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Courage to write
by
ORHAN K. CENGİZ
by
ORHAN K. CENGİZ
“The longer I write, the more my admiration has grown for those who set out on this journey. … Writing is a daring act. Any time we put so much as a word on paper we’re in jeopardy. … Whoever writes for public scrutiny is subject to a form of what psychologists call ‘performance anxiety.’ … Writing is merely public speaking on paper, but to a much larger audience.” (Page 8)
“Trying to deny, avoid, numb, or eradicate the fear of writing is neither possible nor desirable. Anxiety is not only an inevitable part of the writing process but a necessary part. If you’re not scared, you’re not writing.” (Page 13)
“Writers who overprotect themselves and others produce pallid results. Their words are guarded, artificial; intended to make them more agreeable than they feel. … That’s why pleasant words forge such a weak bond between writer and reader. They lack authenticity.” (Page 41)
“Anxiety about reactions by others can cripple a writer.” (Page 45)
“During many years of interest in this subject, it’s become clear to me that the risk most universally feared is that of looking foolish.” (Page 183)
“‘As a writer one has to take the chance of being a fool,’ said Anne Sexton. ‘That perhaps requires the greatest courage’.” (Page 184)
I felt a huge relief after reading this book. Here in Turkey, we work very hard, I said to myself. If it is so difficult to write for Americans, imagine how difficult it might be in Turkey. If you touch on a taboo subject, you may be threatened, prosecuted, attacked. You may be insulted with big and “lofty” words from people who do not have enough courage to even write their real names. Most importantly, though, you cannot find a platform to express your opinions. After touching on a few taboo subjects, you are basically fired!
For the last five months, I have been writing for Today’s Zaman. During this period, I have written about almost all the taboos in Turkey. During this time, I have felt so much freer than I have ever felt before. I am grateful for that. Turkey is going through a serious transition, and it has a huge potential to be a global player, if it overcomes its domestic problems. Turkish conservatives have become the most dynamic evolutionary power, and Zaman newspapers have a pioneering role in this “silent revolution” in Turkey. They have become the freest platform for Turkish intellectuals and I am very pleased to be able to express myself in this arena.
Until now I have been writing once a week, starting from this week, I will be writing on Wednesdays and Fridays. Writing is such a lovely adventure; it has its own price to pay, and its own rewards to gain. Writing requires courage and I hope here in Turkey the day will soon come when we will not need any extra courage to write except ordinary “writers’ courage”!
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