This week’s guest writer is Damian Bloodstone- Damian is a simple man going to survive this life trying to find love, happiness and joy. The only thing making it worthwhile are good friends, his dog, and his writings. Dear Damian,

2/8/15

Dear Damian-

You sit there typing and dreaming of things all the time, creating worlds and characters that seem all too real. You never go out to meet others, except when needed. You shut yourself off in your imaginary universe to explore.

Damian, you need to live life. You have done your duty to family, friends and even strangers. Please, let go of the past, get rid of those things that haunt you. Push others aside for yourself.

Never once have you done something to know life. Unless you spread your wings now, age will creep up and hold you in place. You have run from uncomfortable things most of your life. Sheltered by home and parents who knew nothing of the wild dreams and desires you longed for. Don’t run from your dreams any longer. Take the risk that others do and let people know who you are.

You dream of exploring and finding out about new things. Dreaming of those things won’t make them come true. Only action and risk will. You took those risks once but never ventured near the summit. The way to that summit is through your writing.

Now you wish to hide in that shell again. Holding that new book in fear of what others might say when reading it. It isn’t yourself who you wrote about in those pages. You created those characters no matter how dark, shattered or strong. They clearly are not you. If they were, would you not be grateful for overcoming their trials and having their relationships? What was that motto you rattled off so often, “How can it be wrong if done out of love.”

Then you asked, “What if a publisher accepts it?”

You are frightened to be good enough for a publisher; terrified at the prospect that you will be under contract for more stories. The idea of having the pressure to write is daunting. You write and create every day, how are those things daunting? Your mind has set in motion the promise of a life of storytelling, but your ego is robbing you of it fearing you won’t ever be good enough. You must be, otherwise your first indie book wouldn’t have sold even the few copies it has. It wouldn’t have garnered the small section in the new writer’s blog. Where is the brave new writer that released a book with so little knowledge of the craft and a vivid story to tell?

From your writings, you have made cracks in your shell. If not for the writings, your shell would have never cracked at all. You must be bold enough to crack it further. Never be afraid of releasing the works you have written. You must for someone else might have these same fears, dreams and fantasies that you write about. Writing these stories so that others may live in your worlds, know these people and places with all the darkness and light you have created is a destiny that many dream of and few ever follow through. If you allow the talk of others, their codes, rules of writing and morality to stop you, it will smother out what little flame is left in your heart.

Be bold, Damian. You hold a universe in your head that is for the taking. The time has come for others to enjoy and cringe over this universe when reading your stories. Make them question and then show them what might be. Write and don’t be afraid to be published.

Sincerely,

Your Self Worth

Damian is the author of Am I Real- an erotica novel.  You can read more of his work at http://www.damianbloodstone.com/