"Dreamers of the day." A meditation on writing.

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” 
– T E Lawrence


Last week I began a writing class in The Art of Nonfiction.  


When I signed up for this class, I have to admit I wasn't even sure what it even meant.  I can't say that I fully do even now. 


But, after the first class I realized how exciting it will be to write among other writers.  Bloggers, I think, have a very easy road of it -- just putting out whatever suits them in this invisible, solitary bubble where we write our blogs.   We are not held accountable.  If people don't relate to our writing, so what?   They don't read it.  Big deal.


But, this will be new.  This will be real people engaging in real writing.  And it's face to face and that is scary and pretty much precisely what I need right now.


Then, yesterday, I stumbled across the above quote by T E Lawrence which I thought related perfectly to one of my main questions about writing creative nonfiction.  


How do I write about my life honestly without hurting people?


Since much of  "nonfiction" translates to writing about real people, sometimes it's the act of telling the story of our "truth"that stops us from putting down the words.  How do we freely talk about those closest to us if it could possibly upset them?


I'm fairly sure it's a common dilemma which clearly takes a great deal of raw courage to overcome.  


To be a "dreamer of the day" in writing requires an awareness of what our words are saying and a commitment to choosing to use them, anyway.


It is only by honestly describing our world that any kind of creative forward momentum can occur.  However, avoiding the truth is precisely that which binds us to our inertia for so long.


"Dreamers of the day" require a nearly pathological kind of courage.  An unsentimental fearlessness for naming the truths of their life.


That's scary.  That's huge.


But, it's the only way to ever create anything that is universal or of value.











Comments

Peter Varvel said…
This is exactly why I am putting off writing about my father, because when I do so I want to write honestly, and even fairly, if that is possible.
I think I may have to wait until after he dies - there is too much potential for hurting him if I write honestly.
Remember the TV show, "Eight is Enough?" I remember reading an article by the writer/creator, who based the show on his own family. His kids would sneak into his office to read his scripts, and leave him notes such as "Please don't write that into the show."

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