A coaching client told me she wanted to write but wasn’t sure she had much to draw from. She described her life as vanilla. Her friends were writing about struggles they had overcome. Her life had been pretty smooth. What could she write? Who would want to read it?
This is a common struggle for writers. We often think our experiences are too ordinary to write about. Who would want to read about a life that has gone well?
For starters, I would! If your life’s journey has been mostly smooth, your writing can bring me hope and encouragement. Help me learn how to smooth out my life. What are the keys to a life well-lived?
I especially love hearing from writers old than I am, sharing the things that have brought peace to their lives. If that’s you, this world is filled with younger generations yearning for your wisdom. And we older folks would also love to hear hope and inspiration from younger generations.
As my client and I explored her life, we found many interesting and even humorous stories that were fun to read. Everyone has these stories. You might just need help to recognize their value. Seemingly ordinary, light-hearted moments will bring a smile to someone’s day.
My client wrote about the time she gave her friend a pet goat for her birthday. And brought the goat into her living room for the surprise party. Think right now of three things you’d like to know about that event. That’s a story. It made me smile, and I still remember it years later.
She wrote about the first time she traveled overseas as a college student. She was traveling by herself, didn’t speak the language, and when she arrived, no one was there to meet her. She shared some quick words with God about how someone holding her name on a sign needed to show up soon, or God would be dealing with a hysterical female.
What would you want to know about that story? The outcome, for sure. Did God answer her prayer? Did she have a meltdown? What was it like to feel so disoriented and how did she adapt? Who did she meet? What kinds of discoveries did she make in this new place?
That story also shines light on her relationship with God. How did she grow to the point where she could be so candid with Him? You can feel the love she has for God, and the love she receives from Him, just in the way she is praying. That points to more stories she can write about relationship with God and a life of prayer.
See, there’s no such thing as an ordinary life. Each of us is extraordinary. The way we see the world, interact, and dream is unique. Seemingly ordinary conversations can be humorous, encouraging, memorable, insightful. We have a lot to share, just by being who we are. And we were created for relationship, so we benefit from hearing each other’s stories.
If you have the desire to write, but you feel like your life is too ordinary, I assure you, it’s not. You have plenty to share and a unique voice to share it. The same kind of story can be told differently by different writers, and each version is unique.
Stories don’t have to be traumatic to hold a reader’s attention. For readers who have been through trauma, they often don’t want to read about upheaval. They prefer a smoother story.
When you write based on an ordinary moment, readers can see themselves in that moment. They can reflect on what’s happening and how they would feel in a similar situation. Perhaps it reminds them of something they’ve experienced. Those stories help readers reflect and discover more about themselves. They feel seen, known, not alone.
If you’re not sure where to start, ask your friends who know you well: “What should I write about?” Don’t be surprised if you get a range of responses from different people. And think about moments in your life that have really stuck with you. Those moments are shareable, writeable.
Think about who might benefit from hearing about one of those moments. Who would be your ideal reader for that story? What would they want to know? What would you want to share with them? If you were reading a story like that from someone else, what would you want to know about it?
This week, write down five ordinary moments from your life. Make a brainstorm list of all the ways you could write about those moments. Choose one of those ideas and keep writing. See where it leads. Writing is a journey to explore and enjoy.
Janet Eriksson 