I love storytelling and I’d like to be your guide in this brave writing adventure. You and I have been extraordinarily brave in some special ways. We’ve taken brave steps, made brave decisions, changed in brave ways. Life might be asking you to be extraordinarily brave right now.
But a writing adventure??? You might already be thinking I’m no author. I don’t even know where to begin. It’s easy to find ourselves back in 8th grade Language Arts class wondering where to put the comma and when to start the next paragraph.
I was there which is why I’d like to be your guide in this brave writing adventure. That’s my “why,” but what might be your “why”?
When writing your story, you honor the journey. You’ve been through some awesome experiences, also some awful ones. You’re a brave and accomplished woman. Embrace her. Honor her.
Every book I’ve written, every story I’ve told has given me a chance to acknowledge life’s great accomplishments along with some disastrous missteps. To this day, I do not speak without notes. Why? Because when I was 17‐years old, I had a moment on stage—without notes—that did not go well. For decades, that experience loomed large, coloring my preparations, lurking in the shadows of every speaking event, taunting me with memories of failure. When I got the story down on paper, I was able to embrace the young woman who’d stumbled in the spotlight, who’d done her best—even if it was not the best. And today I honor her by bringing the notes she didn’t have.
When writing your story, you get to “clean out the closet” of your memories. Some things just need to be tossed, right? Other things that didn’t feel so important at the time really were big and had a big impact on who you were then and who you are now.
My father and I had a terrible relationship. I challenged him about everything. Some of our differences were a real divergence in thoughts and feelings; most were just defiant responses of young woman who’d decided she wanted nothing to do with her father and his expectations for her. When I started writing about us, I was able to see—finally!—that Dad loved me in ways I didn’t realize or appreciate. I was able to toss the pettiness, the longstanding grudges, the lingering gripes, and see my dad for who he was, not for who I thought he should be.
When writing our stories, we find strength and encouragement for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Every day is new with unexpected twists and turns. Despite our best planning efforts, stuff happens—challenging stuff that will stop us in our tracks, good stuff that we never saw coming.
For years I dealt with the debilitating pain of failing joints. After finally having hip surgery, the parts were recalled. “Like the car brakes, Mom?” “Yes, Kyle, like the car brakes.” No one wants to finally “get fixed” and then get a recall notice for the parts. It was a difficult time, but that experience has given me strength and encouragement more than once when new challenges have arisen.
Your story connects you to you. And when you’re better connected to you, you’re better able to connect with those you love and also with the greater community. Your bravery is the strength and encouragement we all need. All of us. Let’s write!
Deanna is a writer and speaker who loves helping women of faith connect our delightfully ordinary stories to God’s extraordinary love and faithfulness, so we can be encouraged and empowered, knowing God’s been in the details–always has been, always will be.
Deanna’s the author of two memoirs, a devotional, and two children’s books. All are at Amazon.
