Due to the pandemic, many of us are wearing masks these days when we must go out in public. Others resist the idea of mandatory mask-wearing or are simply unable to cover their face due to conditions other than COVID-19 that make mask-wearing unpleasant or even dangerous.
But I’m not about to get political here or to criticize those who do or those who don’t.
I’m talking about a different type of mask—the kind that we put on to keep others at a distance. Not “social distancing” or physical distancing, but emotional distancing. To prevent people from actually knowing us, our fears, our weaknesses, our insecurities.
I saw this humorous face mask: Beneath a handlebar mustache were the words,
“If you can read this, I mustache you to step back.”
Many people could relate to this sentiment even before the pandemic. At times, we simply don’t want others to get too close. We are unwilling to be vulnerable, to reveal our true selves.
To write fiction—or nonfiction—that connects with readers, the mask must come off. It’s easier with fiction, since we can deal with our own issues through our characters, especially since no one needs to know they’re based on real life.
Someone once said,
“Writing is easy. You just open a vein and bleed.”*
It means if we remove our “masks,” we can deal with our own issues through our characters. In other words, as we “bleed on the page,” we face our own struggles, too.
For example, if you feel guilty, then find forgiveness writing a character’s journey out of her guilt.
Struggling with anger? Help your character learn how to manage his anger, and you may learn new ways to manage your own.
Facing a desperate situation? Write until your character overcomes those seemingly impossible obstacles and discovers hope. You may even find a little of that hope along the way.
So take off your mask and inspire your readers to live an authentic life.
