There was a recent question asked on Twitter from my publisher, Austin Macauley:

What is the most daring thing you have done as a writer

@AustinMacauley – Twitter

My answer was to this was making the switch from primarily writing horror to writing children’s books. It was a bit of a gamble but I’m so very glad to have taken the risk. The question got me thinking though. The word ‘daring’ really stuck out. Is anything we do as writers that is daring? Well yes, of course there is. But there’s more to it than that. There is a lot of bravery involved in writing and I think that is something not many of us hear about enough.

The truth is, every time you put words down you are exposing a part of yourself. Showing a piece of your soul and inner being that you wouldn’t normally let the world see. But more important than that, there’s a good chance you are showing those parts to yourself. Most of the time you will do it without even realising. It might be until you start the editing stage that you start finding little messages to yourself. Something that your reader might not fully understand, but to you they reach deep inside.

What we write is more than just a tale. It is more than prose and characters. It is our inner selves screaming at us something that we may have been refusing to hear. Listening to what it has to say takes courage. Allowing yourself to understand even more so. That is the bravery of the writer. It is your voice, your passion and your courage.

Keep on writing you courageous word warriors.