I’m pulling this post from the archives (with a few revisions) because I believe the message is an important and timely one. You be the judge.
I’ve always believed words had the power to move people. Spin them the right way, target the right audience and they have the power to sway a nation. As tempted as I am, that topic is for another day.
Which brings me to the topic I wanted to discuss – writing and the power of our words. Isn’t that what we want our stories to do? Sway our readers?
Stories move us to tears, anger, make us gasp in horror, keep us up at night,or our bellies hurt from laughing.
A story can cause pain – dredging up ghosts or trauma of the past. Those stories are hard to read and even harder to write.
I’m 40,000 words into my first novel.Certain scenes are proving difficult to write because it requires me to dig deep into emotions I’d rather not feel again. I could sugar coat my words but every time I choke on the false words that ring so hollow.
I read a post today by Mary Jaksch at Write to Done that struck me right between the eyes. How to Bond With Your Readers: The Pain and Glory of Writing.
“Face the Pain and work through it.” Write to Done. Tweet This.
So, I have two options- I can dig deep and work through the pain or let my story gather dust.
It’s our job as writers to tell the best story we can with words that reach from the pages, grab our readers by the throat or the hearts.
So, make it count. Words have Power.
I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
COW PASTURE CHRONICLES 
In his nonfiction book Supergods, comic-book writer Grant Morrison said: “A story can make us cry and laugh, break our hearts, or make us angry enough to change the world. A story can make us angry enough to change the world.”
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I like that! Thanks for sharing it with us and thanks for reading and taking the time to join the conversation.
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If it moves you to write it, it’ll surely move people to read it. And that’s what we’re aiming for. And I think writing what is difficult can be cathartic.
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Agreed. Thanks Kim for reading and commenting.
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It sounds like you have a powerful story in the works. Grinding through the pain might ultimately help someone else who is struggling with, or has dealt with a similar situation.
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It all happened so long ago, but things have a way of sticking with you. I’ll get it out eventually. It’s baby steps. Thanks for the good advice.I hope when I do get it out there, others will benefit.
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//A story can cause pain – dredging up ghosts or trauma of the past. Those stories are hard to read and even harder to write.//
Agree with you, Sheila.
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Thanks Shail. It’s good to see you in the pasture. I appreciate you reading and commenting.
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