Your Writing Life: A Writing Compass – Which Way Is North?
by Sarah (Sally) Hamer
Our imagination is one of the most powerful things we humans own. And, whether it’s a journal entry, a blog post, an emotional and loving email, or a novel, writing helps us make sense of who we are. It’s not just about putting words on a page. It’s about finding clarity, connection, and direction.
For many of us, writing is more than a task. It’s a way of showing up. It’s how we process what matters and how we pass it on. It’s opening up our imagination and allowing ourselves to take a deep breath. Too often, and for too many reasons, we squelch our artistic and inventive mind, stomping it back down into a reality that may not even be our own. It takes courage to be ourselves, to push back against what others think we should be.
The Page as a Place to Begin
For creatives of any kind, finding North matters. When we’re lost, whether physically or emotionally, we first have to establish where we are. Maybe it’s in a forest or in the midst of a chaotic family or even stuck in a sagging middle. But discovering North can be the first step to the first step out of a quagmire.
Only then, can we create a route out of the problem, no matter what it is.
As we find ourselves, we get to be honest and shape our ideas into something useful, turning lived experience into something that supports our creativity. And, we find the ability to go in different directions –East, West, South, around the bend, up a hill -- based on a strong foundation of what we really, truly want to say.
A blank page can be intimidating, but it’s also an open invitation to forge our own path. We may not know which way North is when we write the first words on that page, but just the act of beginning can open doors in our writing soul. We don’t need perfection. We only need presence.
When we write, we slow down. We listen. We begin to notice what’s underneath the surface—what’s been waiting to be named. The page becomes a safe place instead of a scary one.
Using the Compass
We each have a personal compass, a tool that helps guide us and keep us focused and aligned to our true North. It could be almost anything that can bring us from a safe (or uncomfortable) spot to go forward. Some ideas are:
- A set of words or phrases that remind us why we write.
- A visual symbol, maybe a compass or a flower or a review that reminds us that we are appreciated.
- A audio symbol like a playlist that helps us to feel stable.
- A olfactory symbol. I use different essential oils that help me concentrate.
- A text or phone call from a supportive fellow writer.
Tools don’t need to be fancy. They just need to be meaningful, to help us stay connected to our values and our voice, especially when the work gets hard or the message feels unclear.
Letting Go of Perfection
One of the biggest blocks to writing is the pressure to get it right. But the truth is, writing doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. In fact, the most impactful writing often comes from a place of honesty and vulnerability. It’s okay to write a messy first draft. It’s okay to not have all the answers. And, ultimately, it’s okay to throw everything you’ve done that day away and start afresh in the morning. You are sovereign and get to decide.
When we let go of perfection, we make space for authenticity. We give ourselves permission to show up as we are.
Writing as a Way to Leave Something Behind
Writing is a way to pass on wisdom. Doesn’t mean that every story must have a moral, of course. We’re not required to force a change on our readers. But it’s certainly okay to present an experience in our own lives or imagination that might be helpful to a future reader. A lot of classic stories do teach. For instance, I learned courage in the face of a friend’s death in Charlotte’s Web and the ability to stand up to evil in A Wrinkle in Time when I was a child. Both books still resonate with me.
Remember, books don’t have to be long or formal or morality tales to make a character come alive. They just need to create a sense of reality in a reader’s mind.
Writing becomes part of our legacy. It’s how we share what we’ve lived and learned. It’s how we make sure our voice continues to support others, even when we’re not there to speak it.
Staying on the Path
Bottom line, becoming aware that we do indeed have the power to forge our own path and determine our destiny is not only the first step, but one of the most important. I don’t care what you write. It’s a good thing for writers of any genre or style to make a living at it, of course. But it’s more about the creative expression than the monetary gain, in my humble opinion. Money is easy, compared to a lot of things in this crazy world of ours. I believe that satisfaction with what we do and how we live our life is much more important.
Do you know what your path is? Is it joyful and satisfying? I wish that for you!
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Sally, Lisa Norman, Jenny Hansen, and several others of our amazing WITS folks will be presenting at a Virtual Writing Conference on October 24th and 25th, called "Creating Creativity: The Soul of the StoryTeller. http://www.penandpotential.com
There's still time to sign up as an Early Bird for 50% off (until October 1st).
This is on GoBrunch, which will give you a glimpse of some of the new technology Lisa has been raving about!
(If you sign up after the symposium, you won't be able to join live, but you will be able to view the recordings.)
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About Sarah (Sally)
Sarah (Sally) Hamer, B.S., MLA, is a lover of books, a teacher of writers, and a believer in a good story. Most of all, she is eternally fascinated by people and how they 'tick'. She’s passionate about helping people tell their own stories and has won awards at both local and national levels, including two Golden Heart finals.
A teacher of memoir, beginning and advanced creative fiction writing, and screenwriting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport for over twenty years, she also teaches online for Margie Lawson at www.margielawson.com and for the No Stress Writing Academy at https://nostresswriting.com. Sally is a free-lance editor and book coach, with many of her students and clients becoming successful, award-winning authors.
You can find her at in**@***********al.org
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15 comments on “Your Writing Life: A Writing Compass – Which Way Is North?”
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What a great post for new writers and a reminder to those of us more experienced.
I knew my path was as a writer but had no clear genre path. So, I experimented with all of them. And, I do mean all of them until I've finally found my genres.
It wasn't until I stopped comparing myself to others that I finally found my path, which wasn't like anyone else's. Writers' paths are all so different! The biggest piece of advice I can add is don't compare yourself to anyone else. Just do you.
Exactly, Diana! We can't be someone else, so why do we try so hard to be?
Good for you! Keep it up!
Sally
This resonates so strongly but it's the thing that's so easy to forget, down in the weeds. Of course, look up; at the stars,at what the world needs, what you and those around you long for. Thanks for the inspiration!
You're very welcome, Moya! It is truly the "weeds" that drag us down. We think others know better than we do -- and they most certainly don't.
Sally
Some of us, and some only of our books, are designed for legacy - and that is an awesome responsibility.
An aim, not a certainty, but something that is present at all stages - for the right story.
Many books on craft will have a chapter or two where 'workmanlike' is not the goal, where the tools and the examples are given. The information is out there, and is supplemented by a lifetime of reading - and remembering why certain books stick.
Curiously, those craft books are not necessarily from authors who have personally achieved legacy - maybe they keep a few secrets? For those who look for the Holy Grail: it has to be done beyond the numbers.
The Arthurian legends are some of my favorite stories. But is the Holy Grail really what we should spend our life seeking? Yes, we can work to achieve "greatness" but what if the quiet and calm of our own worth much more important? In so many words, did the legacy authors write to attempt that greatness, or were they just writing their own reality that somehow resonates with others? I don't believe Dickens, for instance, was writing to be a legend, but more to pay the bills. But his words went to the heart of humanity and he became that legend for his honesty and depth, not because he was trying to.
Our stories can resonate too, not because we want them to but because we can find the treasure in the cave we fear (paraphrasing Campbell) and tell our own truth.
Thanks for the comment!
Sally
"... did the legacy authors write to attempt that greatness, or were they just writing their own reality that somehow resonates with others?"
Funny. I ask myself that all the time. I don't think it really matters, because the decision does not ultimately belong to the authors - but to the lasting reaction to the book, which depends on a whole lot of people finding it attractive.
But an author can deliberately learn those elements, apply them with care, and MAY turn out to have the magic 'if' - which won't come to being without the author doing the work.
Dickens honed his craft. Learned how to pluck heartstrings. We don't know what kind of feedback beyond sales (The equivalent of letters to the editor in those times? People stealing the broadsheets posted on walls? Crowds gathering to await the next installment, getting bigger each day?) he might have received.
Our own truth is useless to anyone but us unless other people find out about it, and share it because they can't help themselves. Who knows how many great books, finished or not, were used to start a fire?
But I doubt great books come about by accident: the authors reached for - and sometimes touched - the stars.
Interesting! I totally agree that "our own truth is useless to anyone but us unless other people find out about it."
And, I also think that "magic" can be made, if we write with intention. Not that every book was supposed to be great. But they can be.
Thanks so much!
Staying on the path is hard to do when so-called friends, loved ones, or other of life's thorns keep pricking at us. But the path is always there. Keeping to our north, our true selves, is up to each of us. However, sometimes we need someone to teach or remind us so we keep to our north. Thank you for being that someone today, Sally.
Thank you, Lynette. I'm honored. But I'm just reminding myself that the destination is worth all the "pricks" and I'll use that as a prickly bush reference, not how it's often used today. 🙂 The bushes are our instructors also -- the pain can guide us back to the path we want to be on.
Appreciate you!
"Remember, books don’t have to be long or formal or morality tales to make a character come alive. They just need to create a sense of reality in a reader’s mind."
Often, especially when writing for children, formal or morality tales feel inauthentic as real lives don't come with obvious messages built in and real kids don' for the most part use forma language.
Absolutely, Debbie! Maybe centuries ago when those types of tales were popular, children didn't have the sophistication they do now. We, as writers, do have to consider our markets and preaching at anyone about anything can very quickly turn an audience away.
Good comment!
Thanks!
A very timely and much-needed post, Sally. Every point you raise hits home. I've been feeling very much adrift in my life, both creatively and in general, and have been struggling to try to find my center, my north. Thank you for the reminder that I'm not the only one, and being lost doesn't mean there's something wrong with me. Your words are greatly appreciated 🙂
KJ, we all get lost. Even the people who have been doing this for decades. We all think we don't have anything to say or that our words won't matter. Sometimes, I think we really NEED to be lost in this crazy world to find ourselves.
Glad it resonated with you!
Sally
great insight.