Heroes and stories go together like boiling water and tea leaves. Every story has a hero. Every hero has a problem. Somehow, when immersed in hot water, the hero wins a tale. No problem, no hero, no story.
Joseph Campbell found stories of heroes everywhere. Martha Beck called one period of her cycle of change “The Hero’s Journey”. Face a problem, solve it, face another problem, solve it - humans tell, see, and live that pattern deeply.
I’ve been living my own story recently.
I remember reading one critic - name and book now lost to time - who offered the theory that Richard Nixon put himself through his political ups and downs so that he could write books about it. The comment stayed with me because sometimes I am like that.
(Except I haven’t been subverting the democratic process and lying to the American people.)
I find meaning in telling what happens to me.
Do I go farther? Do I in fact create dramas just so I can tell about them later? Not that I’m aware of. So I doubt that Nixon arranged to be caught and impeached so that he could write about it.
But this much is true: when I hit difficult stretches, I want to write about it. Recently, when my business began getting feedback from the world that I was off course, I discovered a strong urge to write about the struggle. Writing - in my journal, to friends, on my blog and in a private forum - felt like a lifeline. More than that, writing felt like a light guiding me out of my dilemma. And eventually, it did.
If you are struggling, try casting the events as your own hero’s story. Write about it publicly or privately. Find an audience for your saga.
And if you need a sympathetic ear or if you need help shaping the story, talk to me.
Dynamic listening for insight, relief, and strategic action: $90 per hour.
Fast, friendly, sensitive, and professional editing: $45 per hour.
The Wishing to Writing Course: All the tools you need to solve your writing problems on your own: $27 at www.WishingToWriting.com/Writing_Course