In 1920, American poet Robert Frost moved his family from a rustic farm in New Hampshire to the Stone House Farm in Bennington, Vermont where he hoped to live his dual life as both a farmer and a poet.  His move to Bennington was one of many moves and started a decade when his luck would change.  Here, Frost would write one of his most famous poems “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, win his first Pulitzer Prize, and receive both a fellowship at the University of Michigan and a teaching offer at Amherst College. 

By 1920, he was an old poet, since most poets found success earlier in life and Frost was now 46.  The man that modern Americans consider to be the most universally-loved 20th century poet was part wanderer, part naturalist, part gambler, and part nostalgic dreamer.  The California-born poet would become known as a New Englander who defined America by giving all Americans a way of seeing ourselves in connection to the natural world around us.  Our appreciation for nature is one of our shared values.

Up to this point, Frost’s professional life had been one of compromise and partial successes in both farming and writing; he sold his New Hampshire family farm with hopes of finding fame in London then later tried his hand at producing everything from chickens to apple trees on his farms.  The early years of his marriage were partially-financed by his grandfather, a serious man who disapproved of Harvard as “a drinking place” and wanted Frost to find a footing in New England as a productive, sober citizen.  Frost survived by the generosity of others and depended on their recognition of his ability to continue writing.  

Frost’s Connection to the Land

Frost’s ties to the land started in 1899 when a doctor recommended he take up farming as a means to stay active mentally, emotionally, and physically.  Throughout his poetry, readers enjoy the theme of personal discovery through time spent outdoors.  Frost found himself with one hand on a farmer’s shovel and the other on the poet’s pen, much like many Americans, who are not easily defined by a narrow description by a single occupation. 

On a warm June day in 1922, Robert Frost sat at his dining room table and drafted the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”.  His deep understanding of the landscape made him particularly well suited to pen this piece, as he was most productive while he was actively farming not when he was surrounded by scholars on a college campus. 

The dining room of the Stone House is dedicated solely to the poem.  On one wall, the poem’s rough draft is painted in black letters with editing marks to indicate places Frost made changes to the original draft.  A record-player sits next to the front window with a recording of Frost reading the poem.  In the middle of the room, a traditional wood table is surrounded by Windsor chairs in a warm finish, giving the room a feel of what it may have been like when Frost’s family enjoyed dinner in that room. 

There is a sense of magic to stand in the same space that a beloved writer once stood.  To look out the windows, the bask in the natural light, to gaze at the same sights that they would have seen gives one a sense of connection to that writer.  Time collapses as we share space with the writers of the poems that we repeat to ourselves in life’s important moments.

The Property

Frost planted hundreds of heirloom variety apple trees on the Stone House Farm in the decade he lived there.  Today, many of those trees have died out from wind storms and severe weather, but horticulturalists connected to the museum are working to propagate the original varieties to continue their lines.  Frost’s goal was to plant a thousand trees of unique varieties, suggesting both his dedication to creative farming and his drive to make sense of the natural environment for its own sake. 

Surrounding the house are seven acres of the original farm.  These contain a woodland area of deciduous trees and some of the same cultivars of Frost’s apple trees.  There is also a poetry walk behind the house with a natural pathway dotted with plaques with Frost’s poetry and artwork by readers.  As visitors walk along the pathway, the poetry and artwork becomes a part of the experience of enjoying the natural surroundings. 

Robert Frost’s Stone House is managed by Bennington College, an institution that was founded while he lived at the house.  They offer tours of the property as well as lectures and events related to Frost, the farm, and the area.  No doubt, Robert Frost will continue to be widely read and loved by Americans, as his voice continues to resonate with our shared values. 
 
Plan a visit to the Robert Frost Stone House
 
You can read the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” at the Poetry Foundation.

In June 2022, I visited Plymouth, MA and found it to be a wonderful town rich in history, culture, and literature.  I have never been here before, and in fact, my only prior New England experience was in Vermont.  As happens with many people, especially Westerners accustomed to being awe-stricken by 120-year old history, I instantly fell in love with New England.  Being able to visit places I had only read about in books made the history, the literature, and the places feel truly real for me.  To visit Plymouth and talk to the historians there, I was reminded of the incredible stories in American history, the struggles that our ancestors managed, and how these experiences became the themes we still see in American literature.  I hope to visit again sometime and dig deeper into the places, the stories, and the people who lived there.  

Two Ships, One Landing

For over 12 years, a congregation of English religious separatists lived in poverty in Holland.  They did backbreaking labor and lived in fear of civil unrest, religious prejudice, and ongoing poverty.  They left England having been found out as members of an illegal religious group after unsuccessfully attempting to reform the English church to fit their wishes.   

These religious fanatics were outcasts in their own England and in their adopted country of Holland.  They decided to try a new path and sail across the ocean, as few English had done before, and leave Europe altogether for the New World.  Their leaders envisioned themselves as the Biblical Jews left Babylon for Jerusalem when they planned to set sail for the New World.

They hired two ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower.  The Speedwell took the Puritans from Holland to England to be outfitted before leaving Europe.  Only the Mayflower sailed, as the Speedwell sprung several leaks that required lengthy repairs and was eventually left behind.  Only the Mayflower sailed and with only 65 Pilgrims of the original 400 Pilgrims. 

Families were separated, some forever, as they said their goodbyes and sent the fittest of the Pilgrims away.  "A flood of tears was poured out. Those not sailing accompanied us to the ship, but were not able to speak to one another for the abundance of sorrow before parting."

The Mayflower was only 1600 square feet but housed 65 Puritans and 37 non-Puritan passengers, which the Puritans referenced as “Strangers”, plus about 30 crew.  Many of the “Strangers” intended to be let out at the Virginia Colony but were released in Plymouth instead.  To put it mildly, the voyage must have been miserable.  Not only were the passengers desperately cramped below deck, they were trapped there unable to go above deck where the 30 crew members worked to keep the ship afloat. 

America Began in Misery and Gratitude

Crying babies, moaning sick people, and arguing workmen is what the passengers endured for two months until landing near Cape Cod.  Not only that, but a third of the passengers weren’t Puritans.  They didn’t share the religious zeal of the original passengers and sought work, resources, and fortune on their voyage.  The Puritans and Strangers bickered about everything from resource management to decision making.  In an effort to bring peace and organization between the two groups, they agreed to the Mayflower Compact: the first attempt at democratic self-governance in the New World.   

Then things got much, much worse.  When the English passengers arrived, they found frozen ground, below-zero temperatures, and an inhospitable land unlike anything they had seen before.  They were unprepared for what came next—disease.  Scurvy, pneumonia, and tuberculosis ravaged the passengers and crew alike.  Though Captain Jones intended to return to England as soon as the passengers found a settlement site, he couldn’t set sail with most of his crew ill. 

Nearly half of the people died that winter of cold, hunger, and disease.  Thankfully, the Native American Wampanoag tribe provided them with food and instructed them on how to forage in winter.  Without that support, it is possible none would have survived.

How did this Voyage Affect our Country’s Establishment?

When we look at historical events, I think we recognize that deprivation threatened every step of the path for the people who lived them.  And I think the challenges that our forebears faced help us to understand how they left the legacy they did.  When these English citizens landed on Cape Cod in 1620, they brought with them new ideas, and we can see those ideas in practice in American literature still.  

This group of people decided they didn’t like what was happening in their government and their government’s official religion.  They couldn’t affect change from within the system, so they took their ideals with them and started over in a new place.  We see the theme of the new beginning throughout American Literature: new beginnings, starting over, finding your own path, trusting yourself, self-reliance, and sticking to your ideals. 

The Plymouth Residents Established American Literature

The 19th century westward-moving pioneers sought a new beginning as they packed their buggies and headed west in search of land, opportunity, and a fresh start.  Little House on the Big Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, My Antonia my Willa Cather, and Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose each introduce readers to the idea that in America, we can move, we can start again, and we are masters of our own fates. 

Second, this is the first time that a group of people decided what their government structure would look like and voted on it.  This is the start of consensual government.  This is the beginning of modern democracy, where people had a say in what happens, where people vote.  This is community government, where no king or lord demanded obedience, but rather people cooperated and compromised to survive.  This is revolutionary thought process put into action.

In American literature, we see the themes of democracy, participatory government, and compromise throughout our canon.  The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, Democracy and Education by John Dewey, and Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville establish the importance of balancing the needs of the many with the needs of the individual.  When the passengers of the Mayflower signed the Mayflower Compact, could they have known that they would spark a different way of thinking about government?

Though the first piece of writing in the New World was probably the journals of Captain John Smith in Virginia around 1606, William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation is the first piece of literature to collect American historical events, including those of the Mayflower sailing.  Anne Bradstreet wrote the first poems in American literature in her book The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America; her poem “Upon the Burning of Our House” has stuck with me for 30 years. 

So, if ever you’re in the neighborhood, pop by the sights in Plymouth, MA.  Visit the Mayflower II, which is the ship rebuilt to the specifications and design of the original Mayflower, and you can see exactly how the Pilgrims and Strangers traveled from England to Cape Cod.  Stop by the Plimoth Patuxet to walk on through the rebuilt village of Plymouth as it would have looked in the 1620s, where colonists built their first homes as well as a rebuilt village of the Native Patuxet Wampanoag people with a bark house.  Burial Hill has been used for honoring the dead since the 1620s, the Howland House which has been standing since the 1660s, and multiple monuments and tours.  History and literature have been comfortably intertwined in Plymouth for 400 years and will continue well into our shared future. 

I always wanted to live in a well-traveled family.  When I was younger, friends would go on amazing vacations: Hawaii for surfing one year, Disneyland for the rides for winter break, and Killington for skiing.  I didn’t grow up like that, but I have made an attempt at traveling as an adult.  My favorite destinations have turned out to be the ones that connect with my love of history and literature.   

When I visit a place with historical or literary significance, it gives me a greater sense of understanding, and I always come home with ideas for stories.  When I sat in Robert Frost’s living room, it felt like his poetry made more sense to me.  When I met the four dozen cats living at Ernest Hemingway’s Key West house, I understood the draw that kept Hemingway there and the vibrant energy of the town itself.  And when I stood on the North Bridge in Concord, where the “shot heard around the world” was fired, I felt more connected to my country and to my history as an American. 

Writing is a Solitary Profession

As writers, we understand that ours is a solitary profession.  We accept that we create alone.  We know that our coffee pots and our cats are oftentimes our only companions while we compose.  But we also recognize that when we write, we write about people, about the human condition, and about human nature.  We write about the conflicts we experience: within ourselves, with nature, with our world, and with each other.  We know that we must understand people and the world to be able to write about it.  We may write alone, but we live with others. 

So, What is Coming?

In the coming months, I would like to share some of my recent literary and historical travels with you.  Just before the pandemic, I visited Earnest Hemingway’s house in Key West.  This summer, I visited the homes of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau in Concord.  And before that, I sat in Robert Frost’s living room, where he wrote “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. 

My historical tours have taken me along the northern path of all five Great Lakes, where we got to stop at the very point where my great-great-great-great grandfather entered the United States and never returned to Canada.  I got to visit the wonders of the west, including: Highway 66, the Grand Canyon, and the Joshua Trees.  These places helped me to make connections between human development, the changing landscapes, and the consistencies of the human condition. 

Creative people tend to be curious people.  I hope you enjoy the stories to come in the new year.  And I hope you are able to carve out a little time to leave your desk now and then and observe the world up close. 

Do you need to focus? Then listen up!

By chance, have you noticed how difficult it is to focus these days?  Climate instability, political threats, social upheaval, and everyday life stress got you down?  Sometimes the array of devices within reach make it difficult to focus.  Or how about the challenge that every writer faces—what do I write about today?

All of these things can create situations where it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to focus long enough to write anything. 

What can a writer do to improve focus?

I tend to get distracted myself, especially when it comes to my writing.  My writing is my personal time that I spend for myself.  I don’t make money or gain fame or rub elbows with celebrities because of my writing; it’s what I do to be creative, to feel like my true self.  Sometimes, that time is hard to protect.  My kids, my job, and my many responsibilities tend to push into that time in an attempt to take it over.  Unfortunately, I can’t take focusing for granted.  I have to set myself up for success or my mind will wander. 

Plug your ears to block out the world

There are a few audio tools that writers can use to support their mental focus.  For years, educators have recommended that students listen to quiet classical music while studying.   The music creates a background noise that isn’t distracting in itself but allows the writer to have something going on in the background. 

If you know anyone who sleeps with a fan running or a white noise machine, the idea is similar.  You are creating a soothing background sound that allows the mind to focus elsewhere—on writing or on relaxing. 

People who work with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder have suggested that giving the brain something to block out encourages focus.  When the brain is in overdrive and scattered, giving it something to push against allows it the energy to focus on a single task.  Otherwise, focusing on one task is too challenging. 

Some writers wear headphone or earplugs without any sounds, and that can be a technique that works for people who don’t necessarily need to block out sounds to gain focus but just need to block out sounds.  When you’re writing at home, the house can be filled with distracting sounds—the dishwasher running, the neighbor’s dog barking, and the phone ringing.  Sometimes a cheap set of earplugs can block out the din of the world so writers can get a few words written. 

What should writers consider listening to?

People are drawn to different types of music, of course.  And your personal tastes in what you enjoy listening to while driving may be totally different than the music that helps you focus to write.  Writers oftentimes need to try out a couple of different options before finding the one that works best to get the focus they need, and what works today may be a bust for your next writing session, so you may need a couple of different options. 

Mellow jazz

Jazz is another style that works well for some writers.  Of course, jazz can get pretty wild, feature louder horns, and include singers.  For many writers that would be too much going on and create a distraction rather than solve the problem.  If jazz is your thing, look for a playlist with quieter, mellow jazz that you can play in the background while focusing on your writing.

Quiet classical music

All classical music is not alike.  Some can be pretty raucous (Beethoven, Vivaldi) and some is on the lighter side (Mozart).  Find a style that suits your listening and give it a try.  Personally, I like string instruments like cellos and violins but not pianos, so I look for classical music that I can play in the background that I’ll enjoy the sound of without finding it annoying.   

 
Lofi playlists

I had not heard of Lofi until recently.  This is an electronic music style without lyrics.  If you search YouTube for lofi, you’ll find playlists with millions of views.  Younger people tend to love Lofi playlists because they include not just the background music that helps them focus but many also include a video with pleasant imagery.  One called Lofi Girl on YouTube shows a cartoon-style drawing of a woman who drinks tea and pets her cat.  The combination of relaxing music and imagery can be just the right thing to support a writer’s focus.   

Nature sounds

When my daughter was young, she would fall asleep to the sound of birds chirping in the forest.  Many people use the sounds of waves crashing, rain falling, or birds chirping to relax, focus, and improve their environment.  Studies have shown that a short time in nature can significantly improve people’s moods and mental health.  So, why not use a recorded version to focus better while writing? 

What tends not to work?

As luck would have it, not every type of white noise or music will support a writer’s need for focus.  Music with lyrics tends to be distracting rather than focusing.  When the brain is inputting words from one source, the music, it can be too challenging to compose words for a story.  Our poor brains can only handle so much and both inputting and outputting words at the same time is just taxing for the majority of us. 

Loud music is another one that tends to backfire.  Though any kind of music can be turned up to 11, your writing sessions may not be the best time to try that.  Sometimes people confuse the idea of listening to music with listening to loud music.  When the music becomes the focal point of the moment, then good writing is less likely to take place. 

Finally, really anything with words can be overstimulating for most writers.  Spoken word, documentaries, podcasts, radio news, and lectures are great entertainment when you’re driving but can be a right mess when you’re writing.  Too many words are sometimes just too much. 

Try out a couple of options and see what works for you.  If you are the type of person who loves to rock out to Beethoven at high volume on the highway, maybe try quiet nature sounds for your next writing session.  Plug in a set of headphones and see if that improves your focus and helps you get more words written on the page. 

When we sit down to write about our lives, the task can feel daunting.  Writing about an entire life can make us feel like the starting point is elusive.  Do we begin with birth?  Do we start before that with our parents, grandparents, or ancestors?  Do we begin with our first memory?  It can feel like there is no easy answer. 







Writing a memoir story is a unique experience.  Our memories are usually spotty with some of the details easily accessible at the forefront and others lurching in the murky background.  This can be a real challenge for memoirists since we both want to capture our stories but also want to share them in an honest and factual manner.  That is not always an easy task. 

As writers, we experiment with different techniques to begin a story until we find the methods that work for us as individuals.  One writer may depend solely on a brainstorming technique to prepare, whereas another one may have a series of rituals including an early morning walk, an image search, and rereading yesterday’s writing.  Over time, we figure out what works and stick with our methods so that we can be productive.  Considering the greatest frustration for all writers is the blank page, we all want to get words on the page as quickly as possible.

When writers begin collecting their personal stories, the process can be rocky at the start, but writers who stick with it will find that the process becomes easier with time.  Try one brainstorming method and see how well it works to get a story on paper.  If you struggle, then try a second one and a third until you find a brainstorming technique that works for you.  As with all challenges, facing it head on and persevering toward the goal will get you past the hard parts. 

Words List

Some writers are particularly language-oriented.  They think of individual words as having significant importance.  These writers may compose poems or song lyrics in their creative time and tend to find that individual words can trigger thoughts, memories, and emotions. 
Brainstorming a word list can help connect a writer with a memory that can transform into a story.  The words can be used to tap into the memories themselves and can also be used in the story. 

Example word list related to a memory of my summer when I was 7: willow tree swing, grasshoppers, yellow bikini, fireflies, fire pit, hot dogs and marshmallows, bedtime stories, red Converse tennis shoes.

If I used the word list method, the words I brainstormed help me remember what I did that summer.  I can then use those words in my story, so if I’m a language-oriented writer, this can really get me started.

Visualization

Close your eyes and picture yourself going back in time.  Think back to the moment you met your best friend.  Where were you?  What was the weather like?  What were you wearing?  What were your plans for that day?  What were you thinking about? 

For many writers, when they can get a mental picture of an experience from their past, they can fill in the details.  One of the fascinating things about memory is that once a person opens a window into the past, more memory reveals itself over time.  A person may start by recalling the time they met their best friend on the playground at school, then by visualizing this memory and going through the events, one minute at a time, they can unlock additional details of what happened.  For writers who enjoy meditation, mindfulness, and visualization, this can be an enjoyable story technique.

Collect Images

We live in a highly visual culture.  Just 20 years ago, our phones were focused on sound, but today they are almost completely operating on visuals.  Our lives have changed with each passing decade to being less multi-sensory and more visual.  The more time we live indoors in front of screens, the more dependent we are on our ability to interpret visual information and less on our other senses. 

As visual people, we can use aspects of that to our advantage.  If you are a collector of photographs from vacations, life events, and celebrations, then you may have a treasure trove of visual content.  You can use this as a starting point for creating your stories. 

Take out the photographs that you have from elementary school and from high school.  Take out the photos from your young adult life and from midlife.  As you collect these wonderful images, take the time to sort them then study them in a way that helps you unlock the stories behind the visuals.  Since we are a visual culture, we can use photos to tap into our memories and collect details that we can use in our memoir stories. 

Collect Objects and Artifacts

Photographs are not the only tools writers can use to connect with their memories.  Any type of artifact can do the job as well.  Think about the types of things you may have related to your life memories: fabric samples, ribbons, awards, certificates, notes and cards, licenses, and artwork. 

Like when a writer uses a photograph, accessing an artifact from one’s life, a writer can tap into their memories, open up more details on their memories, and use the artifacts as part of the presentation.  Many memoir stories include photographs and artifacts within the stories.  Adding imagery can help the writer to collect enough information to tell a story in the first place and can help get the full story communicated to readers.

Conduct Interviews

One of the wonderful aspects of writing memoir is that writers aren’t limited to their own experiences.  We live our lives around other people.  Our connections to friends, family, and colleagues give us rich fuel for stories of interconnected lives. 

Some memoirists begin their memoir writing journeys by interviewing people in their lives, particularly their family elders for ancestral and family stories.  Interviewing others is a great way to start, because it takes the pressure off of the writer to collect their own stories.  Instead, writers get to focus on the writing process for others’ stories, which can make storytelling feel more accessible, especially for writers who may be overwhelmed or blocked. 

Memory Snippets

Oftentimes, writers have bits of memories but they don’t necessarily add up to an entire story.  Collecting these memory snippets can create a resource pool of information that can be used in writing memoir stories.  Consider using post-it style notes or notecards for collecting and cataloguing these memory snippets.  A memory snippet might be as small as one sentence. 

Memory snippets might include things like: the summer we saw David Bowie in Denver; the patent leather shoes when I was 10; my tenth birthday when I was sick; the day dad crashed his motorcycle. 

Hopefully, there is one brainstorming technique that can support your writing practice.  Once writers get a story or two on paper, more stories tend to come over time; it gets easier.  As well, the more time writers spend accessing memories, the more memories come to light.  This can be a blessing since writers have more information to access from their stories, but it can also mean that more time is needed on one’s memoir project.  If you find that some of these techniques do not appeal, that is OK.  Stick with the ones that work for you.  Writers are all different and tend to gravitate to one method over another. 

People who have spent time writing, regardless if they wrote poetry, short stories, or personal essays, have found that the act of writing benefits the writer as much as it does the reader.  Though we tend to view writing as a communication tool from reader to writer, one of its greatest benefits is supporting the writer’s well-being.
 
Set Aside Time to Write
 
When we write, we give our thoughts time.  Time is such a luxury these days, as the technologies that were supposed to make life easier have shortened our attention spans and kept us perpetually distracted.  When we put life on hold to write, we dedicate time to our thoughts and give them the space to flower.  Writers have known that the writing process allows for time to think through one’s questions with both depth and breadth. 
 
Novelist Flannery O’Connor suggested, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” 

Writing is rarely quick and easy.  It’s a slow process that gives the writer opportunity to shut off the world’s chaos and focus.  When we do this, inevitably we take care of ourselves.  Life has become so disordered that people are oftentimes exhausted just getting through the day.  Taking time to quiet the world around us can allow for a break to sit with our thoughts, a habit that writers have used for centuries to regroup and reconnect with oneself. 
 
Journaling after Stressful or Traumatic Events
 
Every person has experienced stress or trauma at some point.  We may have experienced the loss of a friend or family member, the loss of wealth or stability or status, or the loss of place when our homes or communities change for the worse.  Loss can wreak havoc on people, and the aftereffect can present itself in a variety of ways. 

Some people experience heightened feelings of stress, weight change, affected memory, or declining physical health.  For others, the effects can be as significant as mental health illnesses like depression or anxiety. 
 
Some writers address their personal challenges by writing about them.  Starting a journal where writers chronicle their hardships can help by putting words to the feelings and details to events gone awry.  The process of journaling to express the depth of thoughts surrounding personal experiences can be incredibly therapeutic for writers. 

Expressive Writing
 
There are two styles of writing recommended to support mental and emotional wellness after challenging times: expressive and reflective writing.  With the expressive style, writers separate themselves from their writing by collecting their experiences as events separate from themselves.  They write about their pain, trauma, and stressful situations without any editing or filters.  The events and pain can become separated from the writer with time, as writers capture the details of events while looking at themselves as though they are characters within a story. 
 
How do you start expressive writing?  Choose a painful incident and write about what happened without stopping.  Write about what happened, how it felt, what it made you think of, and what effects it had.  Write it all down.  Then tear the paper out of your notepad and throw it away (or burn it or shred it water and put it in the compost bin). 
 
The point behind expressive writing is that you don’t judge yourself, your experiences, or your feelings.  You just put it all to paper then destroy it.  Evidence suggests that engaging in expressive writing can alleviate chronic physical and mental pain if done on a regular basis.  Some people write every day and some multiple times a day.  Expressive writing can be cathartic if you’re willing to give it a chance.

Reflective Writing
 
Reflective writing is similar in that the writer looks to the past for incidents to write about.  But there is more license to analyze the past.  With reflect writing, we look back to the past to see what happened, but rather than re-experiencing it, we figure it out, we break it apart, and we evaluate it so that we understand it.  When we reflect, we are not the same people from the past.  Today, we have new skills, experiences, and knowledge to use to rework our former selves. 
 
When writers reflect on their previous experiences, they are writing for themselves not to share with an audience.  The purpose isn’t to communicate an idea to a reader but to process experiences, emotions, and information with the intention of making sense of them to the writer.  Anytime we can turn something from emotional to logical, we tend to feel relief. 

Rewrite Your Experiences  
 
When writers reach a point where they are emotionally able to face their past experiences with relish, they may want to try rewriting them.  In all likelihood, you have a dozen incidents from your life where you replayed the event on repeat in an attempt to figure it all out.  Well, when you write about it, you can do just that. 
 
Think back to an incident that did not go in your favor.  How could it have gone differently?  What series of events could have changed to have made you the victor rather than the victim?  What missteps did you take that you would like to redo? 
 
Once you have the original incident and its more favorable outcome in mind, rewrite the story.  Make yourself into the hero of the story.  Change the things you said.  Change the things other people said or did.  Take this old incident that turned out poorly in real life and rework it so that it’s a moment of success in your life memories.  Writers who rewrite their experiences can sometimes feel like they’ve taken back the control they lost in those incidents and regained a sense of confidence.
 
Writing serves a dozen different purposes.  We can write to share information and stories with a reading audience.  And we can write for ourselves.  The writing techniques we use can help us lessen the damaging effects that stress and trauma can leave in their wake.  By writing about our lives, we can engage in a kind of healing that just might make life a little bit better. 
 

Oftentimes, writers are able to draft the first-version of a story without a problem.  They collect the characters, the plot, and the setting on the page, but when they read that first draft, it sometimes feels dry and dull.  The reality is that the first draft often falls flat.   

Once writers get the first draft done, the next step they take is incredibly important.  If you assume the first draft is the best you can do and give up, then you lose the opportunity of crafting a truly lovely story.  But, if you take another look at the story, you can edit and revise that first draft into a masterful piece of writing. 

Regardless of the type of story (memoir, science fiction, etc.), writers try to achieve common goals: engage the reader throughout the story, capture their story’s essence, and create a piece that reflects the writer’s skills.  There are a few tools writers can use to achieve all of these goals.  As we revise our stories from the first drafts to the polished drafts, we can use literary devices to improve the writing. 

What are literary devices?

Literary devices are structures, techniques, and practices writers use in non-fiction and fiction writing as well as poetry and screenplay.  Literary devices are the building blocks of literature that engage readers, bring stories alive, and turn writing into an art form.  Having a basic understanding of literary devices can help writers change their writing from dull to delightful.

Metaphor

A metaphor is a comparison of two things; it makes a direct comparison.

Typically, the two things being compared are otherwise unrelated, and the metaphor does not use the words “like” or “as”.  The metaphor is one of the most common literary device; it tends to be easy for readers to decipher and enjoyable for writers to employ. 

Examples

The grove of oak trees was an impenetrable fortress.

Sheila was a smart cookie.

When we say that the grove of oak trees was an impenetrable fortress, we are not literally saying that the trees had transformed into an actual fortress, but rather than the trees were so difficult to get through they had might as well be a fortress. 

And when we say that Sheila is a smart cookie, we are not saying she is a baked good, but rather that Sheila is a smart person. 
 

Simile

A similar is a comparison between two things using the words “like” or “as”; it makes an indirect comparison. 

The simile is similar to a metaphor in that it makes a comparison between two things, which typically are unrelated.  Like the metaphor, the simile is a common literary device, is easy to use for writers, and easy for readers to decipher.   

Examples

My dog shuffles like an old man.

The sleeping cat was as a ticking time bomb.   

When we say the dog shuffles like an old man, we’re comparing the way the dog walks with the way some older gentlemen may walk.  Though the two creatures, the dog and the man, might not be compared in normal circumstances, their manner of walk is compared here.

When we compare the sleeping cat with the time bomb, we are not saying the two are exactly the same.  Rather, we are saying the cat is as delicate as the bomb.  Likely, when the cat wakes up, she would be as dangerous as a bomb. 

Imagery

Imagery is a writer’s technique use of sensory details to describe something.

Writers can use imagery in any type of writing: poetry, non-fiction, and any type of fiction.  It is a universal literary device and can be used in a literal or figurative way.  Since many people tend to be visual, readers tend to engage with imagery. 

Examples

The fog smothered the city in layers of thick cold that struck strait to the bone.

Marvin’s head felt like it had burst, the flesh burned and throbbed constantly as sharp pains stabbed sharpened daggers behind his eyes.

The fog’s description shows us how overwhelming the fog is.  It has given the city a sense of having been enveloped by the cold, which a person feels in their bones. 

Marvin’s headache is so bad that he feels both a burning and stabbing sensation from the pain.

Personification

Personification gives human traits to non-human things. 

When writers use personification, they can pull the reader into the story by creating a connection between the reader and the story’s objects (animals, places, things).  This can develop connection, compassion, or empathy between the reader and the story.

Examples

The bookshelf stood watch over the office and ensured the safety of Anya’s prized book collection.

The old Ford’s engine coughed and hacked back to life. 

In our bookshelf example, we suggest that the bookshelf is doing the human tasks of standing guard and ensuring safety.  It is not just holding books, as other bookshelves would do. 

The old Ford makes human sounds when it coughs and hacks back to life, just as a person might adjust after sleeping for a long time. 

How often should you use literary devices in your writing?

There is a balance when using literary devices.  If you overuse them, your writing can be weighted down with description and the story’s pace slowed down or even stopped.  If you under-use them, the story can be dull and lifeless.  Finding the balance for your writing is one of the key steps for you to create your personal writing style. 

After you have written the first draft of your story, add one literary device to each paragraph.  Re-read the story and decide if that revision made a positive change for your story.  Is the story more interesting?  Is it more alive?  If so, continue to experiment with literary devices.  Add a second literary device to each paragraph, then check the story again.  Did the second addition improve the writing?  Is the story more engaging for the reader without losing the story’s pace? 

As you work literary devices into your writing, try to find the balance of how often you can use these techniques in your writing without losing the value of your narrative.  Once you try them, you will be hooked and integrate them into all of your writing.