Eternal Trust

So much of what we call the “craft” of writing is often learning what not to do. Over the years, I have learned not use adverbs in dialogue descriptors, not to rely on adjectives to bring a scene to life, not to force a scene or sentence where it doesn’t want to go. In personal essays, I’ve learned not to brag or complain, nor to presume I knew why anyone other than me was motivated to do what they do.

All these writing paths I have learned not to take – and many more – are my ego’s strategies for how to tell a story. My ego always wants to control and manipulate, to make sure the reader feels exactly what I believe they should feel, and that people think well of me. My ego doesn’t have the first idea about what a story is. In fact, it doesn’t care about stories, it only cares about outcomes, specifically those outcomes it believes put me in the best light.

I find it easiest to teach students and clients how not to listen to their ego while writing. The ego’s strategies are usually so obvious, I can just say, “Don’t do that.” It’s harder to define what a writer should do to tell the story authentically. Ultimately, the writer is learning to tune to their imagination, Muse, or spirit, whatever word works for them. I think of it as my Eternal Self, the part of me that doesn’t care about money, fame, or death. I am very interested in its point of view, the story it would tell me about all my trials and triumphs.

You would think, given how comforting it is to listen to the Eternal Self, that I would need to do so only once to never again bother with the ego’s notions of storytelling. Mine, however, has been a lifelong practice of learning whose guidance to follow. Though it has never steered me wrong, the Eternal Self offers no assurances of outcomes or destinations. Our partnership is one bound wholly in trust, what is always left when I stop believing I alone have all the answers.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence.
You can find William at: williamkenower.com