When Tragedy Strikes, Write

In light of the recent Charleston tragedy, I wanted to take a moment to reveal writing as a healing agent.

This week, communities around South Carolina and the nation are reeling at the horrible massacre that happened at the church in Charleston.  The tragedy is beyond explanation, and many are seeking answers to something unanswerable.

When tragedy strikes, it's a good time to sit down and write.

I'm not talking about fictionalizing the event and making an entertaining story out of it.

For now, I'm talking about searching for emotional healing through writing.  Working through tough questions, anger, and sorrow on paper.

I have been advised numerous times by counselors and people in leadership who are not writers to use the pen to release my frustrations.

There is something very healing about the release of emotions on a page. 

On more than one occasion, writing has helped me work through very difficult and dark times in my relationships.  Instead of blasting another person with my anger, I took it out on the paper. And somehow, I felt like I had released enough of it to move forward with forgiveness and work out whatever the problem regardless of whether the person even apologized.

Here is a disclaimer about writing to release anger: if you do this, be sure to throw it away.  It will do no good to show it to the person.

The events of this week have stirred up much anger.  I'm angry that someone would do something so heinous.  But instead of publicly attacking the killer, it would be best to attack the page and then throw it away.  Keeping rage circulating is only going to stir the pot further, possibly even causing others to retaliate violently.  Yes, of course we want justice, but that will come eventually and not by our hands.

We don't want retaliation.  We want healing.

It's inevitable that we will all face loss.  Loss is especially hard if it's unexpected like what many are facing this week.

I've found that poetry and journaling helped me to express those sorrowful feelings that I couldn't express verbally.  Once it was out on paper, it felt like I was released more and more from my grief each time.  Whenever depression tries to creep back in, I have found that expressing my feelings through writing helps to curb those hopeless feelings.

Take note that I'm not saying I walked away completely healed in each of these instances.  However, on the road to complete healing, writing has been extremely instrumental.   And I believe it can be for you.

If you are struggling, even if you are not a writer, try to use writing to find healing this week.  Your anger, grief, or sorrow may be totally unrelated to the shooting.  It doesn't matter.

Here are five ways to use writing to deal with tragedy:

1. Freewrite all your thoughts and words.  Let it all out.  This doesn't have to be in complete sentences.  Write anything and everything until you feel you are done. 
2. Write a letter to the offending person.  As long as you don't plan to give it to him or her, freely write all your feelings and emotions in letter form.
3. Try poetry.  Think of an image, such as a familiar object or a nature scene, that expresses how you are feeling and use figurative language to bring that image to life.  Use words that reflect your current emotions.
4. Journal your daily thoughts and emotions.  Take time each day while you are experiencing tragedy or loss to write it out in a journal.  Reread your entries occasionally to see your progress.  
5. Write a letter to the lost loved one.  Tell him or her everything you wished you had done or said and work out unresolved issues.

I'm not going to promise that writing will heal all of your wounds, but I can tell you that it will help you on your road to healing.

How have you used writing to find healing?  Tell me your story below.

Writing is a Noun, Not a Verb

I told you a little about my personal story last week.
 
This week, I'm going to tell you just a little more so you can understand identity.

For some of us, writing is not just a verb, which is something we do.  For a very few of us it's a noun—a thing—an identity we must embrace.

Wide-eyed and wonder-filled

As far as I can remember, stories and poetry have always lived inside of me.  The moment I learned how to release words on the page, I did.
   
At the ready age of 9 or 10 I was actually writing, illustrating and binding my own children's books out of printer paper and manila folders.  And I still have those books somewhere...

I also still have stacks of spiral notebooks of poetry—horrible, simplistic poetry—from the heart of child who thought the world revolved around rhymes and roses.

Not that rhyming or rose poems are bad.

During my teen years, the only thing I knew for certain was that I had to keep writing no matter what.  I didn't know any other way to express myself or my creativity.  

And write I did despite the fact that no one understood me.  Writing released my emotions in such a positive way counseling never could.

Reality packs a punch

Then I stepped into grown-up world of pursuing a career in college.  Reality hit me like a hard punch in the gut.  

The harsh voice in my head insisted that I put away childhood fantasies and look logic dead in the face.

Sadly, towards the end of college life, I chose practical over passion. 

It wasn't an easy choice.  However, teaching guaranteed the rent would be paid.

When college life came to a close, so did my outlet.  So did my dream.

Even still, for years, I continued to write here and there just for fun.  However, I was writing less and less.  Gradually, the words diminished as did my motivation to release them on the page.

Eventually, I buried my talent in the ground.  For twelve years.  

Then there was nothing but struggling and silence.




Something was missing

My biggest problem was that I was not fully embracing who I was meant to be—my identity as a writer.  I didn’t know my full purpose in life.  I excused myself from my calling due to my other daily obligations—school work , job, family.

Because I knew something was missing, I searched for ways to fill the void.  I volunteered at church, changed careers several times, and even started a family.  Even though many of these things brought me joy, still something wasn’t quite right.

Embracing my identity

After shelving my dream for so many years, I finally turned a corner.

I discovered a conference called the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers' Conference.  A conference is like going to a really intense school for a few days to learn about writing and connect with other writers, agents, and editors. 

I had also read a book that confirmed who I was as a writer:  Story Trumps Structure by Steven James, my all time writing hero.

As soon as I began connecting with other writers like me and learning to improve my craft, something happened.


The dam burst.

A geyser of dormant ideas laced with passion blew open.  Stories started dancing within me.  Poetry began singing to me in quiet times of reflection.  Words demanded to be released.  Daily.

Recently, I’ve made a choice, promising myself that despite the cost, I will never, ever look back. 

Now I’m running with it because I am a writer.  

Because of my experience, I am here to help you find it and embrace it as well.

It’s your turn

Tell me below a little bit about yourself. 

How do you feel about yourself as a writer?  What do you like to write?  Who are your writing heroes (favorite authors)?  What is your biggest writing dream?