Friday Writing Essential- Underestimated and Overwhelming- April 17th, 2009

Today I’d like to do something a little different from providing a writing prompt; I'd like to provide some food for thought.

I saw a story on the news earlier this week that really made me stop and think about the assumptions we make about other people based on superficial information and how that potentially impacts both us and them.

Did anyone happen to see the story of Susan Boyle, a 47-year-old woman from Scotland who auditioned for the TV show “Britain’s Got Talent”? She sang, "I Dreamed a Dream," from the musical Les Miserables on the show last Saturday.

Susan suffered from learning difficulties as a child, which led to her being bullied at school. Never married, never even been kissed, she cared for her mother until her death last year. Her performance was the result of a promise she made to her mother to honor her memory by auditioning for the show.

For anyone who’s not one of the over 19 million people who have viewed her performance on YouTube over the last 5 days, here’s a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Why is her experience significant and what has it got to do with writing?

I think the importance of Susan’s story is that even though she seems to be very happy in her own skin, clearly the audience and even the judges made assumptions that they would not be hearing anything worthy of their time—based solely on her physical appearance and age.  She did not let that deter her from following her dream and believing in herself enough to face those people that would be her detractors.

As writers, we all face a similar challenge: to believe in ourselves, no matter what obstacles may be in our way.  To have faith in yourself is a necessary trait for any writer. We can continue to learn and hone our skills forever, but we must be like Susan and get out there and take that chance. It can be very daunting for some, but necessary if there is any possibility of success.

My challenge to you all, today and every day, is to start writing whatever you’ve been thinking about or wishing you could write; just do it. Don’t let fear or feelings of inadequacy stop you from writing that poem or story or essay; or maybe it's a play or a screenplay you have been mulling over in your mind. Whatever it is, let yourself dream a little and go for it—just like Susan. It’s never too late to become a writer or a better writer. If you're not sure how to get started on a particular type of writing, there are many good books on specific types of writing, loads of information on the Internet, writing classes, other writers, and I'd be happy to answer questions here as well.

When asked in an interview for her opinion of her performance, Susan replied that she thought she did well, but that she knows she can do better.

Spoken like a true winner.