ABCs for New Writers - "I" is for Inspire

For all intents and purposes I mean inspire others, but as with everything, this is somewhat karmic (what goes out comes back tenfold). Why? As you uplift others and propel them forward to follow their own dreams, so too are you moved forward toward your own. Deep, huh? Some day you’ll find that quote in Bartlett’s.

I witness it each day in my own life as well as the lives of my fellow writers. When you are able to share your stories, struggles and triumphs included, the individuals who follow your progress also become ready to try their hand at what they want most out of life. In other words, before you even publish your very first work you can affect lives. Ultimately isn’t that why we become writers, because we want to touch people, to pass on a message, to help them in some small way?

I interpret a writers “voice” in this way. It is the message that one intends to convey not the means by which one conveys it. (Boy, Bartlett’s here I come!) And though voice is a topic for another day, one that you will understand better by the time we get there, it bears weight in today’s conversation. As you share your story, your progress, you develop your voice.

I get e-mails from friends and readers regularly that say simply, “great job!” or “keep going!” Those small messages give me the courage I need to keep walking the path toward my ultimate goal of becoming a published author. The best ones though are the ones that read, “This was just what I needed to hear today. Thank you.” Those words can keep me going strong for days.

Reading the blogs of my fellow writers I see the same messages shared in the comments. In turn, I hear them speak about how friends and followers have inspired them and the circle continues because then I am inspired to share my story with you hoping that you will tell your story…see where I’m going with this. It creates a visual Microsoft might envy for a screen-saver – colorful, dramatic circles of sharing that keep going and going until someone touches the keyboard.

There are so many ways to share your story in today’s digital world. If you are afraid, or don’t understand something, ask for help. You can write a blog, tweet on Twitter, post your story on Facebook or all of the above, all in short bursts of words, that if done strategically, not only inspire others but help develop your platform and grow your audience. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. After all, we’re only at the letter “I”.

Join the conversation. Have you reached others by sharing your story? Would you like to? What would hold you back? What is your favorite comment, so far?

Until Wisdom Wednesday and Part II of Love in Five Parts, I remain Unstoppable.

Thursday's Paranormal File - The End of the Story

I (aka Lucy) grew up in a subdivision that was constructed atop Healy Plantation just north of Macon, Georgia. Active during the Civil War, the remnants of the plantation offer plenty of history to inspire one's imagination. The subdivision is riddled with graves, both marked and unmarked, and is known to experience odd paranormal activity. The snake and the stallion, though strangely romantic, did appear to me in just this way. And the whisper, well, that is wholly true as well. Not scary, but very real.

I have always believed in life beyond what we know. Though I have a hard time wanting to believe it is something tortured or gruesome, I do feel that it exists. Owning this belief is what drives me to be a storyteller of the Southern derivation.

Tanya Michaels (Michna) challenged us in a workshop not too long ago to call out our "voice" in three words. When I think about those words, ghost stories come to mind. They are part of who I am and what I want to share. So, be it a romance or a mystery, somewhere there will always be entwined a ghoul or two.

Until Monday, I remain Unstoppable.