I flew to Minneapolis this week for a book talk and signing, and so today I’m writing from a different time zone.
The event was hosted by Eat My Words Bookstore and it held extra meaning for me because I was in conversation with my friend, editor, and author Kate Hopper who was instrumental in helping me bring “Girl in the Spotlight” to life.
We talked about the story’s evolution from that first draft she read ten years ago to how it feels to be on the other side of that process now: my book out in the world and reaching people I may never know.
That is my hope: that my story reaches who it’s supposed to reach; that people will read it and tell others about it. I hope it encourages anyone who’s ever found themselves at a crossroads, struggled with the loss of their own identity, and felt compelled to break family patterns so they can live free, authentic and fulfilling lives.
Long before I dreamed of publishing a book, I wrote for myself.
Many in the audience wanted to know about the writing process, and I told them I wrote for myself long before I wrote for publication. I wrote simply because I felt drawn to do it, and then I noticed how it felt to do it. Writing helped me process my life, and it relieved an internal pressure valve. I didn’t even know I needed that release until it happened; until I saw the thoughts and feelings I’d struggled to name alive on the page.
Sometimes the words flowed; other times they didn’t come so easily. But stepping away from writing and coming back, again and again, helped me find my words and my voice and helped me see and live my life in a whole new way. Sometimes I’d look up from journal and think, “I wonder if anyone else has ever felt this way? I wonder if this perspective shift would be helpful to someone else?”
And that’s when I realized I had something to say. That’s when I realized I had stories worth sharing.
Your story matters, too.
You don’t have to consider yourself a writer to write. But if you think about writing— even if it’s something you’ve just briefly considered—you probably are.
You don’t have to write for publication. You don’t have to post on social media. You can write, just for you. See how it feels. See where it takes you.
There are no rules. Use pen and paper, a document on your computer, or an app on your phone. You don’t have to know what you’re trying to say. The page is a place to turn for questions with no answers, the thoughts that swirl. Let them out. Set your innermost self free.
Capture the images in your mind. Document the memories that reveal more than the physical snapshots; more than other people’s retelling of a story that you lived too.
Your story is more than what happened to you.
If you feel a yearning to go deeper, here are 4 questions that you can ask yourself.
How did your experience shape you—in positive ways and negative ways?
When did you begin to learn and grow?
How did you get where you are today? Was it because of what happened, or in spite of it? Or both?
When was the moment that you began to change the narrative and write a new story for your life?
I didn’t publish the pages in my journal. Those pages will never see the light of day. The book came later. It all started when I responded to the pull and the call to process my own story. It changed me. It healed me. It’s why I feel compelled to remind you that your story matters too.
Tell the others. ✨
Get my book, and support Indie Bookstores!
If you’re in the Minneapolis area, stop by Eat My Words Books and grab a copy of my book, “Girl in the Spotlight”.
It’s also available in Charleston at Main Street Reads, Buxton Books, Paradiso Market, and the Charleston County Library.
Or online, anywhere books are sold.
Charleston-area friends: Join me next Saturday, April 27!
Next Saturday is Indie Bookstore Day! I’ll be signing books at Main Street Reads in Summerville, SC from 11-12 p.m.
Later at 2pm, I’ll be speaking and signing books at the Baxter-Patrick James Island Library. Come see me!
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I'll see you next week at the James Island Library - and I'm bringing a friend! 😎
I re-read your book so that I could ask a good question - maybe even a better read, the second time!
Kathy Sumpter