A Writer's Notebook, Day One-Thousand-Three-Hundred-And-Fifty-Three

I have reached a point in working on my non-fiction piece tonight where I am having a bit of difficulty.  I am attempting to write about ideas that are a bit thorny and complicated, and I know that some of what I have to say could be misconstrued if I am not careful.  This has to do with the combining of certain marginalized identities in a way that is complicated and messy, and I don't want anyone to be offended.  I think the key will be writing a bunch on the subject and getting to a point where I feel more comfortable expressing these ideas.  I also believe that my difficulties have a deeper aspect, though I can't explain it fully.  In part, I think this is a part of the essay that I feel is central and important, and it is also something that I feel strongly about.  I have been a bit blocked around this subject, and I think that has been true for a number of different topics and ideas in my writing.  I am able to put them on paper at times, but not as directly, and I think that is a good skill as a writer, in some cases.  Having the ability to take the specifics of certain experiences out enables me to craft work that I think can strive towards some more universal representations.  All that having been said, I also recognize that it is powerful and important to be able to be specific sd well, and I think that value can also be more personal and more about the development that occurs through growth and self-understanding.  If one can capture that process as it unfolds by writing through it, that is valuable work, of course, but the greater dimensions involved in such a process are profound and not only about the work itself.  I am committed to writing each day, and I have convinced myself that this commitment is solid, and that it is worthwhile.  I recognize that having the awareness that I am going to keep working is propelling me towards that work in a way that I know is significant.  I am excited to discover what comes when I begin tomorrow's work.

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