The real obstacle of a writer

I believe this is not only the real obstacle for the writers, but also for artists in general. But let’s focus in this opportunity in the field of the writers.

I hear many times the phrase “writer block”. It is known as the period that the writer is not capable to produce anything new to his work. It is thought that is due to a low period of creativity or because there’s a problem with the structure of the writing object that cannot be solved. They say this is the greatest enemy of the writer. I disagree.

I firmly believe that the worst enemy of the writer is not that. What has paralyzed so many writers, and has left many of them, stuck on the road, without they finish not even their first book or even discontinue their blogs, is an enemy that has been discussed little.It is not the lack of ideas. It isn’t a problem of plot, investigation.

The real enemy and obstacle in the work of a writer is the fear what readers think of their work. Fear that they dislike what they have created. Shame that readers will make fun of them or feel pity. Fear that they are subject to gossip.

One time I met a Canadian man who had major in english, with the goal of becoming a writer. When he graduated, he didn’t feel able to write anything. He decided to travel a lot around the world with the goal of feeding himself of experiences so he could write them in a future. He really did travel a lot. In one of those trips I met him. However, several years had passed since he had graduated and he hadn’t even started to write a short story. He even recognized the problem: to write, being fiction or not, makes the personality of the writer goes public, something he was very uncomfortable with.

I agree. The fears, prejudices, experiences of the writer always are reflected in the text. However, I think that it’s possible to overcome that fear. I believe I have had that worry sometime, but now in this point, I’ve overcome it.The readers will be able to see his personality, so they will note mine in what I write. However, will they really care so much? Do we really care about the personality of singers, actors, painters? Do we think 24/7 of them? Do we stop watching a Tom Cruise movie because of the outrageous things he says on the interviews?

I read an interview that they did with Gabriel García Márquez, when he was already the most successful writer in America Latina, and one of the most successful in the world. He said that writing for him had become in a job little pleasant,it had become somewhat suffering, because he felt in his words a big responsibility.

I disagree with that statement. The readers have the responsibility with their lives, no author can force them to do anything. What responsibility did he feel? Are the people necessarily going to modify his beliefs because of what he writes? Is the world going to be a worse place if he writes a bad novel?

I have received very good criticism, from my friends, about my articles and my novel. I also have received not very encouraging criticism. I have received the advice of a family member that I should forget about writing. Maybe some of the readers of this article might agree with that. It is good to get critics from both points of view. It all depends how we take them. The only thing I hope is not to refrain myself in what I write. The writers less restrained are the ones who have been the most outstanding.

I don’t believe writing is a contest of popularity, where one is expected to please the biggest number of people. No matter how “bad” it is what one writes, there’s always going to be some group of people that will like it.

I think it’s much more important to receive critics, negative or positive ones, than to receive none. Even if they are making fun or they really hate our work, at least a reaction is being generated.

Meanwhile I will continue with this blog, producing material without expecting to win any award,and keep enjoying writing for any cybersurfer in the world.