Of Narrative, Journeys, and What Compels Us to Write…

“Make up a story. Narrative is radical, creating us at the very moment it is being created.”

—Toni Morrison, Nobel, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author

The protagonist, in reaching home, during this last chapter of the journey, must evidence that she or he has traveled, not simply waited steps beyond home, seconds beyond the gates of the home native city and after sufficient time to have journeyed far, they reappear with their tale.

Just as the central character must evidence the crisis has transformed her or his way of thinking regarding making decisions, so too, when reaching home again, she or he must demonstrated they have traveled, that they have truly been away.

They accomplish this through the external travel of physical engagement and internal journey of self-reflection.

Often when we travel we bring back gifts for those we love.

The gifts come from the places we have been, where our itinerary of travel has taken us.

Gathering these objects means we have thought about those at home, that memories of them have remained close to our heart.

Alex Haley, the author of “Roots“, once said, “The farther I travel, the closer I feel to Henning, Tennessee, my home.”

The farther we travel, the more obstacles we face along the way, the closer we are drawn and urged to embrace our true self.

This transformation of the central characters lies rooted in the writer’s experience of chronicling the narrative.

The farther we as writers, plunge the waters surrounding and creating the personalities of our characters, the clearer we come to see ourselves, who we are, what compels us to write.

Likewise with teasing out the threads of plot along which the scenes of our stories and novels hang we gain a deeper understanding of the decisions we make when crafting our works.

Deciphering these strands of action and choices, decisions and judgments that when acted upon by our protagonist and supporting cast, even and most particularly the antagonist, the greater our compassion for the humans with whom we live and interact, and ultimately, if not initially for ourselves.

The degree to which a story or novel can and does move a reader, runs parallel, if not lies rooted within the depths of which the narrative have drawn, immersed and submerged the writer in its layers of words carrying power and empowered by symbols, objects attached to the events and occurrences that the major character faces and undergoes.

To act on an idea, bring it forth in the artistic medium of words evidences a radical shift in one’s thinking, and feeling.

Stories are one part thoughts, following by an action that give rise to emotions, which then flip back and shape one’s thoughts.

These thoughts arise from a compelling event, an occurrence that takes place and forever changes an individual’s world, thus sending her or him on a path of reclamation, that ultimately reshapes her or his perception of self, other and the world.

What has drawn you to write?

What compels you to continue doing so?

What are the thoughts that accompany your drive to write?

What do you feel when writing, and then afterward?

What journeys have you traveled in response to writing?

What path do you now trod as a writer/author?

How has writing shaped and/or reshaped the way you view yourself, others and the world around you?