We writers are a safe bunch.

Business tycoons love the art of the deal. Sports figures love the rush of physical conflict. Skydivers love the sight of the ground rushing toward them, sentencing them toward certain doom unless their parachute opens.

You may like all of those areas of excitement. But there’s a good chance that when it comes to your writing, you’re playing it safe.

What does it mean to play it safe as a writer? It means you avoid sharing a controversial viewpoint when you feel convicted about it. It means you are not willing to upset anyone. You don’t say what you really think. You refuse to share the parts of your story that could really help someone, even though it has some unsavory parts.

At its worst, playing it safe means not sharing yourself at all.

Playing it safe is an illusion. When we play it safe, we are avoiding perceived conflict or judgment. In the end, however, if you don’t share your work, if you don’t share your heart, that is the most unsafe place to be.

It means you haven’t made a difference or shared your authentic self. That’s not a place you want to be.

So, don’t play it safe. Share what you need to share and be brave, be bold. But by all means, don’t play it safe

Daily Question: Are you playing it safe in your writing? What could you do to be more brave and bold?