Story Spark #7: Writing Your Joy

When writing stories from our lives, it's often easy to write about other people and past events conjured from memory. But we have to remember that ultimately WE are the center of our stories. The point of our stories is to allow other people to really get to know us, even after we're gone.

One of the best ways to give a true glimpse of our deeper selves is to write about about the things that give us joy. What makes us light up from the inside out?

It's worth making a list, don't you think?

1. Grab a piece of lined paper and write numbers 1 - 20 down the side, leaving an extra line after each number. 
2. List 20 things you absolutely LOVE—the things that give you great joy whenever you experience them.
3. If it helps, think of things from your five senses, animals, plants, friends, family, memories, places, actions, activities, attitudes and so on.
4. Be as specific as you can. Use descriptive words,
• Long-stemmed French tulips that bend gracefully...
• Waking up on Saturday mornings with my husband snuggled on one side of me and my dog on the other...
• Grandma's blackberry cobbler, hot from the oven...
• Edward Weston's photography...
5. When your list is complete, choose a couple of items and write a two-page story about why these particular things make you happy and how they bring you joy.

At the very least, this little exercise will fill you with gratitude for the moments of pure joy in your life.




photo credit: VinothChandar via photopin cc