Did you spot the two mistakes in my letter yesterday?
Especially you’re instead of your? If you did you are my favorite kind of person.
(I noticed as soon as I hit send—face palm).
It won’t be the only time. I write your letters fast and with passion. They’re love letters because writers are my favorite group of people.
Who else gets excited by em-dashes and emotional arcs?!
You GET it. And you’re how I know writers still matter in our AI-filled future/present.
I especially believe your STORIES matter. I don’t want to read a memoir or personal piece written by a non-human.
No-one wants that.
Human writing needs to focus on real people and real stories to stand out.
That’s where our irreplaceable value is.
A controversial story
One of our writing family recently sent me a story she’s about to publish in her organisation’s magazine. She interviewed someone with a sensitive but important story to tell. A story that would challenge the organisation.
One of her workmates read it and was hesitant.
Was it too sensitive to publish? Would it upset people? Would it rock the boat?
I told her, “Publish anyway. I hope it does upset people! I hope it upsets them enough to make changes.”
Because stories have the power to do that.
Your story, other people’s stories.
Human stories impact other humans. They move us, challenge us, help us see another perspective, help us feel heard, understood, or to understand others.
If you’re ready to tell stories that make an impact, come hang out for 6-weeks in July/August.
P.S. Congratulations to Lisa, one of our family who is storming ahead with her personal essays and just had another one published with Mamamia Australia!
"Human stories impact other humans. They move us, challenge us, help us see another perspective, help us feel heard, understood, or to understand others. "
With any luck at all people will actually remember what they've read, and perhaps think about those perspectives and understandings as they move forward.