stage where I couldn't bear the thought of anyone reading anything I wrote, because it was 'too personal'. But, eventually, it penetrated my head that writing is both a craft and an art, and like any craft or art, the product of its exercise must stand alone, apart from its creator. At some point, one must let go of the idea that one's personal viewpoint is sacrosanct, and come to grips with the concept of sharing oneself with the rest of one's fellows, even if they don't seem to understand or appreciate one. Not everyone will like what one writes; so what? Some people will disagree, and trample all over one's feelings: again, so what? Either we are creative artists or we are not. If we are, then we don't need the approval or validation of anyone else as to what we create. We do, however, need the reality checks of those outside ourselves, even if they don't like us or agree with us.

My own view is that one becomes a serious writer when one becomes willing to let other people see the product of one's labor. Until then, one is only practising, which is always done in private. Any artist in any media will tell you that practise makes for excellence, and must be done if one is ever to be any good at all.