The Untold Story
Posted on 26. Mar, 2010 by joanna in News, Stories, Writing
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you ~ Maya Angelou
I love that quote. It talks to me not just of the stories we want to write, but also the stories we want to tell, through our actions, our choices, the work that we do, the way that we live our lives.
Sometimes I think we get hung up on a too literal interpretation of ‘story’.
I know I’ve stumbled over that in the past, felt like less than a writer because I didn’t have fiction waiting to be written, characters whispering storylines to me, plotlines unfolding. Maybe I haven’t found the source yet but whenever I’ve looked, wherever I looked, those kind of stories simply weren’t there.
That’s not to say there aren’t other things I want to write and to share though: there are. Things that will keep on nudging me to find the time, to find the space, to find the words, until they are told.
The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible. ~Vladimir Nabakov
There are words I need to find, sometime, for the journey I’ve been on from my former working life as a busy stressed out civil servant to the way I chose to live now, creating the space for words, poems, photography, stories to unfold and blossom, not just in me but in others too.
Stories I might tell, sometime, about my female life, about motherhood and daughterhood and some of the joys and sorrows that have gone inbetween.
I know I need to keep on looking for the words to express the relationship I have with the natural world. I know my best, most truthful writing comes from that place. I need to keep doing more of it, and find the courage to put it centre stage.
I guess they all connect, somehow… though I haven’t yet worked out what kind of narrative might hold them all together, and for now I’m not going to try. Will just enjoy letting the pieces unfold, and start to tell themselves.
I’m learning there are many different aspects of our lives that are telling, and wish to be told. It might not have form, might be missing the characters and plotlines, might not have a beginning, middle and end – yet can still be a story that needs to be told.
What untold stories are you bearing inside you? What will be the trigger for starting to tell them?
~~~
The Tell Your Story Women’s Writing Retreat takes place at Cambo House, on the east coast of Fife, Scotland, June 14 – 18 2010. Follow the link to find out more.
I’ve often wrestled with the problem of ‘not having a story’ to tell. And yet I went and wrote a blinkin’ novel. a novel, it’s worth saying, that started out without any reference to my own life, and yet is now full of anecdotes and small references to people I know and bits and bobs I’ve seen with my peepers.
Stories come from anywhere, that’s the truth of it. And it’s an exciting truth too, because it means we can include as much of ourselves as we choose.
You have such a lovely way of sharing your thoughts and allowing others to recognise what might be within them. The fact that we do tell stories with our feelings, our actions, our behaviour – the way we live our lives – means that we are all creating masterpieces but not necessarily best sellers.
Thank you Joanna
Jackie x
Sorry for the delay in replying to these comments… was busy getting married!
Iain thanks for sharing that perspective – I love hearing about your writing journey and the writing of the novel. I like the idea that we can and do find rich material in all parts of life even if the big narrative comes from somewhere ‘else’
Jackie thank you so much. I love your turn of phrase here, we can all create masterpieces if not bestsellers! Indeed