Join Sydney on her journey through storytelling. In her debut episode, Sydney talks about why she started this podcast and why she writes at all.
Music from purple planet
Into and outro music: Make it So
Underlying music when speaking: Celtic Dawn
Thanks for tuning in to your regularly-scheduled writing journey podcast, An Act of Will. I’m your host, Sydney. Let’s get started.
I decided to start this podcast because I’m currently editing my most-developed novel idea developmentally. I have some more ideas in the beginning stages, but none that are nearly as far along as that one. And because my brain has been itching for a long ongoing project, I figured a podcast would be a good idea. Plus, it’ll keep me more accountable for writing more regularly.
For this first episode, I thought I’d also let you know what exactly drives me to write. The honest answer is that I have no idea. I just get snippets of stories, or characters, or ideas that just don’t leave me alone until I write them down. But I love the process of telling a story. It’s hard sometimes, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like the reward of putting together a puzzle that only you can is well worth it.
If you’re a writer, or want to be one, that’s something I think you should remember- only you can tell your stories. Don’t worry if they’re original enough, because nothing is. Everything is based on or inspired by something else, and that is something to be embraced instead of hated. After all, if you remove the burden of being original, you’ll find yourself free to write more and combine ideas. At least I did.
Also, people are drawn to the same kinds of stories- there’s a reason there’s only a few basic plots that exist out there and are just told in different ways. How many redemption stories are out there? How many rags to riches? Forbidden love? People like to have a framework they know, something solid to hold on to. They want to be able to generally know how something will end- say, a happy ending in romances- but be surprised at how it happens.
Never be afraid to work within a genre, because tropes exist for a reason. Lean into them, because if you love what you write then someone else will love it too. And never try to censor yourself in fear of your work being hated. If you sanitize everything you write to the point you’re trying to appeal to everyone, you’ll end up appealing to no one. Not everyone will relate to your work, and that’s ok. How many stories have you read that you personally didn’t like, but other people have? It’s human to have an opinion. Embrace yours, because otherwise you’ll be someone who experiences life instead of living it. So live life.
That’s all for this episode. Thanks for coming with me on my journey through storytelling. I have a Tumblr at an act of will with hyphens between the words if you’d like to keep up with me there. I will see you in one month. Until then, I wish you well and happy writing.
