don't always dig deep to put ourselves in the shoes of our protagonists and let their emotions flow. Without digging deep, our characters fall flat. Sometimes we forget that we--and our readers--are living through those characters vicariously. We need to make them more human.
This course was something unexpected for me. In doing the writing practice, I discovered more about myself. It literally did change my life. So much so, I ended up making the decision to move across the country closer to family. Not everyone is pleased by the decision but you sure find out who your real friends are!
Since finishing the course, I've been paring down. Getting rid of everything I can't mail to Alberta or fit in my car. In two months, I will be loading my car with my clothes and two cats and driving across Canada.
Crazy? Maybe! But we're going to have one amazing adventure!
To follow along, find me on social media! Find my links on: www.dianebator.ca