Friday, February 18, 2011

Happy Writers Society: Writing For Many And Writing For One

I'm pretty sure my dear friend Candice is a mind reader, because I had no clue what to write for HWS today and this lovely guest post popped up in my inbox, like a little miracle. Thank you, Candi! If you don't know Candi, she is one of those people who is extraordinarily good at making a person feel special. Every time I see her or speak with her, I'm left smiling and feeling like someone truly took the time to say, "Hey, I care about you." She's also an amazing writer.


Writing for Many and Writing for One

by Candice Kennington


As writers I think we all appreciate the power of the written word. I believe there is much truth in the saying , “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Lives, families, religions, and nations are built with words. Great works of fiction are no exception to this phenomenon. Dickens, Voltaire, Austen, Sinclair, and countless others wrote stories that highlighted societal injustices. Equal rights, child labor, government corruption, almost any social issue you can think of has been and still is influenced by the words of great fiction writers.


Other writings may contribute in seemingly smaller, but equally important ways. Entertainment to fill a dark day. Empathy from a main character, who while fictional, seems to express exactly how you feel. A conversation starter with a potential friend. A bridge builder between generations. The power and possibilities of the written word are astounding.


In general (when I’m not delusional) I aspire to share my words in the lesser ways. I hope my stories will entertain, touch, and maybe in some small way influence my readers. It seems like a small dream. My book in someone’s hand. My words, a drop of water in the sea of the published word. I work hard for this dream, crafting and editing and laboring over my writing. I read and study and spend countless hours working for the hope that my words will matter. And then I remember, my words matter now. I do not have to be published to write something meaningful. I don’t even have to write a story. A thoughtful email, a relevant poem, a blog post, an inscription in a book all have power.


I will never forget a letter my mother wrote me in high school. In it she said, “Candi, sometimes you’re that square peg and the people around you are trying to force you into a round hole. Never forget that you are perfect just the way you are.” Those words were powerful. They spoke to my fragile teenage heart. They changed me. In college a friend wrote a one line inscription in a book she gave me. It simply said, “A book about the miracles of living to a friend who has also opened my eyes to them.” I cannot tell you how good that made me feel and how much I still love that friend.


When this business gets discouraging and crazy and sometimes I wonder if anyone will ever care how much of myself and my life I’ve poured into developing my craft, I try to remember there are ways I can use my writing and love of words right now. Today. Ways that matter to the people I love. When I remember that it puts life in perspective. It lifts up my heart. It makes my all my work seem like time well spent.

17 comments:

  1. Aw, thanks, Natalie!! You're making me miss you even more! *sigh, sniff* I'm all mopey here today and your comment made me feel so much better!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a fabulous post! I completely agree that words matter whether they are "published" or not. That's why I love hand-writing notes and letters, even if they take longer.

    Thanks for the reminder that all words have value. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kristan, the hand written ones are the best! To me it says your really care.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I had a teacher who shared the same sentiment, telling us our goal should not be getting published--but making a difference with our words everyday. That's something we can do on our own. It's not dependent on a million other pieces that have to fit just right to work out. It's something we can do now.

    And it sounds like your mom is a living inspirational poster--what a great quote :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for this post! We all need reminding that our words matter, and they mean most when we help each other. All the best! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Candice! This is so true! Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Just what I needed to read today. Thanks, Candi.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is such a great post. Exactly what I need to remember. Thanks, Candice!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love this, simply love it. Thank you for the all too important reminder, Candice!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a beautiful post. Thank you so much for sharing, Candi + Natalie!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful post! The written word is powerful in all its forms and this is a great reminder of how we can use them in simple ways to make a big impact. Thanks for sharing :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. This was a really good choice in guest post. Thanks for sharing Candi and Natalie! :) Good to reassure everyone that what they write always matters no matter what it is.

    ReplyDelete
  13. With regards to your mother’s comment my father taught me something similar. He said, “Perfection’s relative.” A hammer is the perfect instrument for embedding nails in a piece of wood but a sledgehammer is the wrong tool for breaking up a cake of toffee. And depending on the diameter a round peg will go through a square hole; it just won’t be a perfect fit but perhaps it doesn’t need to be. If a short story competition has a maximum word count of 5000 and you’ve said all you have to say in 2000 why try to pad it to fit?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful post and so true. This is one of the reasons I love to (hand)write letters to friends as I know it will cheer their days up. Words are powerful and we should never forget the impact they can have.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Our words can change a life, move a mountain, open a child's mind...so very powerful, these things called 'words'. Thank you for a beautifully expressed perspective. Susan

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, exactly what I needed. Such a beautiful post and cheered me up so much. I'm actually starting to wonder what I did before I found this blog. It's helped me so much. Thanks Natalie and Candi for this post.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is SO inspiring. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete