Telling Your Story

Is now a good time to do it?

Hi, Kelly Eden here from Medium.

I have a special class to tell you about today, but first I’d like to share what I’ve been reading.

A beautiful essay by American writer C Pam Zhang popped into my inbox this afternoon. She describes our current situation as “facing the mountain that is grief” and talks about the difficulty of writing well in times of crisis.

Worry, stress, and anxiety don’t fit well with creativity, do they. Often we simply can’t write when there’s a crisis and that’s okay. We need to wait for distance from the mountain; for that moment where we can look back at it and see it more clearly.

Here’s a small extract from her essay:

“We come to the page when, turning back to face the mountain, we are far enough that we can finally discern the shape of it that was ungraspable from the peak. Then you can breathe and rest; then you can appreciate the loveliness of the moon, the syllable.

You can take out your chisel and your hammer, which were never lost; you have all the time in the world to make, in miniature, a piece of art that captures the wilds of your grief.

Until then, you are allowed to be tired, you are allowed to be footsore and heartsick, you are allowed to lay down your pen and focus on survival.”

It’s okay if right now you feel too tired to write, too distracted, too worried.

I wrote about this yesterday in my Medium article:

How to Get Through Low-Tide Times

Some of us, though, prefer to express our feelings in times like these. I often use writing to process my thoughts and emotions. It’s a powerful act and is why a lot of therapists recommend journalling.

If you’re one of those people who processes through your writing, now is the perfect time to tell your story.

I’ve decided I’d like to support those of you who want to spend this time improving your craft and writing your personal story.

Personal Essay Class

I’ll be running a class next week on personal story-telling and by the end of it you’ll have produced a 1000 word personal essay—a good length for publishing on Medium, pitching to an editor, or just sharing with your family.

I want everyone to be able to access individual feedback, so I’ll be keeping the class numbers to a maximum of 10. If you’re keen to join me for the week, flick me a message. As it’s my first class like this I’m going to keep it super cheap ($20USD for the week).

If you’d prefer one-on-one coaching on a specific project you’re working on right now, let me know.

Keep well,

Kelly