Writing is Magic
Connection, learning, and healing are just a few of the magical properties offered by writing alone and with others
If you want to be a writer there is only one thing that you need to do: write. Writing is what makes you a writer. I am a writing evangelist because I have felt the power of writing in my life and witnessed the transformation in my students. Writing allows us to connect with others and their ideas across space and time. Through writing we learn about ourselves and others and the world we share as well as explore what those lessons mean to us. Healing is also possible through writing whether we write for ourselves alone or we use writing to connect with others.
There is much debate among people who should know better about who gets to claim the word: writer. It is a silly debate. If you write then you are a writer. Being a writer is not about collecting a paycheck or a certain size audience as neither of those qualifiers are within your power and certainly do not demonstrate either impact or quality. Some writers, like artists and musicians, struggle during their life for recognition and instead find their audience and even acclaim after their death. What you can control is the actual writing and how often you sit down with pen or keyboard to write.
I typically write more days than not. I prefer to start my day with writing when my brain is fresh and the dream world is still close. During the school year I write along with my students in every class meeting and when I write with my other writing groups it is typically in the evening. I also love (when the days are long enough) to go to one of my local parks in the evening after supper to walk and read and write. All of this means that more days than not I am writing for an hour or more, but I typically advise those getting back into the writing habit to simply set aside 10-15 minutes a day to write. The time of day is not as important as developing the writing habit. If life does not allow you a dedicated or preferred writing time then simply carving out those few minutes to write is the most important thing you can do to be a writer. If you can try to pair up that writing time with some activity where you also have the space to think, ponder, before you write. I like to walk or drive before writing, but in previous seasons of life doing housework, especially dishes, served me just as well.
If you are working with young writers the school day does not lend itself to pre-writing meditative activity and so I prefer to employ the writing marathon mode where we write and share two or three times. I open every class with a simple writing ritual to help us transition into writers and the rounds of sharing help us find our way when we struggle to clear our brains and focus. I really like to use poetry to provide focus and inspiration for my own writing as well as my students but I know others find music, photography and art, or nature equally inspiring. The invitation that works for you and your students is the right invitation because the goal is simply to write.
The writing invitations I use with my students focus on their authentic lives and all the work of my classes focuses on authentic writing. Do not let someone else or society tell you what you should write (or not write). Focus on what matters to you and your life and your world. Do not waste your valuable time and energy on inauthentic writing. Write only about what matters to you. That is how you become a writer and discover the power and magic of writing for yourself (and your students).
Some inspiration for telling your authentic stories:
Mine your identity for inspiration: Who are you is a question always worth considering. What labels do you embrace or reject? What is your origin story?
Explore your important places for inspiration: Our important places include those we have called home but sometimes it is those in-between places, the journeys we have taken, require exploration too. How do you map your world?
Shape your dreams and aspirations for inspiration: What needs fixing in your life? What is your guiding truth?
Hello. I came to know you from Twitter, but I don’t use that much anymore, so I’m glad to find you here (if here is a place you use much). Or is your website the better place to connect? In any case, I appreciate the suggestions you provide here. Your words always make me want to write more.