You Can't Hide The Heart On Your Page
Writing is a shockingly intimate thing.
Whenever I've gotten to know someone through writing, I've never been surprised at who they are. Say I Facebook friend them or start chatting in private messages--I seem to already know them. I'm not surprised by their opinions, their mannerisms, their positions on controversial topics. Conversely, if I already know someone, and I then read some of their writing, it often reveals facets to them that I've never seen before. I really think you show a lot of yourself in your writing.
This is particularly fascinating when you consider that characters are often quite different to the authors. The characters may be wildly different from each other, as well, with drastically varying views on a topic or theme. But there's still something in the author's voice that shines through. Maybe it's because each character generally has something of us inside them, even if it's only one tiny piece. Maybe it's the topics we choose to approach in the first place, or where the emphasis is in the story.
It's also an interestingly personal experience to connect with someone through writing. Even though the author may be a thousand miles away, or dead a hundred years, when you sit down with a book it's just you and them. Bestsellers can reach millions of readers, yet it still feels like the author is talking to you, and you're the one experiencing the adventures intimately with the characters. Then of course you can go and gush over it with all the other fans, but during the reading itself, it's so... personal. Quiet and close.
Food for thought.
Whenever I've gotten to know someone through writing, I've never been surprised at who they are. Say I Facebook friend them or start chatting in private messages--I seem to already know them. I'm not surprised by their opinions, their mannerisms, their positions on controversial topics. Conversely, if I already know someone, and I then read some of their writing, it often reveals facets to them that I've never seen before. I really think you show a lot of yourself in your writing.
This is particularly fascinating when you consider that characters are often quite different to the authors. The characters may be wildly different from each other, as well, with drastically varying views on a topic or theme. But there's still something in the author's voice that shines through. Maybe it's because each character generally has something of us inside them, even if it's only one tiny piece. Maybe it's the topics we choose to approach in the first place, or where the emphasis is in the story.
It's also an interestingly personal experience to connect with someone through writing. Even though the author may be a thousand miles away, or dead a hundred years, when you sit down with a book it's just you and them. Bestsellers can reach millions of readers, yet it still feels like the author is talking to you, and you're the one experiencing the adventures intimately with the characters. Then of course you can go and gush over it with all the other fans, but during the reading itself, it's so... personal. Quiet and close.
Food for thought.
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