Origin Stories
Yesterday I wrote about an insight that came to me as I listened to a recent book. I have been on a real streak of good reading material, and I want to write about what I’m reading. But I’m not interested in writing a review—there are other writers much better suited to that. What I want to do is share what it means for me to read a particular title. I think of it as a different way of getting to know each other when we learn what moves us.
I generally shy away from reading current bestsellers. It’s a quirk of my personality to not want to read what the masses are reading. I have suspended that habit somewhat this year and have been bowled over by the books I’ve read. There’s a reason for the buzz!
I found Theo of Golden in a neighborhood little library recently. I picked it up delighted by its appearance between other people’s bookshelf clean outs. This was a real gem. I had no idea what I was in for.
At the end of the audiobook, the author, Allen Levi, speaks for a few minutes about how Theo came to the author. He said an idea came to him as he stood in a coffee shop, and he challenged himself to write long-form fiction. I experienced something similar when Astrid came to me. Levi inspires me to keep writing my way to a completed novel or essay collection. Challenging myself to write for 31 consecutive days is part of my strategy to return to a headspace where I could resume Astrid’s story and finally write my way to a completed manuscript. I, like Levi, accomplished writing 80,000 words, but it is yet to be in a format that could be read start to finish. That’s what I really want to achieve.
Another author, Alan Bradley, had another inspiring story. (I learned of his passing as I was searching for his character, Flavia DeLuce and her original story. RIP, dear Alan.) His wife was intrigued by a minor character and encouraged him to focus on her. She encouraged him to submit the story for a prize, and it won!
The connective tissue of these authors’ stories is that they had lived other lives and had whole careers before massive literary good fortune found them. I care less about the bestselling aspect than I do about being true to myself and reaching my own goals. I want completed works. This month’s challenge is a dip of the toe into the work required to get a project to the finish line, but I do so love the process. I want to keep chipping away at this work for months and years to come. Such beautiful stories as the ones Allen and Alan have written give me hope and encouragement.