A Perfect Imperfect Writer
It’s about the heart and soul not the grammar, punctuation, & spelling!
Before I get going I have a question for you to ponder. Why do you write?
While you’re thinking about that I’m going to tell you a story that has to do with this entire post.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away on a site called Medium I started a publication called Imperfect Writer of the World. Its mantra was “writing imperfectly is writing perfectly.”
The publication originally started on Google+, remember that place? I started it after numerous critics loved critiquing my writing. It when on for some time, but I never gave up writing.
It started me thinking though about how others who love to write like myself might be turned off from writing due to the critics out in the world. I myself as much s I consider myself thick skinned took the criticism to heart, but I fought back.
I started the publication Imperfect Writers on Google+. After about a month of writing, I started to acquire a bunch of writer longing to write to their hearts and souls’ content without the fear of editing.
No grammar worries. No spelling worries, and no punctuation worries. Just write from your heart and soul and get out on paper what’s on your mind. If there are critics, no worries either, we’ll support you no matter what, and we did.
Once Google+ shut its doors I went to Medium and did the same. In its heyday we had over 50 writers publishing on a daily or weekly basis with no editing from us in any way. If they wanted to edit their work that was fine. Some did by. using many of the writing apps out there, but more didn’t.
.Writers felt free to just sit and write, type, or however, they get their thoughts down. The thing was we gave them a place to write from their heart and souls and not be chemically induced by writing apps.
After. two years of running and policing the comments I decided to close it down much to the dismay of many writers. What they didn’t know at the time was policing the comments section was getting to me. There are some cruel people in this world and they let their feelings known on our site by taking shots at the writers.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing with our description that explained to readers of the site that if they have an issue with writers who throw grammar, punctuation, and spelling away, sometimes, this site wasn’t for them.
This was to help the faint-of-heart writers who were afraid to write a place to write and no they were supported in their efforts.
When I was in college in the ‘70s I took a creative writing course. One of the lecturers that year was the author Kurt Vonnegut. His lecture was one I’ll never forget and helped me in forming the publication for imperfect writers.
He asked the question of what gets in the way of your creativity when writing. There were some great answers which to be honest I can’t remember, but his answer to his own question I’ll never forget.
He stated very matter-of-factly that punctuation, grammar, and spelling killed his creativity most times. He said that’s what editors are for. They make me look great, but they often change my grammar to appease the readers.
I know that I write as I speak. I know that Grammarly and other apps take my grammar and make it theirs, but you’re not required to use their suggestions even if they are correct.
I host a podcast and. have since 2008. In all of that time, I have never had a script, bullet points, or any notes. Patti my wife gets a kick out of asking me what I’ll be talking about that day and I tell her the same thing each time, “I’ll know when I start talking. To this day my podcast on ADHD that plays three days a week is an adventure in being creative.
That philosophy is how I write. I write from the seat of my pants ana's when I do use Grammarly or other apps which I’ll admit are fantastic and make you look like a great writer which is what people want, but what do you want?
Do you want your idea to be on paper the way it’s in your mind? Do you want your exact words to be on that paper rather than some apps’ professional words? What do you really want? Why do you write?
Did you ever answer that question? I write because it’s what makes me feel good. I’m not here to be perfect, I’m here to be imperfect, but still, get my heart and soul out there for you to enjoy. The story is better than anything an app can produce. Enjoy!
If you’re feeling the same way and you feel we need a publication like that here, let me know and if there’s enough interest we’ll set it up.