Dude, Let Em’ Speak!

Throughout the course of every writers journey of expression we are often faced with our arch-nemesis, the overbearing editor. If you’re a fellow writer, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s that editor that has to dissect every aspect of your piece, and then they end up making a bunche of changes resulting in a published version of your piece that seems so unfamiliar (that has happened to me on several occasions.)

I’m not going to even front as though I’m able to stay calm under intense scrutinization from an editor. Nope, I’m a temperamental artist & writer. Of course, I never become unprofessional and end up cussing my editors (I freelance a lot, resulting in various editors overseeing my work) out in a fit a fury. Duh, remember the importance of never burning your bridges, so I like to keep my references copacetic. But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been times behind close doors that I’m shouting and cussing at the absurdity and rudeness of some editors wanting me to abandon my message & write a new piece.

I understand that it’s an editors job to oversee a team of writers and make sure everything is consistent, but the formalities and hierarchy infused with a snobbish attitude is something I just can’t stand. Just because your an editor it doesn’t give you the right to be an asshole to all the writers and try to minimize the message they have.

The attitude and hierachy within the industry of writing (especially magazines) is one of the reasons why I ended up opening my blog to other writers. I realized that not every writer gets a chance to share their work to a broad audience, and I felt as though it would be my mission to help the “underdogs” get a chance to shine.

When I say “underdogs” I’m referring to those who just want exposure and actually have opinions worth sharing, but might not get the chance right off the back due to to all the damn rules & attitude of so many online & print publications. I feel as though it’s my duty to stand up and say, “Dude, Let Em’ Speak!”

Especially since I’ve always been somewhat of an “outcast” or the artsy girl obsessed with house music, I feel as though blogging is the perfect outlet for folks with opinions. ThinkSoul25 is meant to be an eccentric homebase for culture, rants, and nomadic madness. I’m a nomad & a culture junkie who loves to rant, and I know that there are others out there with awesome experiences & viewpoints that need to be heard. 

I know we need editors to check spelling and ensure grammatical prowess, but here on TS25 I’m of course going to ensure everything reads well, but I’m not going to have a bitchy attitude and tell people “you’re not a good writer.” No, fuck that nonsense. What makes a good writer, in my opinion, is personality, passion, and the confidence to let their thoughts ramble, even if it seems like nonsense. Madness is beautiful, so if a post turns into madness or goes off topic, that’s perfect. That is the beauty of being a writer, you have the freedom to say whatever the hell you want.

And if people think you’re tempermental, well then you’ve done an excellent job. Hey, what writer out there isn’t tempermental? We go through so much rejection and negativity. Somedays we are gonna be extra sassy, but we don’t fight it, we incorporate it into our writing. And here at TS25, I welcome the “angry” ranting and opinionated rambling. Other places, especially magazines & online publications with overbearing editors might resent it, but I highly encourage it.

People always ask me, “What should I write about on your blog?” And I simply say, “Whatever you want.” Seriously, I want people to decide for themselves what they want to say, when they say it, and how they say it. TS25 is all about freedom of speech. 

So if you’re down for the cause and I like what I’m preaching, then shoot me a comment or an email at askmethink25@hotmail.com. I always welcome new contributors. Let’s build a community of writers that truly believe in freedom of speech. We may offend sometimes, but words aren’t always a plush pillow you rest your meek head on. Words can sometimes be a slaughterhouse, but hey, it’s the freedom of speech.