Why I Write - The Need to Express

The one thing I love about writing is the fear and exhilaration of the abstract mind. There is a truth, a care, a vulnerable totality of expression once shared, is given with the intent to uplift others.

I cannot think of a time where I didn’t want to write. From the moment I could master a crayon, I was drawing stories. Stories fill my head. Stories stay in my head. When they stay, stories need to be told. I have boxes of unfinished stories. I will go back to these at some point to understand not so much my thought process but to understand why these stories were important to put pencil to paper.

There is a purpose behind stories. Before writing tools, the purpose of cave drawings was to teach. The indigenous verbal storytelling of African, North and South American people is intended to teach and educate every new generation about their culture, myths, and place in the universe. Stories connect us. The need to express stories is to remind us of our roots.

Stories impart the importance of preserving our humanity and our responsibility to each other and our universe.

Why I wrote Mrs. Langlois' Hosue

Why did Mrs. Langlois’ House come to be as opposed to any other story? I want to give voice to the cultural expectations placed on young women, both overtly and subtly. There are unspoken cultural expectations, which impact young adult women. I initially set out to write a story about a typical teenage angst, which then became an exploration of what are the cultural pressures that women pass on to their daughters.

The characters survive out of necessity. While this is a timeless coming of age story, the characters have an intrinsic strength born out of necessity. Their ambitions are stunted because of necessity. Their economic freedom is stunted because of necessity. Their education is stunted because of necessity. Why? They want their story to be more than washing clothes, sewing, cooking, sowing fields. I wanted to understand what is lost and what is gained as they interact with each other.

When Your Story is Reflected, Your Perspective Changes

When you are touched by something deep inside a story, your perspective of your world and the world around you changes. You begin to see there are more opportunities. More importantly, you begin to believe anything you choose to do can be achieved.

When your story is reflected, you are stirred by hope, kindness and engagement. From these states, flows the ethereal memory we are rooted in our connection to inspire others. Connection gives us a sense of unity. My hope, as my writing evolves, is there will be a story or two where young adult readers find a connection.

I encourage young adult readers to reader all sorts of genres. You will expand your understanding of who you are, so you will be less fearful of who you are to become. This is what inspirational stories does for you – you will learn and grow.

Do you write?

Have you always wanted to be a writer? Are you just starting out? What inspires you? Share your story, I'd love to hear from you!