sécrire

Sécrire is a proposed French neologism used to denote the practice of writing about oneself or inscribing the self within a text. It is not part of standard French, but appears in scholarly and literary discussions about autoécriture, autofiction, and reflexive writing practices. In this sense, sécrire functions as a label for a method or approach that foregrounds subjectivity and the act of self-writing.

Etymology and relation to s'écrire: the term is formed from se + écrire. It is distinguished from the standard reflexive verb s'écrire, which means to write to someone or to correspond in writing. Sécrire is often presented as a deliberate intensification or reconfiguration of that idea, used to signal a self-centered or self-reflexive writing project rather than ordinary correspondence.

Usage and contexts: sécrire appears mainly in critical discourse and experimental writing. It can describe works where the author constructs a self-portrait through narrative and formal choices, or where the act of writing itself becomes the subject of the text. In pedagogy and theory, the concept helps discuss how autobiographical elements are integrated, questioned, or reimagined within fiction and non-fiction.

Grammar and status: as a nonstandard neologism, sécrire lacks an official conjugation. If adopted as a pronominal verb, it would follow the pattern of other -re verbs and use être as the auxiliary in compound tenses, with the past participle agreeing with the subject (e.g., je me suis écrit or je me suis écrite in hypothetical usage). In general, readers should treat sécrire as a theoretical label rather than a widely accepted lexical item.

See also: autofiction, autoécriture, écriture de soi, s’écrire.