Some people
wake every morning with a smile on their face, anxious to start the day. Others
take a little longer to ease into a wakeful state. But we all need a reason to
get out of bed each morning. What is it for you?
Children or
pets who need you?
Your job?
A commitment
to exercise?
Or maybe
just the allure of breakfast and that first cup of coffee?
When you’re
self-employed—as I, and many other writers are—the motivation to rise every
morning and attack “the work” has to come from within. There is no child that
will cry until you start writing, or boss to tap her watch and raise her
eyebrows at you.
And
sometimes it’s hard.
We work
because bills must be paid, but we also want to feel that our labor is
fulfilling a larger purpose, whether it’s helping others, keeping the peace,
making the world a healthier, cleaner, more educated place.
Throughout
my career as a writer I have struggled with the question of whether my stories
matter. Will they make a difference to the lives of the people who read them?
Perhaps more crucially—will people read them? Stories have no impact if the
words lie unseen on the page. If they don’t win prizes—the Pulitzer Prize, the
Booker—were they still worth writing?
The one way
I can clear my head from these worries, is by heading out to the mountain to
hike, ski or snowshoe. Sometimes you have to climb the peaks, to rise above the
fog in the valley.
Unfortunately
I don’t come home from these treks with new wisdom and insights about the
world. But I am refreshed and healthier. I realize that my stories must contain
my truth—what I care about and what I believe. Sounds pretty, but what is that,
exactly? What matters to me?
Sure,
there’s chocolate. Good coffee. And pretty shoes.
More
importantly there are people. My family and friends. Neighbors, colleagues, and
Molly at the grocery store who always smiles and asks me if I’m having a good
day.
I care about
my city, and my country. Yes, I worry about the economy. But also, is constant
growth sustainable? And is it possible for humans to ever live in peace with
one another and the natural world around us?
Turns out
there are so many things I care about that making a list isn’t really helpful
in deciding what I should write about.
I can’t tackle everything.
I’d love to
write an epic, world-changing novel. Something that would make the entire literary
community shake their heads with awe and wonder. But I don’t know how to do
that. So, I start small. I pick a place. A couple of people. A small, fictional
world begins to form…
And it turns
out that what I really care about are
relationships, all the nitty gritty problems that are part of living and
loving. I’m fascinated by the good and bad in all of us. And the struggle
between these powerful forces.
So, if
that’s what I care about, what do I believe in? If you’ve read my books you
already know: The power of love and truth to resolve conflicts.
The message
is simple, nothing you haven’t heard before. I’ll have to leave the Pulitzer
Prize winning literature to others. My stories may be small, but when I receive
a review or email from a reader saying they stayed up all night to finish, that
they cared—laughed and cried—that the story felt so real, then I know my
message may not be original. But it’s something people need to keep hearing. And believing.
***
I love
connecting with my readers and fellow writers. Please tell me what gets you out
of bed each morning. I’d really like to know! One random
commenter will be chosen to receive a $10 Starbucks Gift Card.
