Graciela West is an aspiring writer and pens The Write Soul column for The Obsessed Writers Group Newsletter. She is a gifted writer, storyteller and poet and her words are thought-provoking, inspiring and encouraging to her fellow writers. Like fine wine, Grace's words grow stronger with each passing day....
Enjoy this collection of her thoughts and musings...
~~Healing Your Psyche Through Words~~
This week we will explore how words are used to heal and strengthen our psyche.
The definition of words is something that is said, sound, speech, talk, and discourse. But, from my own experiences words have been the tools to
build confidence, empower, disarm, provide assurance, cause insecurity, give hope, cause despair, connect, or tear apart. Words can be signs and gestures—shrugs of the shoulders, the flip of the third finger, a circle with the first and third fingers—all these gestures are words with meaning--powerful tools.
Writers should not hesitate to tap into the power of words and self-medicate themselves with those wonderful elixirs. Use words to self-heal, soothe
and encourage the wordsmiths in charge of shaping words and sending them out to the world.
Today, write a letter to yourself. In the letter, start by warmly greeting yourself, then proceed to state the purpose of the letter. Tell yourself that you are writing to say how grateful you are to have the wonderful attributes that you possess. Tell yourself how your kindness affects your life. Writers use words to earn a living. They organize describe, command, teach and encourage, but they rarely use the healing power of words on themselves.
It is like doctors who have access to medicine, but they are usually non-compliant with medical recommendations regarding their own health. As writers, we have a gold mine of healing in store for us. Let us tap into the healing power of words and do our service for others without forgetting the service to ourselves.
For more information about word therapy and the training guide, visit the website of the National Association for Poetry Therapy.
Here are two websites with word therapy information—www.spcsb.org/advoc/poetrytx.html
and www.reinventmyself.com/wordhealing.html.
My son was three. He was playing by the bank of a river one moment then in a flash, rushing, white waters covered him and carried him away. The water would swirl then a momentary calm would happen. During the calm, my son's head would emerge and he took a breath. It seemed as if it the event ran in a slow motion pace. Finally, when he was within reach, I grabbed for him, but he was slippery and the swift water would pull him under and he would bob up somewhere else.
Death loomed, but I realized that I could lose time trying to grab him, or I could anticipate where he would surface and grab him then. Onlookers gasped, horrified as they saw me stand still and watch my son struggle in the water.
The logic worked on the first try. I anticipated where he would surface in the torrid water, moved in closely, and I grabbed him. That time he did not slip away from my hands.
That is a true story, but reading it you may never get the sense that it was one of the most horrendous days in my life. My dread, disgust, and relief do not emerge in my message.
Readers want to learn, feel, and understand something that they can relate to, but at the same time, they seek something outside of themselves. Any parent's heart would ache at the thought of their child in a near drowning event, but if I want to tell my story and request that you give me the time of day, then at least I could be honest with you. If the event remains too painful then I should not mention it. It is unfair to present an anemic synopsis and expect that you would be happy to read my work simply because I wrote it.
Writing is at its best when it reveals conviction. Even if you are writing fiction, the story must first be feasible to you before you can convince readers of the possibilities. In non-fiction, passion also has a place. If you write about different types of coffee, or the state of affairs, when you write a piece, leave a bit of yourself in the work.
In earlier centuries when the Muslims received commission to do works of art, they placed writings glorifying Allah in discreet places on the artwork. The conviction of the artist remains embedded in the work; the church in
Share a piece of yourself in your work.
~~Conquering the Writer Blues~~
For a year, I shared office space with a colleague. Our friendship grew and over a period of time he became more expressive. Sometimes Mike would saunter into work late, express his impatience with his clients and down swigs of Maalox during the course of the day. Once I asked him how he would feel if the world ended that day; he stated he would be angry because he was not living the life he wanted to live.
Mike graduated high school, completed four years of college, then four years of medical school, and capped it off with three years of low-paying overworked residency. He knew his job well and he did an excellent job. This man went into debt, and spent hours studying in order to perform his craft as a doctor. But being human, Mike grew weary of what he was doing—day after day.
The same can happen to a writer. Some days the words just will not come and we get weary of the rejections, weary of writing to please, and weary of not knowing exactly what is expected.
This is when it is easy to put the pen down or ignore the computer and forget about writing. If Mike did not read a medical journal or practice his medicine for two months, I guarantee there would be changes in his field that he would have missed, and he would be a less effective practitioner. It is the same with writing, as writers we must write even when we don’t feel like it.
Here are some tips to get you over the writer’s blues.
Just like my friend Mike, sometimes he is weary, but he is always a doctor.
~~Passions and Goals~~
The world is full of average people. Yet, there are people who rise above average to become outstanding. These people are passionate.
The people who gain notoriety are the people with passion. Stephen King is passionate about the supernatural, Grisham is passionate about law, and Danielle Steele is passionate about romance. These writers have found their niche and they settled in and expanded. Their passion ignited within them and spread to millions of people over the world.
In 2007, find your passion about writing and set goals towards your passion. If your passion remains the center of your goals then if you don’t accomplish a particular goal you are not a failure because there are other supporting goals working towards the central passion.
You may prefer not to make resolutions because you feel that you cannot control life. Yes, writing a story is no guarantee an editor will like it. The fact is, you wrote the story. Now it is up to you to find a route to get your story heard.
Your goals are your own, and they should be dear and clear to you. In any state you find yourself and despite any challenge you face, your goals should remain poignant reminders of your heart’s desire—your passion.
Many writers are hooked on a passion that is not their own. In his book, "On Writing," Stephen King wrote that as a child he would transcribe stories and show them to his mother. One day his mother asked him why he didn’t write his own story. He did. He wrote many stories and many were rejected, but that did not dull his passion. He wrote when he worked two jobs, he wrote when he had little children and he wrote when he was stoned. His passion remained his focus and despite a horrible motor vehicle accident that caused him great pain—he continued to write.
Here are a few tips to find your passion.
The list is endless, business, health, philosophy, and religion—take your choice and find your passion in 2007.
~~Johnny Mattis Analogy~~
Last year, Johnny Mathis, the singer, celebrated his 50th anniversary in show business.
Over the years, when I saw Johnny Mathis on a talk or variety show, he was always impeccably dressed, and his mellifluent voice matched his smooth moves. He made everything he did look natural.
But, from the show, I learned a few interesting facts. Johnny Mathis put a lot of work into what I believed was only a natural outflow of talent. I discovered that there were a few parallels in the life of Johnny Mathis, the successful singer, and what it takes to be a successful writer. Here are a few points I observed:
Make a choice. Mr. Mathis had chosen between an Olympic trial and the opportunity to sign with a record company. His choice was his passion—to sing.
Training is important. As a youngster, Mr. Mathis spent years in training. In exhange for voice lessons, he did chores around his teacher’s house. Writers can get their training in colleges, correspondence schools, internet courses, a mentor, or self-study books. It is important for writers to know the rules of grammar, and the various formats required in their fields.
Even after years of singing the same songs, Mr. Mathis practices his voice scales daily. He called it fine-tuning his "craft." Writers need to write and sharpen their skills. Daily practice will eventually set writers apart according to their style and skill level.
At 70, Mr. Mathis keeps physically fit by eating a balanced diet and frequently playing golf when he is not performing. Likewise, writers should practice healthy habits for the mind and body. A healthy body will provide the physical stamina a writer needs, and a healthy mind will better manage stress and fatigue, thus guarding against writer’s block.
Make it look easy. Despite the number of rewrites, the hours of research, and the energy it took to write the article, make it shine as if it took no effort. Enjoy what you do, so that if you find yourself writing for fifty years, you can smile, glide, and love it.
Be encouraged, initially, even after national exposure and making top hits, Mr. Mathis did not make a lot of money. For years, he continued to sing for colleges and the small venues that welcomed him. Not all writers will be able to write for the large magazines, nor will all writers create bestsellers. It is still important to do what writers do—write.
It may appear that luck is behind the success of many great people. However, what appears to be natural talent is often years of hard work and commitment. Work hard, although you may not be the best seller today, perhaps in a few years, after fine tuning your craft, you will be the Nobel Laureate you worked hard to become.
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