Thanks to you, I am going to toy around a bit more with the word “ever” in the future–it seems way underrated! You’ve shown just what a well-targeted ever can do (slay messy children with sarcasm, for instance. Too bad my messy child is grown and out of the house now, just when I’ve learned how to throw my ever’s around.)

I did appreciate your post! Like all your other respondents, I take encouragement from your words in facing down the blank, bullying page. It *is* an awful big bully at times. My own difficulty lies in locking myself into sentences before I’ve let myself be “raw,” I think…

Thanks again!

I’m so glad you found that little bit of insight helpful, Gill! Yes, I admit it’s sometimes hard to get into the “zone” of where you can write with honesty, but it definitely makes what you have to say more interesting if you can. Also, I’ve found that the older you get, the more wear and tear you have on the fabric of your life, but it’s those flaws and imperfections that give depth to your voice. Those battle scars allow you to be genuine. That’s why you don’t want to shy away from them when you write!

Thanks for your comment, Missy. Over the years I’ve found that honesty in your writing speaks volumes to your readers. The trick is to be able to get to that place where you can be honest without being preachy or pretentious. I guess if it were easy everyone would be doing it, right? Practice makes perfect, which is why we just need to keep writing!

Thanks, Wendy! I agree that with the brevity the Internet promotes we sometimes lose sight of the art of the written word. Why just write phrases when you can express emotions?