Writing workshop volume 3: Say what you want to say

Welcome to volume 3 of the Steemit writing workshop, an initiative to help writers find their voice and get writing. Each volume covers topics for creative writers, as well as a writing exercise.

The previous volumes are Volume 1, The Beginning and Volume 2, Exploring voice in writing.

What are you waiting for?
Say what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I want to see you be brave!
Sara Bareilles

This writing workshop volume is devoted to being brave and sharing the unique stories you have to tell. Writers often suffer from a wide range of fears. We feel the need to tell stories, and express ideas in written words, but fear the thought of anyone actually reading them. We want to write, but we fear failure. And many writers even fear success. What would that look like? Would you feel like an imposter? Would people think you’re something more than you believe you are? Would they expect you to keep producing more of whatever it was that launched your success? What if you went to the well and found it bone dry?

I want to see how big your brave is
Fear is deadly to creativity. Take it from me, as I have dealt with plenty of it myself. All writers do, I believe. I am just now polishing and submitting work for publication, after many years of working inconsistently and letting trepidation rule the roost. Oh, I had excuses. I was writing so much in my day job that I couldn’t possibly also keep up with creative writing. (Hogwash.) I was so involved with my family, and so busy and dog tired, that the idea of fitting in a creative endeavor made me woozy. (True. Still no excuse. Look at all the successful mom bloggers today.)

But now. Let’s talk about now, because that and hopes for the future are all we have. The past is non-malleable. Here’s the thing. It occurred to me recently that 100% of writers who never polish and submit their work for publication remain unpublished.

Think about that for a minute. There are a lot of writers out there working to bust out and make a name for themselves. They don’t have your stories. They don’t have your voice or know what you want to say. And they don’t have your experiences. Some of them may have more skill than you do, but some have less. And at the end of the day, the writers who keep at it, keep writing, keep polishing, stay hopeful, and submit their work for publication, ultimately win.

Will you get rejected? Of course. Yeah baby, bring it on! Because that means you’re doing something. It means you’re walking the walk. You are doing the activities of a real writer. Real writers don’t write a little something, hate it, give up, and stuff it in a drawer. Real writers just keep writing, keep polishing, and keep submitting. And we can do that too, you and I. We can master this thing.

Everybody’s been there
Everybody’s been stared down by the enemy
Fallen for the fear
And done some disappearing,
Bow down to the mighty
Don’t run, just stop holding your tongue.

Ready for an exercise? Let’s do it.

Writing assignment #3
Do this: Write a complete story in 1,000 words. The idea behind this little exercise is to write something that is end-to-end complete in a fairly short time. Getting something done is a great way to banish fear. It makes this whole writing thing feel do-able. And because it’s nearly impossible to write a masterpiece in so few words, you can let go of that fear.

A few requirements
The story must contain:
A main character: whose story are you telling?
A setting: Where is your character and what is she or he experiencing at the moment?
A problem or dilemma: Why do we care about this character? What does he or she need to overcome?
A beginning, a middle, and an end. What is the resolution to the problem or dilemma?

Where to start?
Here are some ideas, if you’re not feeling inspired at the moment by any of your own.

• Tell the story of the worst disappointment you remember as a child, and about the process of letting go and moving on. But write it in third person. Observe it from the outside.
• Write the story of a new bride who is about to host her mother-in-law for the weekend, but hates to cook. What happens? Do they find common ground? Or is it a disaster?
• Describe what happens when two people who knew each other long ago end up on a date from a dating site.
• Find a story in the newspaper, and write the backstory. Change the names so they are unrecognizable, and write a fictional account of the events leading up to the story that appeared in the paper.

Share it! Get it out there for people to read so you can get feedback. Let the words fall out. I want to see you be brave.

Be sure to use the #writing and #workshop tags.

To your success!

Image credit: OnlineCollegeCourses.com