As a youngster, my lovely English Cocker Hoover loved to play fetch. Without waiting to see which way you were going to throw the ball, he would launch himself in whatever direction made sense to him and run as fast as he could. When he’d gone what he deemed to be the appropriate distance, he’d finally look up, certain the ball would magically drop from the sky.
It always did.
What if you launched yourself into writing and just expected the talent to be there?
That’s essentially what my friend and client Morri Stewart did. Sure, she had her MFA. But that didn’t mean she had written a book. After years of sharing an ever-evolving story with her children around a campfire or at bedtime, however, she decided to turn it into a YA novel. The fantasy took her four years to write and another year to revise and self-publish. The effort was absolutely worth it. Soon-to-be-published Faltofar provides a vivid and action-packed escape into a world populated by Sepheriis (mythical creatures from the land’s Dark Days), sorceresses, dwarves, and winged cat-like predators covered in nearly impenetrable blue-black scales.
“It’s never far to fall into imagination,” quips the author, who dreams of using the book to encourage kids’ artistic and intellectual exploration and boost their emotional intelligence.
I have lots of other clients who have become published authors even though they didn’t originally set out to become writers:
- Jim Mazziotti promised to write his son a letter a day after the latter’s behavior and academic failures landed him in the Oregon National Guard Youth Challenge Program. Those letters prompted Jim, a real estate broker, to write The Challenge: How 144 Letters Changed My Life, the Life of My Son, and Will Change Your Life Too.
- Veteran Delta pilot Art Samson turned his experience as an FAA-designated 737 check pilot, crew conflict mediator and safety trainer into the novel The Captains’ Airline. He’s now in the process of republishing that novel with a new preface, epilogue and author’s note since the 737 Max crashes have made his book even more topical. In the meantime, a sequel is in the works.
- Barbara Hinske’s first novel, Coming to Rosemont, has led to nine more, much to the delight of her many fans. She’s been so successful that she was able to quit her day job as an attorney and now writes full time.
I could go on with examples of everyone from financial planners to retirees. But it all boils down to one thing. If you want to write, whatever the reason, then do it. And don’t let anyone stop you.
I remember my dad–the author, co-author or ghostwriter of 22 books–used to say, “I can teach anyone to write. I just can’t teach them to think.”
I would have to agree and disagree. Dad’s right. The mechanics of writing is a skill that can certainly be taught. That’s the easy part. Getting someone to loosen up enough to find their voice and figure out what they want to say can be a bit harder. Luckily, as a writing coach, I can even help with that. It’s amazing what comes out in a Sloppy Letter to Linden or some serious brainstorming.
That kind of coaching relationship provides not only perspective, but the confidence of knowing that you’re not in this all alone. We become a team. My objective is always to provide whatever help you need.
That brings me back to Hoover, whose enthusiastic tail wagging continued undiminished even after losing his hearing followed by his sight. He was my guy, happy just to be in the moment and make the most of it. We’d head into the garage and, without any command or signal from me, he would spring up, assuming that my hand under his butt would always be there to boost him into the car.
He was right. I was always there for him. And I’ll always be there for you should you decide to take that leap of faith and write.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.