Non Fiction - Story is in Our DNA
The Five ‘I’ of Story Creation
Intimidation - The First of the Five ‘I’
For many of us, intimidation is staring at a blank page.
So you want to write a book, or you have some school or work assignment that needs written. Or maybe you’re just stuck in the middle of a writing assignment and need to get back in the game.
And you freeze.
Its a big project, and you have no idea how to start…
All you know is that the end goal is a book. A big scary book or report full of words. It seems too big and you don’t know how to move forward.
First - shake off that freeze.
The freeze response is a fear response. You don’t need to be intimidated by this. Whatever you’re writing is a process. Its an amazing beautiful process, and there’s no reason for you to make it feel like a trip to the dentist.
When we freeze we loose our brains.
Writing takes a functional brain.
I don’t want you to be in fear. Ever.
Second - I’m here.
I’ll be your guide through the writing process. You can find me on Substack at Chronic Writer.
I’ve got seventeen writing awards and have written everything from historical fiction and modern fantasy to content for textbooks and science museums.
Third - throw out everything you’ve learned or been told about writing. There’s a method, but there’s also a chaotic madness to it.
Story is in humanity’s DNA. Its as old as humanity. You know how to tell a story. You know and recognize what is a good story and what made you dislike it.
Think about the last movie you watched. If you liked it… Great. What made you like it?
If you didn’t… Why?
Now… sit down and tell me about the last movie that you watched.
You just told me a story.
The first stories weren’t written down. They were sung, chanted or set as goals…
Cave paintings are our earliest stories.
Archaeologists think that the shamans were painting as a goal cast for a good hunt or harvest.
Lascaux’s famous cave art is a hunter’s guide, a goal cast for the future and a sacred art graphic novel or comic book.
(From Wikipedia, by Prof saxx, public domain - For a basic history and more information on Lascaux follow this link to the Lascaux wikipedia page)
Intimidation is real. It keeps us from doing the impossible. It keeps us from even trying.
If you don’t try - you don’t get to experience the challenge.
Intimidation is the opposite of courage.
I’m here as encouragement. Tune in. I post twice weekly.
Fifty paying subscribers and I’ll start sharing a serialized novel, Julia Venture and the Collision of Tomorrows.
As of July 2022, I debuted my conspiracy comedy series: The Tinfoil Fedora
Writing advice is always free.
Breaking intimidation with encouragement… well that’s an awesome side hustle, which I'd love to turn into a full time career. And I hope you’ll join me.
If I can help you make your story a reality, or improve your writing craft, we all benefit as a society… because story is in humanity’s DNA… always, forever and in courage… stories have been survival for humanity.
Your stories will outlast you - make them amazing.
Till Thursday,
Chronic Writer