As A Writer

Here’s this week’s reflection. I hope it resonates with you and ask that, if you enjoyed, please comment and share on your social media. Heartfelt thanks for all your support!

Keeping the light on for you,

Carol

I love a blank page before me and a new year ahead of me. Both offer a (hopefully soft) landing pad for new ideas and fresh hope. The desire and anticipation of good times ahead propels us forward in both actions and words, that what we offer the world may matter, even in some miniscule way. 

Many have shared with me their aspirations to write, whether it be a novel or a shorter narrative. My answer is usually a resounding: “YES – DO IT!” There are several reasons for this enthusiasm. My desire is that one or more of the following may provide the nudge you need.

Penning thoughts can be done anywhere. This is the most luscious reason for me. I have written on the beach, in a porch rocker with mountain vistas, in cars, planes, and automobiles, in coffee shops, and anywhere else my heart desires. My laptop wanders with me. And if I decide to travel even lighter, an old-school notebook and pen suffice, which brings me to my next point.

Tech is optional. The physical act of putting pen to paper is therapeutic in and of itself. Jotting thoughts as you experience them provides more insight and depth for your readers (or yourself) as you look back over those more thorough details of the experience as it unfolded (and was documented) in real time.

You do not need an English degree. Many would-be writers lament that their command of the English language is not “up to par” in their minds, and thus, sadly, do not chronicle their experiences. Know that most established authors hire editors to polish their work and some (even New York Times bestsellers) employ ghost writers to bring their ideas to life. As a beginning writer, the simple act of jotting down thoughts will begin that wordsmith journey, and there are many online resources for grammar, punctuation, and word choice. So go ahead – JUST WRITE!

Writing will tune you into yourself. Journaling is enormously therapeutic. Spilling your soul onto a blank page assists in separating fact from fluff, the rational from the irrational. Paper is a bosom bestie, always available, and cheap. It is also brutally honest and has the knack of highlighting in screaming color our deepest character flaws, promoting necessary introspection. (It can then, of course, be shredded after said self-reflection, depending on content, making great kindling for a fireplace or campfire. Ask me how I know this.)

Your words, no matter how trite you feel they are, will be helpful to, or enjoyed by someone. Not everyone will align with your stance and that’s okay. What matters is that you have likely created a pause or started a conversation – even if internal – for the reader. And most importantly, you had the courage to catapult your thoughts into a sea of humanity. Even if others do not share your view, they have at least hopefully entertained – if only for a nanosecond – a different lens through which to view the world.

Write from your heart. Connecting to your inner flame yields the most authentic prose. Allow yourself the gift of creative freedom and find a place to cultivate the stillness necessary to examine it. I cannot underestimate the importance of stillness. Your gut, your heart, and your subconscious all deliberately whisper, refusing to compete with the daily din. Give these voices the respect they deserve: listen intently and allow them to nudge, guide, and delight you. Your inner flame knows the way. All you need do is tap in and listen.  

Write about anything. Writing prompts are everywhere. Nature, gut feelings, life events, a favorite location, watching an infant surrender to sleep, and absolutely everything in between. Mindfulness is a powerful seed, allowing prolific exploration and growth of descriptive tendrils. Chambray Shirt was such an exercise, as was Breakfast In A Small Town. The seemingly mundane – or that which is repeatedly taken for granted – can elicit enormous gratitude. The backbones of daily life lay in waiting to be recognized and applauded. 

Write a shitty first draft. Anne Lamott, in Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, highlights the reality and necessity of a shitty first draft.  If you are at all interested in writing and have not read this witty how-to primer, I heavily encourage you to do so. Her words hit both my funny bone and sense of snark. One must start somewhere, so let your thoughts flow uninterrupted without regard for perfection or reader opinion. Further edits will sharpen the focus of what you wish to convey to your audience. Few writers can sit down and pound out perfect prose on the first go-round. And what constitutes “perfect,” anyway?! Let the horses leave the gate with reckless abandon and gallop across that page. Excrement will indeed fall, only to be tidied up later. Go ahead, be brave. You will not screw it up. 

Set aside a few minutes a day to journal or write. Daily life easily derails best intentions. Start in miniature to establish a writing practice. Writing a few days per week or penning brief thoughts daily offers consistency in allowing your thoughts the expression they deserve. You might discover a love of vocabulary. And then you will go down an interesting rabbit hole. (Again, ask me how I know this.)

Finally, blank journals are lovely gifts. My daughter presented me with a luxurious leather-bound one for Christmas. The softly tumbled, malleable texture is irresistible. She knows me all too well, as creating texture in words and life are my jam, deeply satisfying and endlessly joyous. 

Over one hundred of you have subscribed and continue to want to read the words on this page, for which I am eternally grateful. It is my sincere hope that each of you may pick up a sheet of paper and jot some thoughts. About anything. About nothing. About the grind. About the joy. About YOU. 

Happy New Year, dear readers!

Love,

Carol

P.S. If you prefer audio books, Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life is read by Susan Bennett, the original voice of Siri, who is greatly entertaining to listen to. Another helpful book is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. (Read by the author.)