The You Who Writes

Is essential to what gets written.

By Naomi Rose | Updated November 20, 2018

An excerpt from Starting Your Book: A Guide to Navigating the Blank Page by Attending to What's Inside You by Naomi Rose.

Many people think of writing as a product ~ the manuscript that gets completed and turned into a book in print ~ without stopping to think about the person out of whom this writing came.

But the you who writes is essential to what gets written. Without you, there is no writing ~ no experiencing, no searching, no sharing. You are not incidental to the writing of a book. You are ~ everything.

But which you? The you who has learned things over the years, with facts and information at the ready? The you who has perhaps suffered in the experience of writing earlier on, perhaps in school, when your sincere efforts were not understood by the teacher? The you who has learned to present yourself well, to make sure there's not one flaw in your writing, lest it be taken apart in critical ways? Who is the you who writes?

Writing from the deeper Self comes from the you who has not adjusted, or twisted, or otherwise adapted yourself to meet others' expectations. The you who has not defied expectations rebelliously, either. The you who, when you are fortunate enough to meet up with it, resonates clearly and truly. The you who, when you encounter it, tells you that you are home.

This is the Self that is calling you to write your book. To discover your own nature again, in the process of exploring your Great Work, whether it is fiction, nonfiction, or any other genre. The hallmark of finding the real You who writes is that when you meet up with it, you are (a) grateful, (b) enlarged, and (c) transformed.

So preparing to write is not only a matter of setting aside time and space in which to do it; not only a matter of listening and drawing forth. It also involves the willingness to set aside your small identities and allow the great, deep Self to open to you and create with you and through you.

I am not talking about "channeling," here, in its usual sense. I am talking about making room ~ through listening and other means ~ for the deep Self to express itself in you and through you and with you ~ in a way that cannot be done without you. You could call this co-creating with the Divine. And you'd be right.

Therefore, whatever spiritual practices, understanding, longings, and findings you have already in your life belong here. Bring them in. And if you don't already have these, just open to the willingness to let your deep Self nudge you into creating, in a way that you will find yourself grateful for.

Next: Slowing Down and Listening Inside, to Make Room to Receive What's There

More with Naomi Rose

Naomi Rose, Book Developer and Writing Coach, has successfully used her "Writing from the Deeper Self" approach to help people with an inner-directed focus write the books of their hearts. ...