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Writer's picturePatricia Chaffee

A Writing Life Redefined

As I began my commitment to working on my book, symbolically on my birthday, it feels like, for the first time in a long time, I am living a writing life. A feeling I haven’t felt in a while. This time, I’m not doing a freelance gig for a magazine. I’m not prepping for a writing retreat. I’m not getting ready to present a spiritual retreat at a church or a writing workshop at a library. I’m not even giving a marketing talk to a local nonprofit. Those all had a purpose and spoke to me in some way.


But today…I’m writing for the sheer joy of it.


I’m writing because my story is one I feel called, compelled even, to share. To get it down. To find the words to articulate a journey to the writing life I’ve been living for years. For much of that time, I was writing other people’s stories, as a reporter and freelance writer. I’m really good at that. But this time, I’m writing my own story.


Mason's Island rainbow, Mystic, CT

It is a whole different feeling..a whole different challenge.


There is a certain degree of detachment in telling another’s story. But we can’t detach when telling our own, right? All sorts of feelings are coming up as I relive memories of my journey. All sorts of awarenesses are showing up. Some good, some not so good. Not unlike a meditation, I’m just becoming aware of things I hadn’t noticed at the time. But upon reflection, it’s like, “oh yeah. How bout that.”


I think we grow when we take a journey and grow further when we reflect on it. So perhaps any memoir is the combined result of the experience we initially live and the discoveries that happen when we reflect on it. It’s a process thing.


It’s also a calling.


When we feel called to do something like share our story, we HAVE to do it. It will nag us until we respond to the call. My two sons/muses, have been telling me for years, “Write the book Mom. Just write the book!”


I have loads of material I’ve written for a contemporary romance novel. I call that genre my “playground,” because I enjoy it so much. I love writing fiction. I’ve shared snippets of it with my writing group in the past and they wanted more. It’s always a good sign when your reader wants more. And I wanted to write more. But for reasons I admit, I don’t understand, I knew I had to get my memoir done first. THEN, and only then would I be free to write fiction.


I feel like my story needed to be shared with every writer who thinks they can’t do this. Every writer who doesn’t have traditional credentials, experience, a support network, or the belief in themselves to write. I feel very passionately that emerging writers need support and need to know they can do this. Just like I did. Although our paths might not be identical, there is nothing to stop you. That’s why this book, and yours, has to be written. So go write ! And I’ll try to keep up.


Abundant blessings on this amazing journey,

Patty


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