I am so glad that you have arrived here. The water is still hot in the kettle if you’d like a cup of tea. Let me share a little writerly advice and I hope you’ll share some in return.
Start where you are and write what you know. This is one of the best advices I have heard about writing. Not entirely sure who said it, where I read it, or whether it even was one sentence or I have merged it into one in my head, this statement has been helpful numerous times when looking at a blank page and not knowing what to write. The sentence helps to be grounded, be present in the moment and get the pen moving.
I am sitting on my living room sofa, drinking loose leaf green tea, and I know that if I think too much, I’ll over think, and the writing won’t happen.
Sometimes I go a bit further with staying in the moment, using the “right now” format to collect bits inner and outer world into a list.
Right now, I am:
Sitting on the living room sofa
Drinking loose leaf green tea
Hearing the clock tick
Seeing five books on a windowsill
Hoping to open at least one today
Feeling the weight of the laptop
Thinking of what to write
Wishing to write well
This kind of staying in the present writing may not go far or ever turn into anything longer, and it still matters, because the words appear on a page and there is a possibility to continue. This is much better than waiting for the perfect idea to show up.
Some widely experienced literary specialists might say that I have completely misunderstood the statement, that it is not meant to be followed word to word but thought on a larger scale, that it means looking at your bigger life, where you have arrived at through twists and turns and ups and downs, collecting knowledge and experiences, and now you should share your expertise, whether it’s professional or hobbies or lifetime wisdom. Preferably with citations and evidence to support your claims, the scholars would add.
Yes, I am aware that the statement could be interpreted like this, AND (not but) I still believe that for anyone staring at the blank page literally starting to write where one is and what they know is a super helpful advice.
Obviously when I start where I am, my writing often features my living room sofa, a cup of tea, a cinnamon roll, the trees and the birds behind my living room window, the countryside and the sea, and gratitude lists.
But I never write about the same cup of tea. The cup may be the same, the tea is different, whether it’s Jade Snow or Silver Moonlight or Ruby Oolong or herbal mixture or hibiscus or peppermint. And the context is different depending on the light and weather outside or the inner weather of my mind, the length of a to-do-list waiting or the promise of a slow day. The tea is so much more than a liquid to warm me. It’s a reminder to slow down, savour the moment. Sometimes a cup of tea is an invitation to meet with a friend.
My living room sofa, an out of production IKEA chaise lounge, may be worn and out of shape, but it’s so much more than an old piece of furniture featured in my writing. It’s my home office, my reading corner, my nap nook, my writing place. It speaks of comfort and stability, of productivity and creativity.
All the pancakes, cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies are collection of family love and sweet moments. The trees and the birds, the clouds and the sunshine, the ever changing weather are great reminders of nature’s beauty, power and impermanence. And gratitude lists are pure magic.
I sometimes write about my inner critic, and this is not exactly my first choice. This is because he has barged into my life, often arriving unannounced and uninvited, being loud and demanding attention and for his words to be recorded in my writing.
I sometimes question whether I should write about more important things, like the politics, social justice, sustainability, the downhill rolling condition of the world and humankind, and try to use my words to make a difference. I then admit to myself that I don’t have what it takes to be a change maker on a large scale.
My way of making a difference comes from sharing the ordinary moments, the common thoughts and emotions, the simple pleasures, the little joys and the lessons learned on my journey to become a writer. If my writing has brought some light and colour into someone’s day, then the writing matters.
Start where you are and write what you know. Where are you? What do you know, some advice of writing or life, that you’ like to share with me?
I’m late to discover you I think, but right now very happy that I have. “Starting from where you are now“ brings to mine a story made famous by Dave Allen, the Irish comic genius. The story itself concerns a stranger in Dublin asking a local for directions to the railway station. “Oh I wouldn’t start from here sir if I were you” replies to the local.
Good comic story though this is, I love it more for its metaphorical significance; where else could any of us ever start except where we are right now?
We swim in streams of perfect stories all the time, I think. Noticing any of them is a writer’s art.
So much looking forward to delving into your Substack tomorrow.
I prefer writing without embellishments, using plain words and simple sentences to express myself. Sometimes, I doubt if my stories are not as polished as literary fiction and essays written by others, but when I don't dwell on that, my current writing style seems to satisfy myself in the process of self-expression...