Writers undertake a number of risks, among them whether they can find a publisher or literary agent and if they do get into print whether anyone will read their work. But I think writing at its most basic carries another risk: opening ourselves up to friends and strangers.
I remember shortly after publishing my first novel when a colleague came up to me and said, "I really didn't need to know that about you."
When I responded, "Hey, it's fiction, it's not about me, it's about the character," she walked away unconvinced.
Now that I think about it, she may be right. While we might not take on the personas and foibles of the characters we create, doesn't the fact that we can imagine their being reveal something about our innermost thoughts?
Opening ourselves to criticism, not just of writing style but also of the musings of mind and heart, is not something to be taken lightly. In fact, I consider that reality with every chapter I write. Upon completing each of my books, I truly miss the characters for a time because in my own way I have been with them and, indeed, they have become a part of me.
This may be a risk all of us take, but I also consider it more to be one of the greatest joys of writing.
