The Role of the Pen

You step out onto the stage, full costume, ready to take on the role of a new individual. Spotlights bright, music playing, audience applauds. You are ready to perform!

Now imagine that same feeling, but sitting at a desk, with no audience, and the only light is your desk lamp shining brightly onto the clean sheet of paper. There can still be music playing though. (highly recommended). Pen in hand, you are, once again, ready to perform. That’s what writing is. You take on the persona of someone with a purpose within their work, an objective needed to be achieved through just words on paper. 

I’ve seen many similarities between people’s writing and their performance on a stage, especially in the realm of personal review. People tend to judge themselves harshly, whether it be their appearance, singing, etc. People hate watching themselves on stage for various reasons (I know I do). Their tone, voice, perhaps even line delivery will bother them, and they struggle to see any positives, even the most talented of performers. Writers act the same way. They are constantly viewing and reviewing their work, looking to make it better. However, many writers struggle to see the positives of their writing. It’s easy to pull out the negatives and repair them, but giving yourself a pat on the back for their positive qualities too