I love this. The focus on craft. I’m a writer who does need to write to feel good about the day and it’s always been so daunting -- until I shifted my focus to learning, exploring craft. It took the “mystery” out of writing and replaced it with curiosity and creativity. It is still hard but less frightening, more engaging.
Oohh, I’m so eager to read your perspective on imposter syndrome. It’s something I’ve been thinking and writing about too (a newsletter to come). Not only as someone who’s bathed in it for decades, but now seeing how it manifests in so many of my clients. Often in ways I wouldn’t expect. It’s such a common experience for so many women. I know men can experience it too, but our culture really sets women up for it.
This post really struck a chord with me, in part because writing profiles is so hard! Especially when you have limited time with the person. I worked on a sensitive profile last week, which came out in Trail Runner yesterday. I was fortunate to get to know this person and her husband closely, and her story was so compelling, the middle part definitely wasn't hollow :-). (here's the link if you're interested https://www.trailrunnermag.com/people/live-through-this/) The story almost wrote itself—almost. I find the hardest thing about profile writing is caring so much about that person and consequently worrying what they'll think of the end product. How do you squish or slice their life into fewer than 3000 words? Consequently, I procrastinated and sweated the details. Anyway, the main point of this note is, you are definitely a writer and a good one! You brought not only journalistic skills but storytelling skills to your book. Writing isn't just about painting a picture with words, or inventing stories and characters in fiction; for nonfiction, it's also about filtering and organizing a mountain of info into manageable, readable, compelling paragraphs, which you certainly do. Please keep at it!
I love this. The focus on craft. I’m a writer who does need to write to feel good about the day and it’s always been so daunting -- until I shifted my focus to learning, exploring craft. It took the “mystery” out of writing and replaced it with curiosity and creativity. It is still hard but less frightening, more engaging.
Oohh, I’m so eager to read your perspective on imposter syndrome. It’s something I’ve been thinking and writing about too (a newsletter to come). Not only as someone who’s bathed in it for decades, but now seeing how it manifests in so many of my clients. Often in ways I wouldn’t expect. It’s such a common experience for so many women. I know men can experience it too, but our culture really sets women up for it.
I'm terrible at the lede and kicker - always an afterthought. I need someone else to help me add the sprinkles!
This post really struck a chord with me, in part because writing profiles is so hard! Especially when you have limited time with the person. I worked on a sensitive profile last week, which came out in Trail Runner yesterday. I was fortunate to get to know this person and her husband closely, and her story was so compelling, the middle part definitely wasn't hollow :-). (here's the link if you're interested https://www.trailrunnermag.com/people/live-through-this/) The story almost wrote itself—almost. I find the hardest thing about profile writing is caring so much about that person and consequently worrying what they'll think of the end product. How do you squish or slice their life into fewer than 3000 words? Consequently, I procrastinated and sweated the details. Anyway, the main point of this note is, you are definitely a writer and a good one! You brought not only journalistic skills but storytelling skills to your book. Writing isn't just about painting a picture with words, or inventing stories and characters in fiction; for nonfiction, it's also about filtering and organizing a mountain of info into manageable, readable, compelling paragraphs, which you certainly do. Please keep at it!
You are certainly a writer--an EXCELLENT one. I was surprised that you don't feel the tug to express yourself like I and many writers do.
Your core was compelling, and you did a great job intertwining writing "advice" within the story about Suni.