13 Comments
Jan 31Liked by Michelle Hoover

I love this episode! This is stellar <3

"The point is to make more art. Boom!"

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Feb 1Liked by Michelle Hoover

That was my favorite line too. 💚

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Why We write

1. It’s meditative

2. The company: My writing is always with me

3. I’m never bored

4. Spiritual component

5 Meet parts of myself I didn’t know yet

6. Get to express what I believe

7. Learn new things with research

8. Gain heighten awareness of our world

9. Gives life more purpose

10. Do over: We get a chance to process our experiences

11. Makes us more empathic

12. Can escape reality

13. Gain that joy of getting a phrase or sentence right

14. Get to tell stories not often told

15. Leave my story behind for friends and family

16. See myself improve

17. Learn to trust myself, my abilities and learn to trust others (like editors), too

18. Can lose myself, give myself over to my writing

19. Can connect with others I might not otherwise have a chance to

20. Joy of marking improvement and growth

21. When we catch ourselves writing something funny! Adding joy to the world

22. That joy we feel when a reader sees something profound in our work. We’re brilliant!

23. It’s fun

24. To make ourselves cry

25. I get to be the boss/empress of my world

26. It’s free

27. Gives me purpose

28 I can work from home in my sweats surrounded by my cats (or cuddly dog).

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Jan 31Liked by Michelle Hoover

Thanks for capturing the list!

Just printed this out for those days when I forget the joy :)

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Forgot to add "to make more art"!

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author

Good idea!

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Liesl, we never forget the joy; we are too interrupted or overwhelmed to take the time to enjoy.

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author

Thanks so much for this!

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Jan 31Liked by Michelle Hoover

This was a really great topic to 'send us out on'. Thank you!

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One of the great joys and delights of writing is that there's no shame in crying, getting upset, laughing with or at oneself and others on the page, or emptying one's basket.

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author

Yes, thank you!

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Fantastic question.

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