Stop It. You're Doing Great.
It seems chaos surrounds us. I want to acknowledge the terrible tragedy unfolding in California due to the fires, and send healing prayers to all those impacted. In these dark times, I am reminded of these wise words from K. M. Weiland:
“… storytelling is never a frivolous pursuit in times like these. The stories we tell matter. They tell us who we are, how we will face our darkest tragedies, and who we will become as we rise from the ashes.”
As we muse upon the beginnings of a new year, with all the
resolutions, overthinkings, ponderings, regrettings, contemplations,
examinations, ruminations, sighings, I quote my friend, the wonderful artist Denise Fleming:
Stop it. You are doing a great job.
We’ve heard it often enough: our stories matter. They help
us understand the world around us, even as they help us understand ourselves.
Stories build empathy and help develop imaginative thinking. Stories make a
difference. We are homo narratus, story animals, suggests Kendall Haven (Story
Proof: The Science Behind the Startling Power of Story, 2007). We have told our
stories for over 100,000 years. Not every culture has developed codified laws
or written language, but every culture in the history of the world has created
myths, legends, fables, and folk tales.
Stories are so old, so intimately connected with language,
some researchers suggest that language was created to express stories. In fact,
evolutionary biologists now believe we are hardwired to think in story forms.
Cognitive scientists know that stories help us understand and remember
information for longer periods. Researchers have found that telling stories at
an early age helps develop math abilities and language literacy. And teachers
know that understanding the story process helps young readers understand the
organization of language.
“The world is full of misconceptions of what a writer’s life
is like, or what it “should” be like. An awful lot of beginning writers have
these burdens in their brains. In order to find your own version of success as
a writer, you need to let go of the old, false ideas that weigh you down.”
Holly Schindler, in her newsletter That’s My Story and I’m Sticking With It, reminds us of the insecure nature of the writing business, “It’s so tough to make these plans as writers—it takes so long to finish a project, and it takes so long to hear back on submissions. And it is never guaranteed what a book will wind up doing in the market.” She offers an excellent strategy in keeping track of your accomplishments. A Writer's Journey: The Success Journal
“..Courses taken. Outlines completed. Revisions figured out.
Great word count days. And, yes—manuscripts completed. Queries sent out?
Definitely.
But I am going to record my successes. Things I
have accomplished. Not things that were awarded to me.”
As Holly suggests, we have to celebrate ourselves. I repeat Denise’s wise words. You should shout it, or sing it, to each each other and everyone.
Stop it. You are doing a great job.
More excellent reads to get you through these days:
K.M. Weiland, Helping Writers Become Authors: The Power of Hopeful Stories in a Stressful Time
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