Writing = risky business

I came across a quote today that set the wheels in my head a-flurry:

"You have to be brave to take out that white sheet of paper and put on it words that could be evidence of your stupidity." --Sol Saks

Writing is risky business. What is put into writing stays in writing and cannot be taken back.

Unless you pull a Hitler and try to burn all the books, or try to pass a new bill that essentially shuts down sites like Wikipedia and Google . . .

One of the trickiest parts of writing, at least for non-powerful individuals such as myself, is showcasing to the world my ignorance. What if I misspell a word, or my ideas seem amateur, or I mix up my sports terminology, or *gasp* people find out that I really don't know everything? Surely that means I should hide in my room for the rest of my life rather than face the humiliation, right?

But wait--Sol Saks, whoever that guy is (it would be just my luck if this person turned out to be a woman)--says that writers are brave. Risking your reputation with the words you pen isn't as insignificant as some people think.

Just like with all things worth doing--like playing a musical instrument, raising children, administering to the sick, saving the world--some level of failure is possible, even for writers. All of our endeavors require a little bit of moxie, even those that only involve a brain and a keyboard (or pen and paper).

I probably doubly proved my point here by showing off my lack of knowledge at least seven times. And yet, I keep writing . . .