Of the blogs I read, my favorite is written by Jenny Lawson. She involves her family and friends in her posts as well as the books she’s written, and is candid in ways I’ve never managed to be. In her second book she explained her method:

She never publishes anything that could be used against her daughter by some other kid. Any time she mentions someone by name she runs the copy past them before publishing to get their permission. If someone has to be the butt of a joke, she makes sure it’s her and not someone else.

I’ve tried to incorporate these ideas in my own writing but it’s tough. The danger of overactive self-censorship is that it can become a slippery slope that leads to dry, unoffensive writing. I put my own writing firmly in that category. Once you’re there it’s a real struggle to fight your way free. There are times to use the delete key, but there are times when it’s better to let the words out.