Why we write
Join me Wednesday night. Only requirement for participation is to not stop writing and bring a pen.
It is my firm belief that when we write, we improve the quality of our lives, our relationships, and deepen our experience of living. That is why I sit down to do it and why I am inviting you to join me on Wednesday at 6:00 PM PST for a two-hour zoom ‘write in’ with peers and colleagues. And trust me, come as you are, as long as you bring a pen. Details on how I approach my “write-ins” can be found here.
There is no charge (however, I will ask for donations at the end of our two hours). If you are at all interested, drop me an email through the website to reserve a spot.
I would like to break with form this week and share a little bit more about why I write, in the hopes it may help some of you out there turn a corner.
When I don’t write, when a story stays lodged in my throat, there is a price to pay. It’s that simple. And the price is high. I don’t think there is anything more tragic for a human to pass from this earth with a song unsung, lodged in their heart.
Some people much smarter than me make the argument that to be a carrier and receiver of stories is what defines us as human. We invent narratives to make sense of the battle between chaos and order, reach for mysteries, make sense of losses, find meaning, and chronicle our lives so that they are marked.
So we can say, “we were here, we lived. We did a thing. And this is my story.”
Taken together, these songs form a tremendous collective portrait of us all. I write to engage with that, and participate with that, not to please a marketplace, or try and sell a thing. I may sell a thing or please a marketplace, but that arises out of a joy and purpose within. I have to stay in that perspective, because otherwise it all looks like total failure. And when I nurture this outlook, the side benefit is that I develop community and see how many lives deepen when they sit down and practice writing.
I find leading seminars sustaining as we navigate the insanity of writing as a career. Because every time we gather, we share. And when we share, we walk away energized. It is magic. And I would love to share the experience with you.
lastly lastly —
What do Bootleggers, Leningrad Sonata, Reboot, Last House on the Block, Ruby, Binky’s Place, Masters of War, Liberated, The Monument, The Irish Rover, According to Mary, The Hanged Man, Jericho Road, Hype, Failed State, Reign of Terror, Terrible Beauty, A Sure Thing, Gold Star, Among the Wandering Souls, and Persuasion all have to common?
They are not published, or an IMDB credit, or received a professional production. Every one of them got attention, was kicked around by some decision maker, maybe won an award, or got a reading or two, but none of them flowered into being. Yet. But every hour I spent crafting these stories was spent in service to a gift. And has never felt wasteful. This is something I try and cultivate with my writing groups. To write in order to write. Nothing more. That our stories matter.
Recently, I have taken to doing what I can to make things happen, and bring more of my projects to the marketplace myself through independent means. It is never an easy process but it never was. The journey of doing something starts with simply starting. And that’s what I try and cultivate with my students every week. And the real ballast comes from our togetherness.
I believe we all have a story. We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. And in today’s divisive time where we over stress identity rather than our individual story - it may be the means by which a new sense of unity can be forged to combat this disintegration of a shared reality in our modern society. By sharing ourselves again and our voice, being seen and heard, can do a little bit to heal our times.
Write on and hope you will consider joining me WEDNESDAY. SIGN UPS are limited. So jump in today, and bring a pen.
I will not be responding to how we approach the work, as it is too consuming. My best explanation comes from simply coming with an open mind. But will add that we use timed writing exercises based on a prompt and then every writer has a chance to share or not.
Chekhov things writing makes our lives better.