The Confabulator Cafe

Tag: self-censoring

  • My Parents are Reading What??

    My mom is typically one of the first people I send my stories to for feedback. She received a draft of my novel even before I went back and did the first pass of editing. She’ll continue to receive each draft after I’ve finished editing them. But let me let you in on a little secret; most of what I write is geared toward young adults, and the things that aren’t are usually short vignettes that don’t have the page length to develop into something racy or never see the light of day. I’m not going to put anything into my young adult novel that I wouldn’t feel comfortable with my mom reading, because then it wouldn’t be appropriate for the intended audience.

    I think part of my decision to write young adult literature stems from the sheer terror of writing about adult topics and letting other people read what I’ve written. Sharing it with a few friends is one thing, but I’m not comfortable enough with some topics to share them with the whole world… especially not when that world contains my parents… and my grandparents. I freely admit to anyone who asks that my ultimate goal is to be a published author, which invariably leads them to question if I’ve written anything they might have read. I don’t think I could admit to a stranger that I wrote erotica without turning crimson, and I definitely don’t want to have that conversation with my parents. So I’ve fallen into the comfortable safety net of writing young adult literature. (more…)

  • Let the Peasants Have Their Pitchforks

    No one can write with another person looking over their shoulder, especially one that isn’t really there. If you constantly ask yourself what other people are going to think, your writing is going to be crap.

    Art is about letting go and not worrying about anything, even your own judgement. Conscience? Morality? Leave that baggage at the door. That isn’t to say that every passage should read like a Dear Abby column out of Soddom and Gomorrah, but if it heads there, for the love of salt pillars, don’t stop it.

    There will be plenty of people willing to censor you. Don’t do it to yourself. Not during that first draft. What if your mom reads it? So what if she does? Your boss? Let him. Your friends? They aren’t friends if they don’t.

    (more…)

  • What If My Mom Reads This? (Week Ending Sept 8)

    As writers, our imaginations often run wild. We can imagine everything from a chaste kiss to passionate lovemaking. We can envision acts of terrorism as easily as we dream up acts of heroism. The only thing that limits an imagination is one’s own restraint.

    Writers often walk the edge of what’s socially acceptable. Sometimes we delve into the shadows and make readers uncomfortable. And when we dance with the darker side, we run the risk of letting those we love see a part of ourselves we don’t like to admit we have — like graphic sex scenes or descriptions of unspeakable horror.

    This week, we’re asking the writers in the Cafe for their advice. How do writers separate what they write from what people think about the writer?

    Some write whatever they want without fear of reprisals. Others adopt pseudonyms and hide behind anonymity. And still others resort to self-censorship to keep their friends and family from freaking out.

    How about you? When you’re writing, do you censor yourself to keep your parents from dropping your name from the family will? Or do you write anything you want and let the chips fall where they may?

    Until next week,

    The Cafe Management