The truth is, if you want to write, like in any other great venture in life, you have to take some risks.

True, you aren’t high-wire walking over a 150 foot canyon. You aren’t riding your motorcycle in that metal sphere with two other bikers circling in the same tiny space. You aren’t letting someone throw knives at you.

But you have to take some risks, nevertheless, if you want to be read, if you want to be good.

Because writing asks you to not only climb outside of yourself and write about some things you may not know a lot about (and can get very wrong), but to also climb deep inside of yourself and write about some things you may know too much about- things which those in your life may wish you did not know about, or at least talk about.

And it’s those things very often that you need to talk about for your writing to take on strength and vividness and punch.

And it’s those things written down that may cause those closest to you confusion, or pain, or fear, or anger- because you are suddenly not quite what they thought you were. You are challenging. You are upsetting. You are exposing. You are betraying. You are different.

Now, you can write pages every day and collect reams of words, and not approach what we’re talking about here.

What we’re talking about here is not the ability to shape images and bend words.

What we’re talking about here is what you choose to write about.

Things that grow out of the core convictions of your heart.

Things that have a foundation in what you have learned ad what you have seen and what you have experienced and what you have decided about life.

Your perspectives.

Your positions.

Your persuasions about things popular or precious or private or political or plaintive in life.

What were talking about is writing about topics that are important to you that invite questions or challenge or criticism or consternation. Topics that demand that you fight some about them. Topics that may lead others to misunderstand you, but that drive you to understand yourself better. Topics that may not be publicly comfortable, but are personally awakening. Topics that help you to grow as a person, but may leave you stranded for a season.

If you will take the challenge to tackle these topics in your writing, you will discover in a short time, though, that for each one who looked at you in distress or disappointment about your heartfelt offerings, five more will replace them who understand you. Or who agree with you. Or who want to join you in that camp.

But the key is you have to put some of yourself into what it is you are writing- and be willing to face the judgment of others about what comes from the deepest parts of who you are.

Because if you take this risk and write on such things and put it out there and stand, in a short time, you will find that your and your words are suddenly stronger, and that you are more free to write from and about the things that really matter to you in life- not just about the things that are happening in your life.