Let's Get Vulnerable: A Moment Of Truth

I'm truly excited again.

I'm writing. I'm seeing stories everywhere. Yet... for those who have followed me... if you're still here from years past, you may be curious about my lapse. 

I neglected this blog for awhile. Life got in the way. A move across the country. A separation. A divorce. The resulting depression and ultimate acceptance.

And here we are. What helped me rebound?

I recall one of my earliest memories. It was of my mother reading herself to sleep. It was after she and my father divorced. She was a single mom. 

I was often fearful at night... I'm not psychologist, but I figure I was trying to cope with my parents divorce. I didn't want to sleep alone for irrational fear that I'd wake up without either parent. 

So... I slept near my mother... in visual proximity. I had to see her bed or I just didn't feel safe. What did I see? It influenced me more than I or she could imagine.

She read. She read into the wee hours of the night. I only caught a glimpse of it. But... oh, what a sight it was. She read novels. Her favorite... It was the 70's after all... Stephen King. 

We didn't have much. Just mom and I. She read alone at night...
but she wasn't really alone. I was watching... and flash forward decades... now, her example from so long ago inspires me and helps remind me who I am or should remember to be... a lover of words... and a writer. 

Thank you, mother. Te amo.

Back To Writing Despite Hardships

Been a long time since I've written.

So many excuses. Life gets hard. People stop loving you. The world seems to be against you. Why not just give up?

Yeah... Well...it's been awhile. But.... I'm not giving up. Life has kicked me in the pants...hard. Yes.. isn't when writers write? Our strength is taking the pain, joy, emotions of life and creating written work.

I forgot that. Back to writing.

Writing Through Hardship

Life is full of moments that test us. Hardships. Failures. Heartaches. These are the stuff of life. Yes, happy moments are also part of life. But the tough times often define us the most.

As a writer, it is during tough times - like this moment of hardship and heartache that I find myself in - that I find comfort in words. Pouring my heart out on the page (Yes, I am old school and still use pen and paper) helps me endure.

If you are going through a tough time, consider writing through it. Don't worry if it looks pretty. Don't worry about grammar. Nobody but you has to see it. Just write through the pain. Write through the tears.

Often my pages are stained with tears. It's ok. That is genuineness on the page. Write. Heal. Write some more. Heal some more.

4 Ways To Use Life's Problems In Your Writing

The last few weeks have been filled with the kinds of troubles that break lesser writers.

Forget writers, how about humans (men and women). It doesn't matter where you live or what your occupation might be. Your age or anything else. One thing is certain. Whether your American, Russian, Japanese, British, African, Brazilian or other, you have to deal with life's problems. 

We all have them. Gotta eat. Gotta pay the bills. Gotta have fun some way (Fun is essential). And if you're a writer, these problems can de-rail your writing. It can, but shouldn't. So, here are four ways to use life's problems to help your writing.

1. Consider problems as an inevitable way of life: Face it. Life is full of problems. Can't get around it. Accept this truth, then you can use problems to advance your writing. There's no way to live life without drama. Come to think of it, drama is what drives fiction. That leads us to #2.

2. The more problems you experience, the more you can write about with firsthand experience: This doesn't mean we should look for problems, but if they find you, don't get depressed. Take notes. You find yourself lost in love? Maybe jobless? Dealing with the death of a loved one? Whatever it may be, yes it's painful. So, take notes. Write what you feel. Write what you experience. Write it ALL down. Odds are someone else going through the same thing will relate. If you can put it in writing, you've gained a reader. And if you're a writer, you must always remember that you need readers. Readers are your audience, and you must understand your audience, which leads us to #3.

3. Use your problems to walk in your readers' shoes: Write what you know is what we're talking about. But... what if you've never walked in your readers' shoes? Well, see every problem you encounter as a way to relate to more readers. I mean this. For example, what if you've been cheated on in love. Heartbreaking. This destroys lives. Nobody wants to experience it, but if you do and are a writer, you can share that experience. Why? Because odds are some of your readers have been there, too. If they read your work and how you dealt with it, they might have a better chance of overcoming it. If they overcome it by reading about your experience, well...how do you think they'll think of you? This leads us to #4.

4. Be vulnerable. Share it all and you'll help yourself and your readers: Look up the word "catharsis." That's what you can experience if you write through your problems. It's great therapy for you to get all that poison out of your system. Put the poison in words on the computer screen or on paper. Get it there so that it doesn't remain in your body. If it remains in you, it continues to poison you. Get it out! Yes, you reveal your soul to others, but they will appreciate it because your readers are just as hurt as you. They want help. You, the writer, can help them. They may not be strong enough to put their hurts into words. But you are strong enough. You are a writer. You can do it. So... do it now!

Do you know more ways to use life's problems to help your writing? Share your comments. Help us. You're a writer with valuable knowledge to share.