The Power of Words by Carol Harrison

 
We know the power of words. They can encourage or defeat us; tear down or build up. My writing journey towards my first book includes both.

As a child and teen, I enjoyed reading and writing but never thought beyond short stories, paragraphs, and school reports. I enjoyed the research and creativity. In grade 12, the teacher asked us to write a short story. I wrote one called, “The Rebel” and worked hard on edits and more edits. I typed it out and handed it in, pleased with the result. My paper came back with very few red marks on it and a very good mark. Yet the teacher had written one sentence at the bottom, “unrealistic point of view.” That one comment negated the great mark on the front of the paper, at least in my mind.

The next year in first year English at university, the first report I handed in came back with a failing grade. I made arrangements to chat with the professor and find out what I did wrong and how I could improve.

His answer, “You’re in university. You should know!”

Those two incidents made me believe I couldn’t write. I decided to stuff my love of writing deep down inside and tell no one about it. I’d hand in assignments done to the best of my ability and that’s it. I didn’t even want to journal. But I did continue to read and enjoy other peoples’ writing.

Decades later, my husband, Brian, told me, “You should write Amee’s story.”

My response came quick and firm, “I can’t write!”

He continued to ask, nag, cajole. The word I used to describe his encouragement depended on how I felt at that moment. I kept insisting I couldn’t write. I didn’t know how. I’d never told him why I believed that. He didn’t believe in my lack of ability and continued to try and encourage me.

 
More time passed and I gave in and began but deleted just as many times. Then Amee began begging me to write her story so people would understand about her and that God works in our lives. Now I had two people encouraging me to write.

 
I began to sort through reports and daytimers and any place I had information on the journey we’d been on. I researched and reminisced. I organized chronologically. Then I began to write a memoir once again. I got bogged down and discouraged.

 
My friend told me about a one-day writers’ conference in Saskatoon. My response, “It wouldn’t be for me. I’m not a writer.”

Her reply, “It says it’s for everyone.”

With her encouragement and Brian’s as well, I moved outside my comfort zone and went. That day I learned lots from the presenters and met so many wonderful people. Encouragers. Presenters. Published authors. I heard about a monthly meeting of Christian writers in the city and finally became brave enough to attend a meeting. Eventually I allowed myself to be vulnerable and read what I had begun. I asked for help because I felt stuck.

 
A published author who attended asked if I really wanted an honest critique. I agreed I needed that. She said, “If this is to go beyond family, cut this and this and start here. Then she walked away.

 
On the way home, after fussing a bit about her answer, I decided to start a new word document and begin where she suggested. If I didn’t like it, I could revert to my original draft. It worked. I became unstuck and the words began to flow. Finally, I had a finished manuscript ready for multiple rounds of edits.

My first book, Amee’s Story was published in January of 2010. God has used it to touch many people over the years. The writing continued since then as well. It felt like floodgates had been opened. I’m grateful for the writers of InScribe who have helped and encouraged me in my journey and shown me the power of encouraging words.

Carol Harrison has written a variety of things since publishing that first book in 2010 from her home in Saskatoon. She appreciates learning first hand the power of words and welcomes the encouraging ones to offset those we find ourselves believing that are discouraging.

Reusing Writing by Carol Harrison

 

As I read the prompt for this month on reusing or recycling your writing, I thought of all the bits and pieces of writing on my computer as well as the books, articles, and stories I have written. What have I already reused at some point? What else could I recycle?

At an Inscribe Fall Conference a few years ago, our keynote speaker was Grace Fox. In talking to her about her thoughts on reusing or recycling our writing, she gave me a few ideas. With my memoir book, Amee’s Story, I could take portions of the story and rewrite them as a devotional to submit. I have used parts of the story as a devotional and also as illustrations when I have been speaking. Bits and pieces have wound their way into blog posts as well as short memoir style stories. Then I took one small section and expanded on it so it became a short story on its own. I submitted it to Chicken Soup for the Soul who published it. It referenced bullying Amee had experienced. For the short story I had the opportunity to add more of the details.

A devotional I wrote called The Crying Rock; I have used as an illustration when speaking. I also incorporated it into one of my novels, A Mother for Anna. It is a devotional based on a family story. I also wrote it up as a short story for a contest.

So as I pondered this prompt and remembered the conversation with Grace Fox at the conference, I realize I’ve recycled and reused some of my writing in a variety of ways. I need to revisit some other pieces of writing to see what else might be able to be adapted and recycled to submit somewhere instead of just sitting on my computer or on my bookshelf.

Maybe the first step is to organize all the files on my computer. They are in a bit of a disarray. Are there some bits and pieces or ideas that can germinate into short stories, devotionals, articles, or maybe even transform into a poem?

Each year I write family stories from various time frames and print them off in a booklet for my grandchildren for Christmas. Are there some of these family stories that could become, with adaptation, short stories to submit somewhere? The answer, I believe, is yes since I have used a few of them to submit to Chicken Soup for the Soul, several of which they have published. A couple of other ones have become devotionals or short memoir stories in the book I co-authored with Ruth Keighley called, Making Crooked Places Straight. Other stories for the grandchildren might just be waiting for their turn to be recycled and reused.

Then, as I organize my files and all the paper copies of writings, I might find some redundant pieces that can be reduced. Why do I need multiple copies or drafts of some pieces? But I am a packrat and it is hard to let go of the paper and just keep a digital copy of pieces of my writing. I am a work in progress on the organizing and reducing paper copies.

One thing I know about myself is I need to keep telling the stories in whatever fashion that takes. It might be through writing stories or devotionals. It might be when I am asked to speak or in conversation with someone else.

The verses from Psalm 71: 17, 18 resonate with this for me.

“O God from my youth you have taught me and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and grey hairs, O God do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come”.

Now it’s time to tell some stories.

 

Carol Harrison is a storyteller who sometimes even writes her stories down. She is a packrat who has a hard time organizing her bits and pieces of writing on her computer or jotted down on pieces of paper or in various notebooks.