Why I Write: Dialogue With Self

 

I write to know I exist.

 

I write therefore I am.

 

I write to dialogue with myself.

 

I write to integrate the parts within. Writing in my journal is like reporting in from all sides.

 

Why do you write? Take a moment to write that now. I dare you.

 

When I began fiction writing I wrote in my journal for an hour to get warmed up, so to speak, spill what was in my head, get focused and circle into the next scene at hand. I’d voice my questions or concerns, and dialogue with characters. In this way, I made friends with my fiction writing self, who was different from my nonfiction self who I had been more familiar with up to then.

 

When you sit down to write, who are all your parts joining in?

 

For me, they often are:

·          Writer

·          Internal critic of editor (BIG!)

·          Body – tired, hungry, etc.

·          To-do girl – that’s what the margins are for

 

I recognize that I’m stuck with my fiction right now. I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I know that if spent some time writing about my concerns with my novel right now I’d uncover some juicy stuff. that’s probably why I’m avoiding the journaling for fiction.

 

Another way I’ve been using journaling is for my business. It only took me three years to come up with that tactic. When it dawned on me I felt stupid for not coming up with it sooner. You see, I thought I knew everything already. Ha! Anyway, I have started using journaling directly to ask questions and resolve issues and check in with all the parts that are involved with my business of helping aspiring authors get writing and published.

 

All the parts:

·          Idea girl/CEO: what’s the vision, what are my options?

·          Manager girl – who’s going to do what

·          Accounting and admin: better make sure these get done

·          Person: fears and concerns and requests for help; also the overseer

 

For your working self that isn’t the writer, what are your internal voices or parts?

 

What I love is for all the parts to yap, air their grievances, get everything out in the open, show myself that all these parts have the same goal – that of my business success – get everyone on the same page. So we can all work together as a team.

 

You think I’m crazy? Who has multiple parts that talk to each other? We all do! (IMHO – in my humble opinion)

 

Neuro-linguistic patterning or patterning (NLP) shows us that we have multiple parts. And I’ve seen it in action, so let’s be upfront and honest about it. And use all of ourselves to create what we want. Let’s integrate and include all of ourselves. Usually that part of us that doesn’t want a thing is just as important as the part of us that wants that thing.

 

Why do you write? Comment on this post and win clarity. Comment on this post and gain the answer to that question.

 

Because some part of you knows the answer.