For BIPOC Storytellers: You Know You Want to Write...Now What?
A while back, I had a writing retreat participant who was a natural at storytelling...
Whether she was writing or talking, she couldn’t help but relate every part of a story with so much detail, humor, and passion that readers and listeners hung on every word. And she wasn’t even a writer; she was simply a woman with a distinct point of view and a gift for narrative. But though she was a natural, until that point she’d been held back by her fear that, as a Korean American adoptee, readers would question her distinct point of view and that her storis would be unwelcome. The experience of sharing her work in a supportive environment with other women of color was a revelation for her and she recently asked me for some direction regarding next steps she could take as a budding writer. I’d received that request many times before and knew that the answers I provided would support a lot of other people who dream of writing but don’t know where to start — so I’m sharing what I said here.
The first thing I told her was that, given the enormity of the task, she should take her time in setting a course. Then I gave her a list of questions to ask herself which could provide some inner guidance and recommended that she start journaling her answers, recording them on her phone, or talking them through with a friend (or even a therapist!). Then I listed out some questions:
What do you want to write? Is there something you’ve been itching to birth or are you simply feeling as if something is nudging you to create without clear direction?
Both are valid starting points. Even if you’re not completely sure of your answer or it doesn’t feel like the perfect time to start that big project, no work is ever wasted. You might just surprise yourself with what emerges.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Narrative Shifts to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.