Somewhere in the last two weeks (I’ve been on vacation, and I can’t remember who said what when), a friend and I were talking writing and new ideas and wondering, are there really any “new” ideas? Even the story of creation, while it varies among religions, carries the same theme and many of the same elements.
When talking memoir, we all have our stories about when we left home for college or when we first fell in love or the moment we first realized we were “old.”
So, rarely is a story told that is completely new. Still, similar experiences, told to each other or written to share, can be flooded with individuality. Audre Lorde recognized this when she said:
There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.
We see the world through our eyes only, and the world we view is shaped by interior and exterior forces–by our personalities, sure, but also by the people and places that have taken up station throughout our journey. Christine Hauser highlights this in her post, “Who Are Your People?” on Flash Memoirs:
Your mix of cultures is a powerful factor that shapes the uniqueness of who you are and your one-of-a-kind voice.”
For Hauser, her “cultures” are what others might call “labels.” She lists her cultures as Artist, Writer, IT Worker, Ex-Pat, and American, to name a few. And, she explains that each culture has impacted the person–and the writer–she has become.
I get that.
That’s what makes each of our stories original, even if they aren’t straight, out-of-the-box new ideas.
If you made a list, what would it look like? Would one culture stand out to you more than the others?
The Prompt
Who are your people? List them, choose one, and tell us a story.
As a warm up, read Rosalie Sanara Petrouske’s essay, “Nature Lessons,” at Lunchticket (a great literary journal online).
Welcome back, Christi! One of the parts of my life that I now know shaped who I am as a writer is my background as a business owner. I had to have it pointed out to me, but all of my major characters are in leadership roles (either sought by them or thrust upon them–or sometimes both). It’s both a blessing and a burden. I suppose I know how fleeting it is to hold a large group’s trust, and how quickly things can sour if you aren’t diligent. Pretty good foundation for story if you can make it relatable (working on that part in revisions). Thought-provoking stuff!
Christi, thank you for the citation. I love this topic and will follow this thread with interest.
Vaughn, I come from a three-generation family-business background, and you just made me realize where that, too, has shaped my personality and voice. Such interesting flavors in each and every writer’s make-up! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Christine. I used your post (& that question) this month as a writing prompt for the senior citizen class I lead. I can’t wait to see what stories they write!
Me too! 🙂
Vaughn,
I love that idea, how our day jobs have impacted even our fiction. Now that you say that, I know mine has as well. Not so much in the way my characters unfold or develop, but in my descriptions and imagery. My job as a sign language interpreter keeps me in constant focus with how to portray messages in a visual way–a great tool for writers (which also keeps me grateful for he day job).
Hi Christi. Loved this post, because the whole notion of “the world we view is shaped by interior and exterior forces–by our personalities, sure, but also by the people and places that have taken up station throughout our journey” is actually a theme in my fiction.
Agreed: while there may not be “new” stories, we are all individual enough to tell them differently (not to mention the impact that a writer’s style and voice has on the telling of a story and the way it is received by the reader).
Here, here, Melissa! You bring up another great point on how/why each of our stories can feel new: the role of the reader, who brings his or her own interior & exterior forces to the story’s interpretation.