lydiammm

I like writing to other people, but I'm not good at writing for an audience greater than one. When I try to appeal to more than one person's sense of humor or intellect or worldview, my creativity evaporates. So, I've decided the only way I will continue to be motivated to write creatively is to write letters to people. Today I read this article about Muriel Sparks, and she confirmed it for me. "You are writing to a friend," she said. "Write privately, not publicly, without fear or timidity, right to the end of the letter, as if it was never going to be published… Don't rehearse too much, the story will develop as you go along… Remember not to think of the reading public. It will put you off." So here I go, and part of the formula is relative anonymity, lest against my will I am drawn back into remembering that an audience greater than one is out there, judging, interpreting, furrowing their eyebrows at me, and encouraging me to stop letting go again. Of course, I love sharing with strangers...