C.S.'s guest post: You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.

Kicking off my education month here on the blog, I have my personal, true blue, real-life friend (yes, I have some, to all of you people who believe homeschoolers are undersocialized) C.S., who is an avid reader and writer like me.  She has been either "free-form" homeschooled or homeschooled through the online K12 program for her entire educational "career".  She, however, does not have a blog or public Twitter account, so I was excited to host her blogosphere debut! =D Take it away, C.S.!

 "You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say." This was said by the late, great F. Scott Fitzgerald. (If you have not read the Great Gatsby, acquire a copy ASAP and read it!) I believe there is great truth in this statement. I have struggled many times with wanting to say something when I should be writing because I have something to say. When I struggle with writing I take myself back to this quote. “What does it mean? Why am I not doing it? What’s stopping me?” I find it truly does help. I am writing because I have something to say, not because I desperately want to say something. That is my goal when writing. There’s a big difference between WANTING to say something, and HAVING something to say. Blogs are great example. You know you’ve found a good blog when the person writing it is writing things that make you want to take time to read it, meaning they already have something to say. They’re not trying to find something to keep you interested; they already know what they want to say.

     This quote transitions into just about ever kind of writing there is. School essays, song writing, poems, blogs, novels, articles; any kind of writing you can think of. If you can write about things you have to say, like things you have opinions and ideas on, rather than try to write about things you want to say, it comes across as true, real writing. It comes from the heart and soul. I’m not saying that you can’t write about things you want to write about. If you want to write about a lovesick vampire, then that’s totally cool. If you want to write a poem about love, that’s great. But sometimes when you write about a something because you WANT to, rather than because it’s this idea you grew inside you, it usually doesn’t come across as well. Like you’re trying too hard, because usually that’s what it means. It’s like Shakespeare for example, he didn’t write poetry about love because he thought it would be popular, he wrote them because he felt love, and he had something to say about it. That is what I look for when I’m writing or when I read someone else’s writing, purpose and meaning.

Sometimes, at least for me, it’s especially hard to make sure I’m doing this because, as a teen writer, you want to prove yourself to the adults and even peers around you. Whether it’s your teacher, family, friends, an author, or someone else you look up to. I find it a struggle to make sure I’m writing not only because I have something to say, but also that I’m writing for the right people, to make sure that I’m not trying to prove myself because of my age, education, or anything else, because then it just comes from the wrong place. People are consistently surprised when I tell them I school online or that I’ve been homeschooled all my life. I think, in a way, being homeschooled has helped me be able to write without fear. In retrospect I think it allowed me to write without worrying who I was writing for, and that’s why it was without fear. I could write because I had something to say, not because it was required. I wasn’t afraid of sucking, because if it was bad, I’d just try again without worrying about failing.

If you can write without fear and, to paraphrase the words of the wonderful Maggie Stiefvater, be willing to suck. Then all you have to do is make sure "You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say."

 Thank you, C.S., and happy reading! =)

My month away, plus guest post schedule

So, my month away that I've been talking about only, um, like, for the WHOLE YEAR, starts tomorrow.  Huzzah!  It is a month of total Spanish immersion (so no books en ingles for this gringa) and no personal electronic thingies.  So I can bring my hairdryer, but no computers, iPods, cell phones, iPads, e-readers, etc.  You may think I'm crazy, but as this is my seventh year going (just writing gives me an "OH MY GOD I'M CRAZY" kind of shudder), I'm used to it by now.  This means, however, that my blog will be lonely while I'm gone, which is why I've recruited some lovely, lovely guest posters!  I was thrilled at the late notice participation!

The theme is education and how it shapes us creatively, and I got a ton of awesome spins on this from authors, bloggers, friends, and avid readers.  Thank you all!  And before the month begins, if you'd like my education story, read it here.  Here are the dates I plan to schedule my guests:

C., a friend of mine who's homeschooled through the K-12 online system, writes about her favorite F. Scott Fitzgerald quote that I'm sure speaks to all writers, "You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say." - June 22nd, 2010.  (I'll leave the 2010 off next time because it's kind of obvious.)

Emma of Booking Through 365, better known to me as SekritEmuSister on Twitter, also an "unschooler", shares her experiences - June 28th.

Jaclyn Dolamore, author of Magic Under Glass (links to Goodreads), JackieDolamore on Twitter and also to be found at www.jaclyndolamore.com, talks about her transition from unschooling to college and her eventual unconventional choice - July 4th. (Read it before you go watch fireworks!  Un cumpleaños muy feliz a Los Estados Unidos!)

Nita from The Back of the Bookshelf, under the super-awesome alias WePlayedPirates on Twitter, writes about her desire to study both classic and modern classic literature in school - July 10th.

Audry at Bite Me, writer and Twitterer (AudryT) extraordinaire (and an all-around rockin' kind of gal), shares her experiences moving from school to school as a "military brat" (her words!) - July 16th.

I also heard a rumor that the fabulous Najela of www.bravenewadventure.blogspot.com was writing a post on choosing a college major for you and only you.  I'd love to hear back from you, Najela!  =)  I'll hopefully publish it when I get back!

Anyone who didn't get to guest post that wanted to should still drop me a line.  I will definitely do this next year, whether I'm at camp or not, or perhaps even sooner than that.  I'd love to have a couple weeks or a month to focus on writing, or just to give my wrists another break.  I am not kind to them on a regular basis, unfortunately.

I'll miss my darling blog and its little sister Twitter ever so much while I'm away, but I'm sure my wrists will thank me.  I won't be entirely without reading material, either - author Lyn Miller-Lachmann (remember her guest post?) sent me an ARC of Pam Muñoz Ryan's The Dreamer in Spanish, where its title is El Soñador.  Thank you so much, Lyn!  Anyway, see you all in a month! =)