Coming Out as a Writer

It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.   –Audre Lorde

Recently, a member of one of our writing groups said, “You know, it was hard coming out as gay. It’s been just as hard — maybe even harder — to come out as a writer. I knew I had the self-awareness to say, ‘I am a lesbian,’ but I didn’t think I had earned the right to say ‘I am a writer.’ ” 

You Can Say It: “I am a Writer”
We hear from many people who don’t feel they’ve earned the right to call themselves a writer. We know of many other people who are reluctant to identify as writers in social situations for fear of the questions “What have you written?” or “Are you still working on that novel?” The last question may be the hardest to hear. Whether you’ve published seven books or have a stack of scribblings stashed in a drawer, you have the right to call yourself a writer.

How Write On, Door County Can Help
We offer a variety of upcoming programs that will give you the encouragement and support you need to say, “I am a writer.” Check out Gary Eldon Peter’s session, In It for the Long Haul: Writing as a Life-Long Practice and Commitment. After starting out writing in his thirties, Gary published his first book of fiction the year he turned 60. That collection, Oranges, won the New Rivers Press Many Voices Project award; the Gold Medal for LGBT+ Fiction from the Independent Publishers Book Awards; the Midwest Book Award; and was a finalist for both the Minnesota Book Award and the Flannery O’Conner Award. His young adult novel was published last year. 

In early August, James Mihaley’s popular retreats Recharge Your Creative Battery and Finding Your Way In will prove to you that you are a writer. James has encouraged and inspired dozens of writers through previous retreats. Let him inspire you! Space is limited and these programs are filling fast: register soon!

Celebrate Your Stories and the LGBTQ+ Community
This month, we are proud to collaborate with Open Door Pride to celebrate Pride Month.
Sunday, June 11 at noon, Open Door Pride holds one of their Fun Nights here at Write On — only it happens during the day. Join others for a hike of our campus, a bring-your-own brown bag lunch, and an afternoon of playing word-related games or simply sitting on the terrace by the firepit. Thursday, June 22, 7 pm, Write On co-hosts the LGBTQ+ edition of Writer’s Night at the Tambourine Lounge in Sturgeon Bay. Storytellers, poets, musicians, and more are invited to come out to celebrate. More than ever, it is important that we all recognize, accept, and celebrate our differences.