Tell Your Story

Everyone has a story to tell. Sadly, most will never get around to telling it. And, the excuses used could be just the material needed to get it started. I believe that the novel that has lived solely in your head for decades, the poems that camp on the tip of your tongue or the words to a song you have longed to sing all make up your greater story; a story that only you can tell. And you should, tell it.

For me, it was Anne. She has been begging me to tell her story for the last 20 years or so, and my only regret is keeping it locked away and in effect, her. Its not for lack of desire, because I have all the desire to write I will ever need, but focus that kept me from making any real progress in the direction I needed to go. In fact, its something I have to actively work on, but when focused, I produce work I am proud of.

Write now, Edit later

One of the other biggest obstacles to progress is the need or desire to be perfect. I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase, “progress over perfection,” but if you haven’t, it means just that, to prefer progress as opposed to striving for perfection. You could even say that one might sacrifice perfection for the sake of progress. Sometimes, that's just what we need to do.

And, isn’t that what life is all about, sacrifice, even if we don’t realize we are doing it. We sacrifice time with our families to make a living or to build a company. We sacrifice our dreams for security, or the illusion of it. But, for some of us, its extremely difficult not chase perfection. It would mean ignoring misspellings, run-on sentences, or other grammatical errors just so we can get something out of our heads. To make progress. It also means resisting the urge to read what you just wrote, until its time to edit. So, if you are just getting started or have been writing for many years, this is your friendly reminder to write now, and edit later.

Audience of 1

Im going to be completely honest when I say that your primary audience should be you. Write for yourself first, and others second or not at all. There are some out there that will tell you that you need to write for your audience, but I don’t think that’s always true. When you write because you can’t not write, its not to grow a following, make money, or impress others. Its because the burning deep inside won’t stop until you do, and that’s the greatest motivation you could ever have, because if at the end of the day, you are your only reader, that will be enough.

But, since there are billions of people in the world, there is at least a small likelihood your work will find an audience. I wrote this article for me, because I needed to, but am overjoyed you are here reading it.

Publishing not Required

I think that many of us, when we start something like to be able to picture the end result. It gives us something to work towards. In the case of writing, that may be having our article or short story published somewhere and it being read and enjoyed by thousands. This can be another blocker to just getting started, because what do you do if you don’t have a blog? What if nobody reads it? What if people do read it and they hate it?

These are just some very real possibilities, and ones that we have to accept as risks. There is no other way, that is, unless we let it keep us from ever getting started. And to this, I say, refer back to the reason you wanted to write in the first place: because you can’t not write.

My position on AI

In a world where artificial intelligence threatens the very creativity and identity that makes us unique, protect your voice. You have but one.

Therefore, I will never allow any AI to write for me. The only use of AI I have deemed acceptable is that of an inquisitive nature. I may ask for events that happened the year I was born, or what city had the greatest snowfall last year, but every single word you read will be mine. Lets agree to leverage AI, and not let it speak for us.

Stop thinking. Start writing.

I first started ChronicleMine as a place to help me organize my thoughts and hide the noise. It was the editor that didn’t exist and the one I thought I needed. Turns out, I was solving the wrong problem, only further delaying my true calling. I didn’t need my ideal editor, but rather to find my focus, to get my happy back. But who knows, it may return someday.

Writing is creative, empowering, inspiring, and an outlet for all the emotions and desires we keep within. So, that novel, poem, song, biography, or whatever else clawing its way to the surface, its time to give it life, to let it breathe.

Everyone has a story to tell. What’s yours?