Do Our Words Bleed?
For such a long time I’ve talked about authenticity. Now the word is becoming more and more like jargon.
And every time I hear it, or discuss it on Twitter with others, I’m feeling an accusing finger pointing my way. That nagging sense many don’t think I’m authentic.
And in my own mind, my greatest fear is fast becoming I’m simply not being authentic enough. Not living or writing with enough integrity or honesty. Still holding back from the real truth.
I’ve seen three blog posts, by Sarah Bessey, Brian Gardner and Katharine Welby-Roberts, and a quote by Rob Bell (in the picture above) which have all, one way or another, been drawing my attention to this.
I see so many writers worrying about brand, image, marketing, stats, money – and it’s not even that these things are bad in themselves. But somehow they’ve become the point. They’ve become the reason people write. I see tweets saying “Need 10,000 subscribers/followers? Read This!” or “How To Get 100,ooo People To Read Your Blog”, and I sigh in despair.
In his post Brian quoted Ernest Hemingway, a quote which rammed this message home:
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” – Ernest Hemingway
We don’t need followers. We don’t need subscribers. We don’t need fame, status or money.
We need to bleed.
Fake Authenticity
I don’t want to write material which is a lie. I don’t want to be a person or writer who fakes integrity or uses authenticity as his ‘platform’. Because when you do that, you immediately lose all integrity.
Katharine Welby-Roberts says we often confuse authenticity with vulnerability – and I agree. But authenticity does require a degree of vulnerability. To have integrity means there is a degree to which you’re vulnerable.
However, I’m not going to bare every single fact about myself in my work. As I’ve said before, being authentic doesn’t mean exposing ourselves, and sharing every intimate detail.
No, being authentic is being honest. Being real. Telling the truth, being vulnerable as far as it’s appropriate or safe to be, and acting with integrity – not just when people can see, but when no one is looking.
As a writer, it means reaching inside yourself and pouring out words until you bleed. Sometimes, it’s pulling out your heart and bearing it on the page. It can mean deleting and rewriting until the truth comes out.
This is a battle. It’s not a destination we reach, because as soon as you think you’ve reached it, you’re liable to screw up again. It’s a constant wrestling with ourselves to be the most honest we can, and to always live, speak and work with integrity.
It’s a battle for your soul.
I feel this even now, writing this post. The finger pointing at me, waiting to show me how I’m slipping into fake mode (I’d say another word, but I’m trying to be polite). I don’t want to be fake, to be a liar, to act without integrity, towards anyone – and this includes towards you, the people who read my work.
I don’t have all the answers. I never will. All I have is my story, my experiences, my knowledge, and insight. And of course, my words to share them.
My hope is always these will somehow be encouraging, challenging and inspiring to others – that’s why I have a public blog. But ultimately, I just want to be honest, true, and yes, that word again, authentic.
I owe it to all the people I encounter – whether that’s face to face, on social media or through my writing.
We all do.
In a world full of image, branding, and lies, we need to be better. We need to be people of integrity, honesty and truth. We need to live in such a way that others can see it in us, smell it on us, and which reflects back onto others.
It needs to flow through us like blood, and out of us like sweat.
The world needs integrity and authenticity more than ever.
I’m desperate for more of this in myself. I know I’ll always be wrestling with this issue. I won’t always get it right.
But I hope you’ll join me in the wrestling.
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(Images: James Prescott / Online Source)
I am with you James. I am on my own journey to find my “authentic” self…yes I cringed as I said the word in my mind…because you are right the word authentic just sounds like hokey hogwash anymore…kind of like ‘thinking outside the box’ or ‘legacy’ has turned into frou frou things executives do on ‘retreat’. BUT none the less I am reading and working my way through the 12 week course in the book ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron. I’m on week one and yes my attitudes have already begun to shift. I do feel more bona fide as a writer. I hope that you find your genuine self as well. 🙂
Thanks for this great comment Lisa – such wisdom here, thanks for sharing a little of your story. I’ve done ‘The Artists Way’ and found it amazing, so helpful, I’m sure you’ll benefit a lot from it. And finally, thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot.
I just looked up the word authentic and got the following synonyms: True, reliable, dependable, faithful, trustworthy, accurate, genuine, realistic. My true self sneaks into my fiction writing all the time. Faithful friends say they see me or my family in different characters. (Let’s hope it’s not the villains.)
I don’t necessarily try to do this, but I use gestures, places, faces, and personalities in the characters I write to make them seem genuine and realistic. Is there a motive behind what a character does? I make sure their agenda is clear to the reader.
I have beliefs but I don’t preach about them openly, I allow my story play out and share what I believe is truthful and important. Whatever word you call it, if you’re honest with yourself, the scene, and characters, you are authentic. Trust me, I’d rather be rich and famous, but I won’t stop writing because I’m not. That’s genuine. Writing is a compulsion for me so that’s what I do. I’m just realistic. Hopefully people enjoy reading what I put on the page.
Did I use all the synonyms yet? Sometimes looking at different meanings for the word helps you focus on the accurate idea you want to bring forward.
Really interesting comment Diane – thanks so much for this. I think all writing reveals something of who we are, both good and bad. I think it’s so important to be honest in what we actually say, be true to ourselves, not hide, have integrity, and in fiction as well, be true to the characters we’re writing, and the story we have. Great comment, wise words.
Thanks James, it’s a great post and I agree. i don’t have any problem with authenticity for I’m a beginner in writing, just finished my first novel, not published yet. No great audience, no idea about what web marketing is… Just a few followers on my facebook. Some good friends and a vision. I don’t know anything about the universe of authors and publishing and I’m a bit scared but I trust that God wil lead me and help me, give me wisdom and humility to face the future with faith and determination. See u soon.
http://www.alliance-ruthetnoemie.org
Thanks for this comment Annie, appreciate. So glad the post was helpful, and wish you well on your writing journey. Just keep going, you won’t regret it.
Buzzword or not, authentic can’t go out of style. It is refreshing to read here today that it isn’t about about all the hype we see…numbers and followers. As a fellow writer, I know how discouraging that can be. We do, as you say, just need to keep being authentic. Well put James
Thanks for this comment Christa, so encouraging & supportive – thank you.
Honesty and integrity go hand in hand. You just have to write what is from the heart and if people don’t think you’re authentic, I think you need to let them go and stop worrying all the time about how they view you. We can only be who we are and you are being authentic to the world in your manners, actions and words. If people don’t buy it, well, their loss.
Good point Elyse – a challenging comment, and what I needed to hear. Thanks for this, I needed it.
Excellent post, James. Keep being true, no matter how scary it is. Because lies, fakery and pretense all start as defense mechanisms.
Thank you for the encouragement Scott – I totally agree that lies, fakery and pretence can all start as defence mechanisms. Great comment.
Authenticity can be a buzzword, but I think that’s only a problem if we “demand” authenticity from others. How can any of us judge what is or is not authentic for other writers? I also think it’s okay for each of us to be discerning in what we do and do not share. While I always strive to be myself in my writing, I also choose to keep some things private. All writers will have different lines for what to reveal.
None of us have all the answers, but we do all have our own stories to tell. As long as we each keep doing that, the world will be a better place for our honesty.
Great comment Brita, and totally agree. I would say sometimes we can be blind ourselves losing authenticity – it took good friends to point it out to me a while back. However, having said that, at the time. I still had that sense something was wrong with my writing, so there’s probably truth that we know, somehow deep down, that we’re not being authentic, even if we can’t diagnose it fully.
Good job, James. Writing without tapping into your feelings is a sure way to fail.
Absolutely Charles – thanks for the encouragement.
Love it I agree with you, the authenticity I speak about is what many people avoid…For instance, the dysfunctions we call love….the masks we wear to impress others. ..I love this post…let ur post bleed!!!
Thanks for this kind comment Sacha – so glad the post resonated with you. Thanks again.
As a newbie writer and a professional counselor who has a wonderful story of her own, I am encouraged by your statement “but authenticity does require a degree of vulnerabillity.” Finding this balance while encouraging others in this world is my goal in writing. Finding a voice without full exposure is going to be difficult. Still, a worthwhile goal. Thank you for your thoughts.
You’re welcome Kate (sorry for the late reply!), so glad this was helpful to you. Hope you manage to find your true, authentic voice.
Being authentic is being true to oneself. Therein is the problem. Some can’t face the truth. Mirrors? Call in the smoke.
Absolutely Bob – wise as ever, thanks.
I agree. I work – and it’s hard work – to stay true to the story. As a result, my stories don’t follow formulas which have been proven to sell. I suppose I could write a book about an incredibly handsome, former Navy SEAL or commando who leaves the forces and becomes a taciturn killing machine for hire, because that sells. But that’s not the true story.
That being said, I wouldn’t mind a larger audience.
I think most of us would like a larger audience and I agree staying to the truth of our story is tough. I think both of us would rather be writing our most honest work, that making a bunch of money though.
Authors need to “walk in the shoes” of their characters to create a real person. We may not always agree with their objectives or choices but we need to be able to express them. When we understand their backstory we can fill in the gaps needed to make them a whole character. I don’t particularly like the work “authentic” because it sounds constructed. Show, don’t tell.
I agree, James. It’s easy to obsess about the latest craze. The problem with all of those ideas is that they distract us from the essential element of being a writer. What writers have to do is write — put their own thoughts and feelings into words for other people to read.