Monday 22 August 2011

Think Big. Act Small

Writers have something to say or they wouldn’t write. I remember coming out as a ‘writer’ – actually saying to someone that I wanted to write a book. You know what the response was? “Ah, you have something to say.” No, I thought. I just have a great story in my head. Plus I wanted to earn some extra money. That was back in 1995. How little I knew then. How naïve.

Writing, the process of writing, getting a book out, seeing it published, is not about the writer. It never was, never will be. Originally, I had made it about me. About the kudos, the book tours, the fame, the fortune. That is the farthest thing from the truth. The truth is it’s never about the writer. It’s about what the writer has to say – the extraction of words forming into sentences, then into chapters, then finally into a story with a beginning, middle and end.  Writers are just channels for something bigger than us. The story is the end product. The author’s baby. It’s the journey of writing the story – the blood, sweat and tears -  the push, push, push, that gives it life and gives it a voice. It’s carrying around something of value inside of you until you’re ready to let it go, let it be. Authors are the keepers of stories. They come to us, and we must care for them. Then, we must give our stories away when they are needed.
This is thinking big, but acting small. Knowing you’re only a  humble channel, as vessel to hold a story inside of you for a little while, until it grows big enough and strong enough to come out. The point is a story never really belongs to us. It belongs to everyone. And it should be shared.

So, if you think have something to say. Chances are, you probably do. Share it.

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