I will speak the TRUTH in all my ways; I will Talk the Talk and walk the walk. I will be a lamp on a hill. We speak the truth in love-with a view to saving souls. We speak the truth to uplift and comfort the fainthearted. We speak the truth to restore those who have wandered from God and into sin. We speak the truth to instruct and exhort. We speak the truth to encourage and admonish. We speak the truth to correct and persuade. Always, always, we speak the truth to glorify God.
I get a lot of advice from writers and the leading one is “Watch what you say about certain topic.” Understandable but if I am going to be true to myself…I can’t do that. A couple of reasons why, the first being I am stubborn but really it’s that I find the fact that it’s being asked of us very offensive.I just don’t see anybody saying this to a guy writer to the extent that it is said to us women. I know yall can hear the rawr coming but seriously. What gives? Because I write books I can’t speak my mind? Because I want to sell said books I can’t have an opinion on politics, war and homosexuality? I am calling bullshit. I have a mind and just because a person reads my books (Okay I am claiming it for the future, just give me this?) does not mean they have the right to keep me silent. And if they don’t agree and for that reason the refuse to by my novel (a book that is made up) and has nothing to do with how, where, and when I stand? SO BE IT! It may hurt me in the long run but it would hurt my soul more in the end to be silenced for any reason. I can just see myself standing before God and Him asking, “What do you have to say about your life?” What do I want to say, “I saw something going in a way I felt was wrong and didn’t say anything. Wait- no chill God because I did reach number 156 on such and such best book list.” No I don’t think that would be a good feeling. I want to be able to say, “I spoke for those too afraid to speak; I lifted my voice for those who had no voice and God, I rocked it. I only sold 2 copies of my book but God, I spoke!” Yeah I like that better, thanks Mom for buying those 2 copies. I know it was her even in a hypothetical.
But what about the agents? I can hear some of you gasp. Yeah, the agents, they Google my name and there pops up my rant on gay marriage. *shrugs* I think they deserve the same right to express their love as everybody else. Big deal. If an agent wants to sign me, we need to fit. Us fitting also means they need to know me. I am a person with opinions, it’s not the 50’s women have minds and a mouth and it’s okay for me to use mine. Really it is, if they disagree. *cringe* I am sorry I can’t sign with you. I am sure I will be cussing myself out if no other break happens but do I really want to start my dream knowing it’s all on my crumpled beliefs?
I speak out against things I feel wrong, how else will the wheels of change get greased? I can see all of you shaking your head thinking, “Another aspiring writer self destructing.” Gawd I hope not…maybe? Crap maybe I am shooting myself in the foot but in the end all I can do is be me and hell, it’s my foot.
Keep Writing, Keep Reading, and Keep Speaking,
Casse
