A Motherly Rant

I am really flattered that so many of you want to read my efforts at writing. I thank you dearly for your belief and support and I would be truly honoured to have some of you read a version of it if, somewhere down the track, I come out with something that can be considered a complete draft.

But not yet.

I initially agreed to allow some people to read it, as is, but I have since changed my mind. Sorry. I’m just not ready to allow the flowerings of my brain to be subjected to the eyes of others yet!

I think the best analogy would be if you consider my book to be like a newborn baby. It is very precious to me and very fragile at the moment, and susceptible to all sorts of diseases, like disbelief and embarrassment. Should it be subjected to even mild criticism or disparagement, no matter how well intentioned, I would be so depressed and so utterly mortified that a product of my mind is less than perfect, that I would cease to continue caring for it, and it would very probably die. Mortification does have its roots in death after all.

But fear not. I will allow it to be subjected to proper correction and the guidance of others in time. One day it will be old enough to attend playgroup, then kindergarten and eventually it will go into the school system thence to be grilled by all manner of different people.

I won’t hold on to it nor protect it for ever, but while is it is still a very young book, I am going to be the best mother I can be; I am going to nurture it, encourage and feed it, protect it from the dangerous world and guard it with my life.

And at the moment, that means guarding it from the pitfalls of my own imagination and my minds capability for extra-sensory perception of the opinions of others and especially in the twisting thereof. By this, I mean that no matter how you tell me you like, or don’t like it, I am likely to read ‘FAILURE’ into every word. That’s just artistic temperament I think.

When it is a little older, can walk on it’s own, can face a reprimand without falling to pieces, and I am not so immensely attached to it, then I shall gladly seek out your assistance in guiding it further along the path to becoming a real individual, able to stand on its own and independent of my mothering tendencies.

So there you go.

I thank you for your interest, and am honoured by your requests, but if you would kindly hold off until the little darling is a little older, I would be very grateful.


A little after word: There is a great article on the WritersWrite site titled How to Parent Your Book: Six Rules for Writers by Tarn Wilson. I think it’s one of the most apt articles I’ve read and full of good advice on this subject. Advice I guess I now have to put into practice. Should be fun.