Write Unfiltered By Nicole Plumridge
Let’s welcome back Nicole Plumridge as she shares with us “Write Unfiltered.” Enjoy!
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Analysis Paralysis
Many of us are familiar with the phrase ‘analysis leads to paralysis’.
Overthinking, second-guessing, doubting — all of this leads to one thing: nothing!
We become so overwhelmed by choices, decisions, ideas, that it feels easier to remain as we are than to potentially make the wrong move.
Most writers have experienced some form of writer’s block in their creative lives, when the words simply won’t flow.
Sometimes a block can be dissolved by immersing yourself in inspiring environments or going on a week-long writing retreat.
It may be necessary to drastically switch up your routine or even the people you spend time with.
However, sometimes we overcomplicate things.
Sometimes, alleviating a creative block is simply about getting out of your own way.
Unfiltered Writing: A Way Back to the Authentic Self
Without even realizing it, many of us present a filtered image of ourselves to the world, from our highlight reel on Instagram to a bunny-eared filter on Snapchat.
We wear a mask in the world so often that we ourselves forget what lies beneath.
It is the same with our writing.
We write with the audience in mind.
The editor.
The agent.
The book publisher.
There are so many voices in our heads clamoring for attention; we forget the most important voice of all — our own.
Writing — as with all forms of creativity — is a way back to the authentic self.
We must first discover who this is for ourselves before thinking about everyone else on the other side of the page.
Authenticity is what the world craves, and yet, we crouch behind words that won’t provoke an outcry or backlash.
We play it safe.
We write it safe.
We filter our words, allowing only the acceptable phrases through.
The raw, the wild, the volatile — these get tossed in the trashcan of our minds, ready to be recycled into a shinier, more polished version.
A version we think is more palatable for the world.
But it was never the writer’s job to be palatable.
The Undercurrent of Systemic Conditioning
From educational systems to societal restrictions to familial expectations, we are conditioned early on to believe that there is a ‘right’ way to do things and a ‘wrong’ way.
There is a correct structure to abide by when writing an essay.
A poem must be crafted following a specific format.
If your novel does not slot perfectly into an easily identifiable genre, it’s definitely a lost cause.
In the end, we are left with good grades, essays that emulate the classics, praise from instructors, but are no closer to understanding our own unique voice.
Having space on the page to fumble with words, experiment with nonsense poetry, or simply make mistakes has rarely been rewarded.
As a result, we fall into the habit of judging ourselves before the world gets the chance to.
We edit our voice, tone down our language, switch out entire plotlines and character arcs, all to save ourselves from potential embarrassment or rejection down the line.
We feel as if we’re doing the story justice, giving it the chance to be chosen in a competition or selected in a magazine, but we’re actually doing ourselves a disservice.
Not only are we blocking our unique creative voice, our signature style, but we are telling ourselves quietly that our voice is not good enough.
We stifle it.
Shove it down.
All the while, elevating a language, style, rhythm, or genre that is not quite our own in the hopes that it will be met with validation and approval.
Parameters: Helpful or Harmful?
Now, I am not advocating for total creative anarchy.
Syntax, punctuation, and grammar, iambic pentameter — these literary rules and devices provide helpful parameters within which to create.
They can give structure and form to our work.
Placing our creativity within a framework can make the process less intimidating, thus stimulating creativity.
However, while these forms may help birth beautiful work into the world, they may simultaneously restrict and squeeze all life force out of the unruly embryonic expression before it even takes form.
If you have a poem in your soul, is it any less a poem because it’s not a sonnet or a limerick?
If it does not rhyme but melts in the mouth as you speak it, is it any less evocative and heartfelt?
It is not about abandoning craft, technique, and writing rules.
Instead, it is about finding ways to ensure that these serve the authentic voice that is emerging, rather than silence it.
As the author and creator, it is up to you to find that unique balance between your honest creative voice and the rules that can make it sparkle rather than dull it down.
The Age of Authenticity vs. AI
We are in an age of simultaneous creative liberation as well as destruction.
Artists have their own platforms now.
The internet has created an avenue to bypass gatekeepers in the literary world.
Self-publishing is a viable option, and for all the ills social media may bring, it is also a place where creatives can showcase their work, unfiltered, unedited by anyone but themselves.
With direct visibility being an actual option for the modern-day creative, all it takes is a big swig of bravery to put your work out there.
What you create does not need to be tailored to fit certain requirements at the expense of losing your originality.
While we are being creatively liberated with more choices at our fingertips than ever before, in the age of AI, genuine soul-based creativity is at risk of being compromised.
Nowadays, AI can produce a perfect rhyming poem with just the right number of stanzas and verses.
In just a few clicks and prompts, it can generate your school essay.
A few more suggestions, perhaps a full-blown dissertation will magically appear on your screen.
However, what AI cannot emulate is your felt experience.
Your memories, quirks, experiences, and the lens through which you perceive the world cannot be generated through a couple of clicks and prompts.
Your voice — your signature in this world — can only be crafted, assimilated, and placed in the chrysalis of creation by you and you alone.
Concluding Thoughts
While I advocate for creativity to be unbridled, wild, and raw, this is not a critique against critiquing.
Feedback, insight, and professional suggestions can elevate a piece of writing from good to great.
Incorporating others’ opinions into our work is necessary for us to grow and develop as a writer.
However, at its heart, writing needs to come from somewhere deep within you — a place which is ultimately inaccessible to anyone but you.
It is especially necessary in the early stages of a writing project to give yourself permission to write messy and unfiltered.
Let it be you first, before you intentionally tweak it to fit a particular agent’s interests or judge’s preferences.
When starting out on a project, it is the writer’s job to protect the authentic voice that is emerging, rather than let it be instantly tainted by the perceived opinions of others.
Discerning what works for you and your process and what doesn’t is also an integral part of the creative life.
If certain rules help scaffold and support your writing, then incorporate them.
However, if they are inhibiting your expression, leaving you stuck and uninspired, cast them aside and search within.
So, try it out.
Give yourself permission to pick up a pen and write unfiltered.
Don’t polish it.
Don’t force it into a mold.
Just write.
You may be surprised by the words that come through.
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About The Author
Nicole Plumridge is the author of three books, including an Amazon bestselling debut novel.
Her work has appeared in The Poetryhood and Half-Light Magazine.
She is also a coach and writing mentor who supports creatives in building creative practices, finding their unique voice, and reconnecting with their inner magic.
Connect with Nicole and book a discovery call if your creativity is calling you.
Website: https://nicoleplumridgecoaching.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authornicoleplumridge/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-plumridge-39512368
Novels by Nicole:
Healing House: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X64LRL3/ref=rdr_ext_tmb
Erosabel: https://rb.gy/ypoyrf
The Ghost You Left Behind: https://rb.gy/72lt0o
