Are you an
alchemist?
As you know, traditionally alchemy has referred to turning lead into gold, although it has also had a metaphorical meaning. As a writer, you are an alchemist in that you can turn your experiences, even the negative ones, into a work that entertains, inspires, maybe educates. I know from experience that writing about a darker chapter of one’s life can also be very therapeutic. Here’s an assignment to consider:
What is the one part of your life that you consider unfinished business? It could be a bad memory you can’t shake, a time when you didn’t do the right thing, or an incident in which someone hurt you emotionally.
Turn it into something: a short story, a poem, a script for a short film, an essay, anything. This one isn’t necessarily for publication, although it could be—give yourself permission to decide about that later.
Change the names, change the setting, change anything you want except the essential emotional truth of the experience. If it’s unresolved for you, find a way in fiction for your protagonist to resolve it or make his or her peace with it.
It could be the most important piece of writing you do.
(You'll find more writing tips and ideas on my sites, www.timetowrite.com and www.yourwritingcoach.com)
