Removing the Mask: Bearing Everything with a Stroke of the Pen

Though I have yet to be published to this point, unless you count this running dialog I’ve started with you, I think of myself as a writer. I’ve always thought of myself as a writer. Anytime I felt the need to express myself, to let something out that was eating away at me inside, I took to the pen. That hasn’t been the case for my entire life; many events could have been prevented if I had leaned on the written word as I do today. Although I do consider myself a decent writer, and some of those who have read my work have ventured to call me great, I’ve recently come to realize I’ve been doing something wrong. I’ve been making a mistake we all make, but only the greats take the time to fix it.

As many of you who read my content regularly may know, Stephen King has always been one of my favorite writers and has had the most influence on my writing style. My admiration for Mr. King’s work has also hindered my progress as a writer slightly, not by any fault of his. My respect for him impacted my work negatively until now because I was comparing my work to his, and as great as he is, it was a mistake to put that much pressure on myself at the start of my career. Though I have stopped comparing my work to his, my process remains similar to that of Mr. King, and that is more out of admiration than anything else, though I do find there are parts of the process that work well for me. Recently, however, I have stumbled across a piece of advice from a writer whose books I have yet to read but certainly will now.

Neil Gaiman is what I would consider from my research to be a prolific British fantasy author. I have not read any of his work to this point, but I believe I will in the near future, as he has given me the best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten in my career. I recently watched a video that was part of a Masterclass that Neil was a part of, and in it, he made some comments that really stuck with me, especially given my somewhat unique situation. Listening to Neil speak made me realize that even with the gradual opening up I’ve done writing for you, I still find myself hiding some things I shouldn’t be hiding if I want to make a real career out of my passion. Starting with this post, in this new year, I will do my best to show my loyal readers and new ones alike the real man behind the Undefined Writer blog and what it really means.

I have hinted at my lifelong battle with Cerebral Palsy and its impact on my everyday life despite the relative mildness of my case. What I haven’t done is remove the mask that I’ve forced myself to wear for all these years. Even as I gradually reveal things to you, fine folks, I still find myself leaving things out, leaving some of my most loyal readers wondering what I’m trying to accomplish. This will probably be one of my longer posts, so bear with me; I appreciate those who do more than you know.

I started Undefinedwriter.com as a way to put my writing out there, to show people what I have inside and my chosen outlet for it. I began this endeavor with little to no intention of making money. Still, with the unexpected outpouring of support I’ve garnered from the friends and family with whom I have shared this, I feel more confident in my ability to eventually make this my career.

You will have noticed links at the bottom of many of my article pages that, if clicked on, will take you to Amazon. In the interest of being transparent, I will let you know that I put those there to put some money in my pocket. But I have done it to help pave the way to making this my full-time work. Writing is my passion, and I feel I have stories to tell that may inspire people. While I do receive a small commission for anything purchased after clicking the links (even if it isn’t in the department to which I have linked), I am only doing that to give myself the ability to invest more time and effort into what has become a labor of love for the last few months. I will close this by once again saying thank you to my loyal supporters and encourage you to reach out to me either via my site or any other means you see fit and let me know what you would like to see me cover or any issues you’d like me to weigh in on. Reaching people is why I do this, and if I can provide inspiration or guidance in any way, I will have accomplished the goal I set when I put this blog up. Thank you again for your support, especially those who read to the end. I appreciate you more than you know.