The Importance of Stories –
For You Are A Writer
12/29/15
I
saw myself in your writing tonight.
I saw the parts that make me
laugh
And some days I hope for.
Even
if the characters are on a created world,
Or are a made-up
creation of you,
And don't ever mention history,
Or the Bible
-
In good writing,
They still matter.
They matter
because they are built on real emotions.
They are built on the
things that make you laugh,
The things that make you sad,
The
things that you're hopeful for,
Or angry at -
Your emotions and
imagination can be captured
In bits of writing...
If you let
them.
I
believe writing -
Creating -
Is a way we remind each
other:
“You are not alone.”
“I know what this feels
like.”
“I've been here before.”
“I understand.”
I
understand this laughter.
This hope,
Joy,
Anger,
Weariness,
Wonder
-
I understand –
And though you've never lived the
crazy story my character has,
They are echoing true emotions
I've
experienced,
Or understand from others...
In this way, they are
important.
They are real.
I
believe we feel connected most to writing we see ourselves in -
As
who we are now
Or who we hope to be.
We write characters we
want to be -
We write strengths we wish to gain -
We write
broken lives that show our understanding of sorrow -
We write friendship
And laughter
And pile it with the things that are meaningful to us,
And bits of longing -
We write life
as we're seeing it today -
Or how we hope to see it tomorrow.
There
will always be those who don't see themselves
When they look at
your writing.
They will try to place a box in their mind
To
categorize who you are
And what you've created.
They will
assume that everyone looks
And sees they way they do.
They will
think
You waste your time over something
No one cares
about....
In well-meaning ways
They will try to get you
to let go
Of something that is beautiful.
And
Though you can
respect their place in your life:
Your words are not for them.
You
did not write for them.
They can not declare your words
invalid
Just because they don't understand.
You have not
created to touch their heart...
Don't let that make you
believe
You can't touch anyone.
I
saw myself today -
Because you wrote something real.
Perhaps
it's imperfect,
But even so it is filled in reality
Of true
feelings...
Your words say as a quiet echo -
“I
understand.”
On the basest of levels I know you wrote
well
Simply in the fact
I related to your words
-
And I smiled.
In
the end -
I'm not sure it even matters if you ever publish
-
Though that would be wonderful...
What matters the most,
Is
finding joy in something
God gave you to
Enjoy.
God
is a God who writes -
Who wrote through people,
In different
styles
And voices,
And in many different books.
He gives us
the gift to create
So we can reflect Him in this way.
No
matter where your words take you
When you write Truth -
True
emotions,
True relationships,
True bravery,
True
brokenness,
True life -
I believe God finds joy...
Because
you are using a gift
He delighted to give you.
Never
be ashamed that you have
The Talent
The Joy
The
gift
To see the world
Differently.
Never be ashamed
that you see stories
Deeper
Layered
Meaningful -
In ways
that others don't have eyes for.
Never be ashamed that stories
excite you
And you are inspired to create.
Never be ashamed
that words comfort you
And allow you to express
When you
aren't sure what to say.
Never be ashamed that you find strength
in creating,
Even when you doubt your own abilities.
Never be
ashamed that there are times you write little -
For no matter the
voices of others,
Or your own voice you have to fight in
your head:
You are a writer.
You
are a person who enjoys things of beauty.
You are a person who
relates to others' creations.
You are a person who sees the pieces
of story
Others would miss.
You are a person who
understands what it takes
To create well
And you're trying to
learn even more.
So
enjoy the little things.
The beautiful things.
The stories of
others that entrance you
And the stories you're trying to
create.
Enjoy them,
Because God made you to do so
In this
wonderful way
That allows you
To be uniquely yourself.
~ZA
