*Read the Free Write Friday Introduction
Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.
-Mae Jemison, (astronaut)
There are many reasons writers will edit/censor their work, and I am guilty of doing the same…
For example:
Fear of being politically incorrect.
Personal issues that may be too clear and might expose something you’re unwilling to share.
Worry of what someone might think; touching on sensitive subjects or it just makes you uncomfortable.
And the worst mistake any writer can make… Trying to appeal to everyone; Playing it safe.
Are you guilty of censoring your pen for the sake of status, personal opinion and/or judgment? Are there times when you would love to just go crazy and spill the beans (or ink) on a topic that you know may offend and/or scare away your readers?
It’s easy to write about love, heartache, memories, nature, fairies …all the mushy wushy and ooey gooey things we love to write about. But what about those other things?
What are those taboo subjects that make you cringe when you, even for a split second, entertain the notion of writing about them?
Here are the Top Three:
Sex– (shhhh…that’s a bad word, right?) The sexual practice and god forbid it’s pleasure, should not be written about! Are you serious? I think the reason some people stay away from this is because poetry is extremely revealing and we don’t want to expose that part of ourselves to strangers.
War/Politics– Yes, we all have our own opinion when it comes to foreign affairs, war and/or the leaders who send us to war, but we don’t want to write about it.
Religion– There are more than 80,000 registered religions in the world, so chances are…we all can’t be right. Expressing your beliefs when it comes to (your) God(s) can be a scary thought for some. But writing and religion have something in common, confessing is the first step toward healing.
This weekend, I would like for you to choose one of these topics and pen out your thoughts. Be as open and honest as you possibly can. If what you are writing begins to make you uncomfortable…good. The point of this excersise is to free your mind, expand your voice and challenge yourself to explore new ideas within description. This is an opportunity to learn how to overcome the uncomfortable and teach yourself how to use your words to define those things in a new way so that next time you are faced with one of those “taboo” prompts, you can go forth and be…
O.k… I would like as much participation as I can get this time around, so I will be kind and offer up one alternative for those of you who want to take part but are just simply unable to find anything at all to put to paper when it comes to the above subjects.
You may write about fear; something that scares you. I’m not talking Freddy or Jason either. I want something that is personal, emotional, real, raw. That thing in life that absolutely chills you to the bone when it crosses your mind. It could be the thought of losing a child (which is mine, and I have written about it) or maybe a real phobia such as the fear of heights, snakes or even germs. Since I’ve given this option, please give me a quality piece. Something new, never shared. And although I have offered up this additional topic, I encourage you to seriously consider the first three before taking the easy way out. 🙂
Have an adventurous weekend!
Ready, set, write!
Complete this edition of FWF and snag this button!
Magic in the Backyard™
©Kellie Elmore
Magic in the Backyard 
This was a fabulous prompt! I’m glad to have stumbled upon you! 🙂
Nice to meet you….I am alaurilee 🙂
Thank you and I’m happy to have you here! ♥
I share a poem telling a story I was told by a man who carried a huge, torturous memory of a time that had traumatized him. A story of sexual abuse. I hope my sharing his story helps him heal.
Read the story of Little Boy Blue. Be aware. Educate your children. And if something awful like this happened to someone you love, get them help if they need it, talk it through with them, Don’t just tuck it away without helping the victim find healing.
http://alaurilee.blogspot.com/2010/02/little-boy-blue.html
Thanks so much for this amazing contribution! ♥
Don’t understand how MR Linky is closed already when we just finished the other prompt..
my poem
Melanie
I know 😦
Kellie, I think some minds often think alike….. I just found dversepoets Friday prompt today and so wish I would have seen it earlier. I spent Friday and Saturday reading old poems about sex and composing one of my own, which is something I rarely do (sex poems, I mean). It is a taboo subject and alienates so many people. I think it is as divisive as PC vs, Mac, or Pro-choice vs. Pro-life. It seems like anything we say on the subject will automatically cut our audience in half. And I think poets, like most artists in general, are fence sitters. Deep down we all have this innate feeling that the world belongs together, not apart. So I think we strive for that, best as we can. And so as a natural consequence, parts of ourselves become hidden, lost away in political correctness. In the last year I made a personal decision to be me regardless of anything else, to be true to my own self. Maybe it’s a midlife crisis, I’m not really sure. But I know that it is the most difficult thing I have ever done. In the last year I fell and then lost the greatest love I have ever known in my life. She is simply the most beautiful, most wonderfully talented woman I have ever known. And now she won’t even speak to me because of my decision to be completely transparent and let her see the real me. So where does one draw the line? I honestly don’t know. I’m still not drawing it. I think sex is the single most beautiful, sensual thing that God ever gave to us and hiding that would be like hiding a part of myself. And that would make me a hypocrite. I hope you will find a minute and I would be honored if you would visit my latest poem at http://johnallenrichter.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/fourteen/.
John
I agree, it truly does leave many in the fence…”to write or not to write; that is the question” especially true when it comes to the subject of sex. Same questioning theory when it comes to revealing who we truly are, being “real”with people is sometimes a double edged sword. They say don’t be fake, be yourself but then when you do, well…that becomes the problem. Or at least too much for them because of the idea of you they had in their head.
I’m so happy you adhered and offered up some feedback on the subject, thanks for that John. Enjoyed the conversation. 🙂
“Tell it like it is.”
That advice has paid off for Aaron Neville since 1967 along with, “Don’t be ashamed to let your conscience be your guide.” But for most of us it isn’t that easy.
Sex, religion and politics are known taboos, but I believe I’ve found another that’s just as intimate, personal and potentially polarizing: food. These days everyone seems to have strong opinions about dietary preferences, yet when I say I don’t eat meat I’ve been challenged explain why, muted by manners. Well, no more. In my post Eat S*** and Die I’m telling it like it is. Carnivores should prepare to be offended, and maybe even persuaded: http://www.fulldishclosure.com/?p=93
I agree. Food and disorders are most definetley some other topics that can be sensitive in nature when there are emotional issues involved.
Thank you for sharing.
HI Kellie, better late than never I would say! Here is my Taboo subject blog! I hope you like it. I really went all the way.
http://marilynsmind.wordpress.com/
Thank you, Marilyn ♥
Hi Kellie. I’m a new kid on your blog. Tried your challenge at:-
http://luciewestenra.blogspot.com/2011/10/fearless.html
Welcome!! ♥
Kellie, Just popped over because you subscribed to my blog (thanks!). I don’t know if this challenge is over yet, but it occurred to me that almost everything I write on my blog these days is fearless. Religion – or more specifically the Christian faith – is what I write about most. But I also write about my struggles with depression, which take a lot of fearlessness to write about. It looks like you have some interesting stuff going on here at your blog and I look forward to checking more of it out. Peace, Linda
Thank you, Linda…and my Free Writes have no expiration date so feel free to jump in at any time. I look forward to seeing you around! 🙂
I always look forward to Free Write Friday. Your inspiration always gets me writing. I have nominated you for the Versatile Bloggers Award: http://confessionsofalaundrygoddess.blogspot.com/2011/10/versatile-blogger-award.html
Well thank you very much, Susie!
Best foot forward, then?
Kellie, you are a bad influence on me, girl! lol – hope you enjoy – http://shewriting.blogspot.com/2011/10/intimate-stuff.html
Lol! 🙂
Rolled up my sleeves one more turn.
http://rainingiguanas.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-happened-open-letter.html
So glad you did 🙂 Left you a response.
Hi Kellie,
Thanks so much for the invite, I didn’t write anything specifically for FWF, but I thought I’d share this piece that II think is in line with what you’re looking for this week,
http://respectandacceptance.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/liberacism/
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share, for sharing your own beautiful work and for braving a difficult area xx
Magnificent piece. Left you a comment. 🙂
I took up the challenge to be fearless and this is my creation. Thank you Kellie for the prompt and the challenge to step outside my comfort zone.
http://susiessentences.blogspot.com/2011/09/challenge-to-write-fearlessly.html
I read your submission but I believe you have comments turned off, so I hope you get to read this here…
I’m so proud of you for taking a risk and stepping out of your comfort zone especially since you did it for FWF 🙂 It’s beautiful! Thank you! I will be sharing this via Twitter & my blogs FB page if you don’t mind.
Hugs!
I inadvertently turned comments off on the post…I corrected it.. Sure you can share it on twitter and FB…what is writing fearlessly if I hide it again…lol
Thank you for your kind words and all the inspiration you give all of us here!
Susie
Alright Kellie, I tried it out with the sex theme. I don’t usually write about it specifically. I write a lot of poems about my husband and love, but not sex. Hope you like this one – here is the link: http://terri0729.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/the-sweet-exchange/
♥ read & commented 🙂
This is a good edition, though I am not sure I will have the time to comply. What you are saying, though, could even eventually lead to world peace, seriously. I have been trying to cultivate this honesty with a full time effort for many years now.
About a year ago I wrote what was supposed to be a comic book that deals with the youth brigade in zimbabwe. the good guy in this piece leaves a trail of dead children behind him… I though I could get persecuted by friends and family… even made a mark of by the african terrorists. I only recently put what I had up on the net.
Still alive over here!
I’d love to read it! Even if privately. Persecution is frightening and more so now days, voicing ones beliefs should never be something to fear. Thank you for the response. Happy to hear you are well.
Hugs!
Well it is on my blog under ‘Chameleon International’. It is far from done of course. And long. Might be hard for someone who is so interested in the finer points of writing lol. Like I said, I had to translate it into literature from a comic book. It kind of deteriorates the farther along you get lol.
But hey feel free. I would love to know what you think of it.
Sure! Can you send me a link or post it here?
Ah yes, sorry I am not yet used to wordpress ettiquette, sorry. Still new around here!
I know you already saw this Kellie, but still nothing wrong with sharing it! Can’t wait to read the rest after work! =)
http://mikshorty.com/2011/09/30/fwf-whats-your-taboo/
Hopefully there will be more to read… Looks bleak right now. Lol! Did you get your quoto I emailed you?
Thanks for visiting my blog! Not sure how I participate in your Free-Write, other than doing it. But if you want a recent link, here’s one from this week that just poured out. http://mairmusic.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/september-26-2011/
Read the FWF introduction here:
https://magicinthebackyard.wordpress.com/free-write-friday/
Kellie, This is a great post and idea. Way to encourage people to venture out of their comfort zone! I’ve done primarily spiritual/religious poetry until recently joining some other sites and doing what they prompt us to. It has helped me tremendously. Peace and blessings, Terri
Thank you. I hope to see you join us sometime for FWF 🙂
Great post! Read, commented & tweeted! Thanks!
You are absolutely right !! This has always been a problem in Art. And without even talking about Political Censure, there is the social one and the personal one. In a very ideal world we could write without ANY BODY at all knowing it’s actually you writing.
And that would be total freedom of expression. But because you don’t want to hurt anybody, because you don’t want people to get offended or shocked by what you’re writing you’re actually censuring yourself, in order to keep everybody satisfied, except you maybe.
But in a way, it’s what we’re doing in life anyway. We never go too far because we are afraid of consequences.
…and consequences are sometimes terrifying, because we don’t know what they will be. Will we be stoned for our personal opinion or will it be read & accepted? Most likely it wouldn’t be the latter. Thanks for your feedback.
http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com/2011/09/taboo.html
Sorry! Forgot the link!
Thank you! Read & commented. 🙂
It’s not often one is encouraged to ‘hold forth’ but that’s what I’ve done. Thanks for the opportunity!