Earlier this week, I bared it all in an essay I wrote for Nerve, on my experiences posing for a nude portrait.
Its publication was a long time coming: I first faced my fears by stripping down for a complete stranger, and then did up my essay in a frenzy of excitement and inspiration.
It was considered “too flippant,” and “not revelatory enough.” I rewrote it.
It was considered “too dark.” I rewrote it.
Nerve then got a new CEO, and my editors told me they were uncertain my essay would ever be published, because of the site’s possible new editorial direction.
I tried not to freak out.
Finally, it went up, slightly truncated. The entire process was far more traumatic than actually getting naked.
When I first started writing personal essays, I felt that nothing could be easier — or more fun — than writing about yourself. After the jump, find the reasons that baring it all (in writing) can be tougher than you think.
