Whether she was writing or talking, she couldn’t help but relate every part of a story with so much detail, humor, and passion that readers and listeners hung on every word. And she wasn’t even a writer; she was simply a woman with a distinct point of view and a gift for narrative. But though she was a natural, until that point she’d been held back by her fear that, as a Korean American adoptee, readers would question her distinct point of view and that her storis would be unwelcome. The experience of sharing her work in a supportive environment with other women of color was a revelation for her and she recently asked me for some direction regarding next steps she could take as a budding writer. I’d received that request many times before and knew that the answers I provided would support a lot of other people who dream of writing but don’t know where to start — so I’m sharing what I said here.
The first thing I told her was that, given the enormity of the task, she should take her time in setting a course. Then I gave her a list of questions to ask herself which could provide some inner guidance and recommended that she start journaling her answers, recording them on her phone, or talking them through with a friend (or even a therapist!). Then I listed out some questions...
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