You're an Expert at Your Own Story

Any aspiring writer, any human for that matter, has a story to tell. Here is the thing, everyone is an expert at their own story. You are the only expert at your story, in fact, because you are the only one who has lived through it. No one else knows the ins and outs of every feeling you experienced, nor the thoughts that went through your head during each event that has taken place in your life. You don’t have to feel stuck, believing you don’t have a story to tell. Write what you know, tell your story.

There is no doubt a willingness needed to be open with the public, and ever so easily critical, eye. For some, the thought of sharing almost any personal story, no matter how trivial, may be anxiety inducing. I have to say from experience, it is liberating to put your own personal, sticky, emotional story out there and be freed by receiving feedback, whether positive or critical. Even if the feedback is judgemental or ill intended, the act of taking these words, digesting them and learning from all of them is quite the growing process. If you keep an open mind and mull over how you could incorporate those “suggestions”, then inevitably you will encounter growth; something I am always advocating for.

If fiction is your true love, and writing your own story as a non-fictional piece is of no interest to you, then use your life experiences by weaving them into your fictional story. You are still writing what you know and the story you are trying to tell will be stronger for it. Pull from memories of utter heartache or pure bliss to use as a lense to tell your character’s story through. This can create strong, relatable characters for your reader to become invested.

People are interested in other’s stories. Humans want to understand others, and if they have a way to read your inner dialogues through your story, there will be intrigue. Satisfy your readers by feeding their inquisitive appetite through the telling of your story.