MAY WRITING EXPERIENCE
Successful Writing Might Require You to Be a Mermaid
May Writing Experience, week 4: Learning to write better stories
You have reached the dragon guarding your treasure. It’s fierce, enchanting, and appears to be asleep with one eye open. Never in your life have you felt so much awe. You know you are in the hall of greatness. Each of the dragon’s scales seems afire with shimmer. Each one reflects your most inner desires, and it’s blinding, confusing, but you cannot look away…until you hear the most wonderous singing from somewhere in the corner of your mind. It’s the sirens’ song, and all that treasure? It can wait another day.
In this last full week of the May Writing Experience, we will study and practice the art of storytelling. We will explore how to write, using our brave truths (and maybe an embellishment or two), in order to connect with our audience in a more authentically human way. We will think about how to incorporate our life stories into articles to connect, enhance, and exemplify our main ideas.
Summary of where we’ve been so far
The May Writing Experience has been life-changing for me in so many ways, which I look forward to reflecting on in the weeks ahead. We began with exploring ideas about our writing muse, delving into the source of our creativity. We then likened our writing journey to the hero’s journey, stepping into the unknown, exploring new territory, and meeting people along the way. We then discovered greatness. We studied how we define greatness and success in the work of others and ultimately in ourselves.
Hint of what’s to come: Returning with the elixir and embracing your creative mind.
Storytelling helps your audience know you
When my sister and I were little, we became obsessed with the idea of being mermaids. For sure, we swam like fish, but we told ourselves the mermaid story so often, we decided to let another little girl in on our secret. The other little girl was what I call a “little while friend.” You’ve had them, I am sure. A “little while friend” is someone you meet on a vacation, for example, who you connect and play with for a short amount of time, and then you never see them again.
When we told our new friend we were mermaids, she looked quite skeptical as we dolphin-dived into the waves, the summer sunlight shimmering in our long hair. Our imaginations were so strong, we almost convinced her that she couldn’t see our fins because she wasn’t a mermaid. (In all fairness, we were only about 5–6 years old.)
What does this story have to do with storytelling?
My point of telling that mermaid bit is this: let your audience see who you are through your writing, bit by bit. Your life story doesn’t have to be one long autobiography (although it can be), but as you build your audience, they will get to know you through the small moments you share. And as people get to know your stories, the points you are trying to make in your writing will ring true.
This seems like an excellent time to let an awesome storyteller do the talking. Margaret Atwood wrote, In the book The World Split Open: Great Authors on How and Why We Write:
Storytelling is not a luxury to humanity; it’s almost as necessary as bread. We cannot imagine ourselves without it, because the self is a story.
“Storytelling is almost as necessary as bread.” That is a powerful statement.
Week 4 Tasks
For the May Writing Experience, this week you probably will be doing more reading than writing. Your job is to study. Your job is to hear the sirens’ song.
- Research and study some Medium nonfiction writers. It doesn’t matter which topic you choose. Go to any topic you are interested in. Look for the “top writers” in that topic or tag. Notice how they weave storytelling almost seamlessly into their work. Take note on how the writers capture your imagination.
- Reflect on the small moments in your life. What themes emerge? What universal truths come up? What lessons have you learned from your life?
- Think about the stories you have read. What makes them compelling? What makes you want to keep reading?
- Try writing a story. Focus on the narrative voice and the pacing of your story. Use the story to draw in your audience. Use your reflection on the small moment to make a point.
Finally, think of yourself as a mermaid enchanting readers with your tales of understanding, humanity, humor, and wisdom. If your stories make your heart sing, chances are, you really are a mermaid.
Samantha Lazar is a mom, writer, and teacher living in North Carolina. Check out her first poetry collection: Reaching Marrakesh.
This story is the introduction to the May Writing Experience week 4, part of a month-long co-hosted writing journey with author, Christina M. Ward. It is never too late to start your journey.
Look for other articles here or under the tag: May Writing Experience.
