Teacher and Student

I was talking to a novelist recently who, like a lot writers, teaches to help make ends meet. He likes teaching, but I know he prefers writing. Teaching writing, after all, can come with some unexpected challenges that have nothing to do with the craft of storytelling. As the novelist pointed out, there are some days he isn’t sure whether he’s a writing instructor or a social worker. I don’t know how to teach writing and not be a part-time therapist or life coach. Because here is the truth every professional writer should already know: we’re born with everything we need to tell any story we will ever want to tell. As long as you possess curiosity and an imagination, you can tell a story. The rest is just refinement.

What most students are looking for has nothing whatsoever to do with craft. The student wants to believe it is possible that they can tell the story they wish to tell. Sometimes learning a few craft tricks helps us believe this. Sometimes it does not. Which is why as a teacher or coach I will spend more time telling my students and clients, in every way I can think to – yes, yes, yes, you can do this.

Fortunately, I never tire of telling people this. I can never tire of it because in order to say it convincingly I must believe it myself. And in order to believe it myself, I must go that place within myself where that delicious, friendly, hopeful, creative truth always resides. How I love to go there. I’d live there if I knew how, but I don’t yet, so I continue to teach it in the hope that one day I will learn.