Have you ever been in the middle of writing and thought No, I shouldn't write that. Your fingers hovered above the keyboard. It's risky, and so and so might not like it.We're annoyed at the idea of published books being pulled off the shelves. Would Speak exist without rape? Would The Hunger Games be as powerful without violence? Or would 13 Reasons Why be so gut-wrenching without teen suicide? I'm glad these authors wrote from their heart and nudged the censor out the door.
When I'm writing, sometimes my inner censor watches over my shoulder. She warns me that my idea is stupid, and she whispers in my ear, "Who do you think you're kidding?" At times, she might even say, "This subject shouldn't be brought up."
I try not to listen to the voices. I squelch my inner censor and write my first draft the way I want, knowing revisions will smooth things out. Plus, I remind myself that not everyone will like what I write. Just like I don't read vampire or Harry Potter books (*Gasp!* Please don't throw virtual tomatoes).
Do you struggle with silencing your inner censor? Or do you listen to the censor, hoping it'll steer you down the best path?
photo credit: flickr