To Writers

I went and bought Shauna Niequist’s book, Bittersweet, yesterday on my way home from work and I knew that A) I was tired B) I did not feel like being social and C) Those close to me would appreciate me more if I was not social tonight. Life has been pretty jammed packed lately and I have had little to no time to just lie down. I like life crazy, but I do think everyone needs a night to be alone and be allowed to feel cranky. Being the kind person that I am, I figured I would allow myself to be cranky alone as opposed to making someone else annoyed and miserable (sorry :( hah). So, I bought the book that I have been waiting for. Shauna wrote the book Cold Tangerines which was given to me as a Christmas gift two years ago. I finished the book in two days.

As I began to read her new creation, in hopes of maybe falling into a deep, wonderful sleep, my mind just went bonkers. I am currently on page 18. I should be on page 52, but with each word I read, I somehow am able to transfer her situation to my life.

Plain and simple – I love to write. I don’t just love to write, I can’t stop writing. As crazy as it may seem, my mind just pieces words together all the time. In fact, some of my most beautiful work has been constructed either while I was in the shower or in the middle of the night. When I read good books, such as this one, I almost can’t stand the fact that the author’s words aren’t my words. That is why I am writing this thing here; my mind was not allowing itself to relax and enjoy someone else’s words. I think that is the beauty of language, though. The fact that one writer can inspire another, and then that writer will inspire another, and the cycle continues. I would say that the mark of a good writer is one who makes their reader think upon every word, and days after leaves them still lingering on their story. If I could give a one word definition for writing it would be to inspire. Inspire the reader to think, reflect, remember, look forward to, question, picture, and hope for something. And tonight as I was reading Shauna’s words, I felt that inspiration.

I am going to say point blank here that this post has no true meaning at first glance. This post is a product of my simple love of words.

You may not know that I write everyday. Some of it is good, some of it is amazing, and some of it is crap. I have a folder on my computer entitled “crap” for all of those paragraphs that are jumbled and pointless. However, I was taught from a young age that no writing is pointless and to save every draft you ever write. So, Mr. Tower, just so you know, I am saving every word. Some of what I write is just random thoughts, much like blog posts. Some of them are beginnings of stories. I can’t tell you how many beginnings I have here. Just the other day I was jogging in the park when I kept noticing something interesting. An idea of a great story popped into my head, and in between my shower and getting ready to go out for dinner I jotted down a new beginning to a story. The next day I was not feeling so passionate about it so it did not get very far. You may also not know that this next paragraph below, I actually wrote last winter:

You see, I have always wanted to be a writer. Ever since I was a child. In the winter I would dream up in my mind wonderful family stories about Christmas, and in the summer I would dream up romantic and beautiful love stories that would take place at a cottage. I had these ideas and inspirations of getting old enough when I could actually write about a couple kissing without it being too weird. I thought that when I turned 18 that would be the age when writing a great American novel about love, sacrifice, and friendship with the occasional kissing scene would be totally acceptable. Writing about falling in love would be fine. When I turned 18, however, I thought, “No, maybe when I am 22.” I am not exactly sure what I am afraid of. I guess I know that the stories within a novel are stories that in someway was lived out by the author. I only know this because any of the short stories I have ever written have been based off my life. Why on earth would I want my parents to be reading my novel and come to the romantic parts and have to think of me? We all know that great words are products of experience, right?

See, I told you I save everything, good or bad. What I wrote above is still true to me today. There is something scary about writing, and I can say this in 100% honesty: every writer has in some way experienced the events they wrote in their novels. Maybe they did not live it out, but their lives were in some way touched by the happenings in their words. For so long I wondered why Nicholas Sparks wrote such tragic stories. I finally looked it up and found that his sister had died. He actually wrote A Walk to Remember in honor of her. Read his novels and you will see that he always includes a tragedy with a bittersweet ending. An event from his life led to his works. That is also why writing is so beautiful; words are so raw and so personal. That is also why the sharing of the writing part can be so hard – it really is like giving someone a peak into your soul. Both beautiful and daunting.

In high school and in my college communication courses, we had to write several stories and articles. Always in them there is something I have pulled from my own life. I can probably even tell you where I was when I wrote some of my articles and what major event was going on in my life that caused me to write those particular words. That is how meaningful they are. And, between you and me, I hope that someday I will be able to write a great novel or a great book. Before that happens, though, I think I am going to keep taking note on some of the really great writers and keep writing about the everyday adventures that keep my life interesting. I encourage you to use words, or even just to read more of them. Books are powerful tools, and the writers behind the books even more so.

So in ode to those who have inspired me, I would like to share with you these great authors and their stories:

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. If you are a girl, this is a must. An incredible story of growing up, change, tragedy, and love. Seriously amazing.
2. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Beautiful story about family. I was forced to read this my senior year of high school, but it actually ended up impacting me greatly.
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I remember reading this novel in a car during a family road trip. It brings back good memories but the author uses some of the best language I have ever heard.
4. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. The best series about true friendship, and some of the best beach reading material my friends and I have ever had.
5. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. He is hands down one of the most talented writers I have ever read.
6. Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist. One of the most honest and thought provoking books, in which I read in 2 days.
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I love how the author writes from the perspective of a small girl. Genius.
8. In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. A book all about the author’s travels to Australia. I read this a month before I myself had my adventure in Australia. This book inspired me to write several articles on my trip, which to this day, I still consider some of my best work.
9. Suzanne’s Diary For Nicholas by James Patterson. I believe I cried the entire time I was reading this novel, but it is so precious.
10. Trade Wind by M.M. Kaye. The largest book I have ever read. You may not think it would be good, but this novel kept me up at night. It is an incredible adventure of living in Africa and is one that every girl who plans on traveling to a foreign country needs to read to get inspired.
11. The Winter of the Red Snow by Kristiana Gregory. I read this in fifth grade for a book report. I mean, how amazing is the title? It is all about the Revolutionary war, and the title describes how the soldiers’ feet bled so much during the winter because of little supply that their feet bled leaving red snow behind. I clearly learned a lot as a ten year old from this book. When I have kids someday I am forcing them to enjoy Dear America diaries.

So, to every author in the above list, and the authors I did not mention, thank you for the years and words of inspiration.