It’s Time To Share

Photo by DAVIDCOHEN on Unsplash

Hi guys. Pitch’s here with yet another blog from Lit It. This is the space where we share our experiences and thoughts on all things writing. If you want to say something to what I say here, feel free to comment.

And with that said, let’s get to business.

Why Can’t We Go For It?

From what I’ve heard, every human being is capable of coming up with a story. Think about it. We all have it in our head—a story that involves someone doing something that causes something else to happen somewhere. However, not all of us are willing to tell our story to others. Why’s that? Well. Besides the story, there’s something else residing within us. It prevents many of us from sharing our work. It’s called Fear.

Suddenly

In elementary school, I remember being that guy who loved raising his hand answering the teacher’s questions. I did it in every class. And when I nailed the answer, the admiring eyes from my classmates always lifted me up to the cloud.

Somewhere along the line, however, that enthusiasm to raise my hand faded from me. I can’t say exactly when or how it happened. But once I knew it, I became a guy who rarely did anything attracting attention. I believe many of you can relate to that. It didn’t bother me that much back then since everyone seemed to hate the idea of answering the teacher’s questions. So, I thought it was fine.

When You Think About It

It was much later that I had an opportunity to reflect on what happened. Of course, it could be something so simple like, “You just didn’t want to be wrong, Pitch.” And you know what? That’s true. I didn’t want to be wrong. It felt terrible to be wrong to the point that I wished mother earth would devour me alive sometimes.

However, we can’t avoid being wrong in life. We all experienced it at least once. As a kid, a teenager, an adult, you name it. And when it happens, we all take it differently. Me, personally? I sulked. And when I sulk, I sulk hard. (If you can’t tell, I’m a sore loser.) It’s in these moments that I notice something about myself. What I usually do in these circumstances is seeking refuge in my sanctuary.

The Sanctuary

In high school, there were times where I was forced to answer some questions in class, and I got it wrong. All the mockeries and laughter crashed into me like a tsunami. I was soaked from head to toe with humiliation. The first thing I did? I turned to my closest friends. What I meant by the sanctuary is a place I could return to. A place where no matter how much I messed up, I’m guaranteed to get words of comfort and the “I got you, bro” eyes. Pathetic, I know, but that’s how I live.

Sometimes, though, the world just hates you all of a sudden. On a certain day where I messed up big time, like scoring my own goal in soccer, what I got from turning to my friends were their sweat-soaked backs and hanging heads. And believe me, that sank my heart.

Here’s What Lovecraft Said

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." This famous quote from H.P. Lovecraft caught my attention the first time I saw it. What I fear the most is not the unknown in front of me. I’m not scared of being wrong or scoring my own goal. Alright, maybe a bit. But what I fear the most is the unknown behind me. The possibility that my sanctuary could be left in ruin.

Different Place, Same Fear

Alright, I’ve spent so much time talking about myself. Let’s talk about writing, now. If you’re like me, what stops you from sharing your works (or even your opinion on someone else’s works) is the fear of facing criticisms all alone.

The first critique of my short story went as follows: “… You put in too many irrelevant details into the story. Try cutting them…” The first question that popped up in my mind was not something productive like “How do I fix this?” or “I must study more!” The only question in my mind was “Am I the only one who has this problem?”

For some weeks after that, I didn’t write at all. I dug through the pile of short story collections in search of a real writer who committed the same crime as me. Of course, I found none. I had no one to turn to. I had no one to share my frustration with. I felt as if in this world, I was rowing alone upon this ocean.

So What Did I Do?

Believe it or not, I managed to find a few Thai friends who write fiction in English like me. And I believe you have already known who they are. Their names are on our other publications.

To be fair, I don’t really talk to them when I feel down from criticisms. I just read their works. Seeing them struggle the same way I do makes me feel a lot better. The fact that I’m not alone kept me afloat and going. I don’t think they know that I do this, but since I’m writing about it, this blog has turned into my little confession (intended all along). It might sound terrible to smile upon others’ hardship. But if that means I can write together with them, I’m willing to be terrible.

Wrapping Up

You guys might have already guessed what I’m about to say, so I’ll be direct. Go share your works. Share them with families, friends, acquaintances, or that guy you saw yawning on the bus this morning. Share them with anyone. Let them know what you’re doing. Maybe they will become your new sanctuary. Who knows?

Share with us if you want. Send us emails. We’d love to find new writing friends. I know we’re not open for submission yet, but we can share some thoughts and talk about writing in general. After all, the “English” writer community in Thailand isn’t big. We’d better stick together (not the best idea when social distancing is concerned, but you get the point).

As always, please leave a like and comments. Every bit of your love keeps us alive. If you have something to say, say it. We’re waiting for you.