How to Become a Writer

The past is gone. We've all heard this. Here’s one way to use it for the written word.

I’m often asked about how to become a writer and coming up with ideas to which I respond that a rich imagination is fueled by nurturing the subconscious.  However, our psyches or what Jungians call the shadow self can be a place of darkness, hence that area— akin to wisdom—is a double-edged sword. Personally I live for that journey but if you’re uncomfortable with the excavation there is an alternative. We all have stored memories that reside in our conscious mind.  

Have you ever had one of those encounters in which someone says something and you are rendered speechless? After the dust settles and you’ve parted ways, you come up with half a dozen appropriate or not so appropriate responses.

You can hit replay that leads to no avail or toss it away as hindsight but in writing, we have an opportunity to relive confrontations, conversations, interactions, and situations—and even change outcomes. Through the magic of fiction, we have the opportunity to do what we wish we had done and say what we wanted.

Adding a new twist to an actual life experience doesn’t mean creating a happily ever after tale that concludes with perfection. Just as we become who we are by being tested in life, our characters should come against adversity too.  Strong stories require growth, conflict and change.

As a writer, you have the power to pen a happy ending, but an unexpected yet satisfying conclusion will pleasantly surprise readers, and not leave them disappointed by a predictable outcome. Or perhaps a rewritten version of your truth won’t end on a cheerful note, just a different one.

What do you think of this psychological approach? How would you rewrite one of your experiences?