Anyone can be a writer

thoughts inspired by a conversation over tea

The other day I had tea with my older sister, Elizabeth, in her new apartment. It’s a rare thing for my sister and I to meet in the morning for tea because of our schedules. More hers than mine, if I’m being honest. She’s had a regular 9-5 job for years and years, while I’ve been working from home with a really flexible boss (that boss is me).

Recently my sister’s schedule changed. Partly because of being let go from her job and partly because of her health. She’s a stage four breast cancer survivor, and though she is in remission, cancer and all the treatments she’s had over the past decade have taken a toll on her health. So, she’s not working right now. And if anyone deserves to not be working, it’s her.

As we chatted about the chilly spring weather and her joy at having a patio on which to grow potted plants, she mentioned having an abundance of free time that she wasn’t sure what to do with.

“Why don’t you write that book you’ve always talked about writing?” I said.

She didn’t say anything at first. Not with her words anyway. But her face said a lot. It said, “Oh, I know I’ve talked about that a lot before, but I don’t know if I could actually do it!”

Before I could respond with all the thoughts that were flooding my brain at that moment (“You could totally do it!” and “You’ve started it once before!” and “I’d love to read a space opera written by my sister!”), she said, “I’ve been reading a lot.”

“Reading a lot is the first step to becoming a writer!” I said.

From there the conversation shifted to the topic of what we’ve been reading lately and swapping some book recommendations.

She is not the only one of my siblings to talk about writing a book. My older brother, Michael, often shares poem and songs that he’s written on his facebook page, and pretty regularly when we talk on the phone and he recalls one of the crazy stories from his youth, he says, “I should really write a book.”

And I tell him, “Yeah, you should!” Even if it’s only to get those stories written down to share with the people who love him. He’ll go on to talk about how terrible he is with grammar, punctuation, and whether to use “to” or “too” in a sentence, and I remind him that that’s what editors are for!

Neither Elizabeth nor Michael consider themselves writers. But you don’t have to “be a writer” to write. Just like you don’t have to be a baker to bake a batch of cookies or be a gardener to grow some tomatoes on your patio.

People are creative beings, made in the image of the one who created the universe. Writing is just one way of expressing that God-given creativity, and everyone has the right to try their hand at it if they choose! If you want to write something—a poem, a memoir, or an epic space opera—there is no reason not to. There’s no one guarding the blank journals at Walmart, quizzing you about what you’re going to do with them before they let you buy one. No one will be there looking over your shoulder to stop you if what you’re writing isn’t “good enough.” And there is no rule that says that if you write something you have to share it with anyone.

So if you are one of those people who have thought about writing a book, what’s stopping you? Or perhaps the better question is: Who is stopping you? And my guess is: nobody but yourself.

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A poem about writing:

The Part of Art That I Don't Like

This is the part of art
that I don’t like:
the struggle of transferring
the image in your brain
onto the screen
or the page
or the sticky note you reached for 
in a sudden flash of…

what was it?
It felt like brilliance 
a moment ago.

But just the act of opening the notebook
or picking up a pencil
or reaching for that pad of sticky notes
was enough to make you 
pause
wonder 
doubt
if it’s worth putting down at all.

Why not keep it safe inside
the protective walls of your mind
where no one can see,
no one can agree
with the doubts shouting silently, 
Let it be.

But you know better 
than to listen to them.

You pick up a pencil
and begin.

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Some books on writing that could be helpful

• Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine, the author of Ella Enchanted. I haven’t read this whole book, only the first few chapters, but those chapters are full of encouragement and helpful writing prompts for people who want to write stories.

• The Poetry Home Repair Manual by Ted Kooser and A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver. Again, I haven’t read these cover-to-cover, but these books are by two of my favorite poets, so if you’d like to try your hand at poetry, check them out!

• Picture Writing by Anastasia Suen. This one is specifically about writing for children, from board books to young adult. It has a lot of helpful writing exercises!

• On Writing by Stephen King. I don’t read much of his work these days, but I did enjoy this memoir that is full of childhood stories and advice for writers. I recommend this book for adults or mature teens.

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