Stay Grateful

My newest interview is with author Natashia Deón, whose first novel had a very unusual origin story. As she pointed out in prefacing how the idea came to her, writers get inspiration from many different sources. In her case, in the middle of the day and without warning she entered into a sort of waking dream in which she was watching a dramatic scene play out before her eyes. It was all so real, and she was so completely unaware of the “real world,” that she assumed she actually was asleep. It wasn’t until the dream faded and she found herself once again standing in her home, that she realized something else entirely had happened.

It was a kind of out of body experience unlike anything she’d had before. Did it freak her out? A little. Did she call a doctor? Of course not. She wrote the scene down as quickly as possible because she knew she had the beginning of something. In fact, what she wrote that day almost word for word became the first chapter in her debut novel, Grace.

What I love most about this story is that there’s no good explanation for it. People have tried from time to time to explain to her – scientifically, I suppose – what “really” happened, none of which have ever satisfied. As she said in our conversation, “This is what happened, Bill. That’s all I can say.” That’s good enough for me. Inspiration does indeed come in many forms, and the last thing you want to do is start trying to make rational sense of it. Instead, be grateful, and start writing.

What’s more, writing itself is a bit of an out of body experience. Ideally, we don’t feel like we’re manufacturing the scenes in our stories; instead, it’s as if we are watching them play out before our mind’s eye, that we are more spectator than director. If you’ve ever had a really good day of writing, you are quite familiar with this experience. It’s just what happens. Try to describe it to someone who doesn’t write all the time, and you might sound a little loopy. They might even start blathering about the subconscious or the different lobes of your brain. Ignore all that, stay grateful, and keep writing.

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

Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt
You can find William at: williamkenower.com