Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Are you hoarding your writing?

By Laurie Epps

Are you hoarding your writing? It's obvious when notebooks and journals are stockpiled and you find them everywhere. Then you, my friend, are hoarding your writing.

  • Other questions to ask yourself are: Have you written for years, but never shown it to anyone? 
  • Have you written so much that it's much to the dismay of your movers?

Well everyone, I'm raising my right hand. "My name is Laurie Epps and I am a self proclaimed hoarder of my writing." Ok, I feel better. I got that off my chest. But it's true. I've been writing since I was seven years old, and it wasn't until recently that any of it has ever seen the light of day.

To your left, is just one of the many bookshelves around my house full of notebooks and journals. They are all full of original material written by yours truly. I wasn't aware I was doing this until recently, when some industry professionals pointed my one biggest secret.

During my first full-blown writers conference last month, Michelle Medlock-Adams saw right through my charade. I was almost embarrassed that I was always observing people from a very young age and writing about it. What has happened to all that writing? I can see within the last seven years how much writing I have done and in a physical form. I think I'd need a separate house to house all the writing I've done over the course of my lifetime.

A purist, I like to really connect with my writing and do most of my compositions first in pen. College has been especially grueling because there are so many deadlines so close together, there often isn't time for a handwritten draft. But it doesn't keep me from doing it, in fact, sometimes it just means I'm doing it faster.


To the right you'll see one of my many overwhelming piles of typed material. It's incredible to me that I could even begin to write that much. It's crazy! Furniture is now being converted to house all my work, and I'm not kidding when I tell you that.

What's next? For me, I'm going to start going through it. I'm going to have to start reworking some of the material, or sending some of it off because it's been worked to death.

My new mantra is no guts, no glory

I'll never know if it's relevant or any good if no one sees it. 

But I'll confess, doubt is torture. If I believed in it, this hoarding wouldn't have happened in the first place. I'd already have all this material out there someplace. That's where I think the community of writers comes in. We need to encourage our hoarder friends to unleash their talents on an unsuspecting world. Are you with me?

Now it's your turn. Are you hoarding your writing? What are you going to do to change that? If you were a hoarder, we especially want to hear from you. Pave the way for the rest of us. We need to encourage each other. Join the conversation, the Write Conversation.


Laurie Epps is a hoarder of her writing. She is most heavily published as a feature writer, essayist and poet. Pictured here with Michelle Medlock Adams. A seeker of beauty, her is dream is to travel the world one day and tell their many stories. To read more of Laurie's stories visit her Monday Morning Book Club column dedicated to writers everywhere, or her Thoughtful Thursday column dedicated to the art of Poetry at: http://1writerlaurieepps.blogspot.com


11 comments:

  1. Don't worry. Moderation is important. I confess I am a hoarder. I feel comfortable with your notebooks. As a purist I write everything down. I read books, magazines and other stuff with pen in hand. I go on vacation with a notebook. My sister came the other day and screamed: "What's this?" She had gone into my closet and found my journals. She proceeded to bring all of them out and scold me, "Chris. What you have to say is important. Don't put it in the closet. Do something with this." So thanks for the "push" I've needed. I'm working on it.Pray for me.

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    1. Oh yes Chris. I get you, I have the same compulsion. I've been writing all my life, and that's a lot of writing! And it takes up a lot of room too! I still remember when we had a genealogical assignment for cultural geography class in my junior college. In the course of one semester, I worked on it diligently for 4-5 hours every Sunday afternoon. Most kids turned in15-20 pages max. I had created four 2" binders full of information on my family tree, all in clear page protector things... which got my professor teasing me. All I could say to that was, "I have kids..." Well, I got an A, but she made me make a "best of" notebook for my class project. So yes, I've been busted a couple of times myself. Don't lose heart. There is a reason God calls you to write, and there is a reason he calls me. We'll reach out and pray together my sister in Christ. I'm here with you on the journey.

      Blessings,
      Laurie Epps

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  2. Love this article! It speaks directly to me...Me! I have material that has been laid aside, awaiting____ what? I ask myself. Yes, I've been published already, but I have more, more that I can share from life experiences and from a woman's heart.
    Thanks for the cheerleading chant. Have a blessed day.

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    1. RAH-RAH your words also encouraging to me as well. We're in this together! Feel free to leave me messages or add me to Facebook or Twitter. I'd love to cheer you on.

      Blessings,
      Laurie Epps

      e-mail: 1writerlaurieepps@gmail.com

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  3. I admit to hoarding, hoarding, and more hoarding, but mine's tucked away in boxes and some of it is in storage, so I'm also a hider. :) Now, to answer your question, "What am I going to do about it?" I'm thinking ...

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    1. I resemble your statement. I have huge boxes under the house, and two storage areas chalk full of them. That's not to mention that I am sharing the wealth. Dad's garage is full of my writings too. I always tell myself that I'm going to begin to go through it, and organize it but then I procrastinate, and say, "Tomorrow". I've gotta write today! I have a project that has become especially hard to work on for the same reason. Sometimes I do have a cleaning day where half the time I end up reading these journals and remember what it felt like when I wrote it. If I write a response, it's usually some of my best writing. Just another idea. Enjoy.

      Blessings,
      Laurie

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  4. I too have been writing for years. I love to write and I live to write. So why haven't I moved forward? Your words are encouraging and convicting. Thanks for the honesty and for seeing I am not alone...

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    1. Yes, when Michelle looked at me and said, "Laurie, why are you selling some of this? It's really good!" I know I too have to turn my work around into a little money hopefully. We need to encourage each other and push each other back on track! So yes, I'm a self proclaimed hoarder of my writing.

      Blessings,
      Laurie Epps

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  5. My notebooks didn't bother the movers nearly as much as 23 boxes of law books. They even annoyed my overly tolerant husband.

    Now that he has passed, I find myself with little to do, so I have begun writing in earnest. I have had a short story published in an anthology, and another will be coming out around the 15th. I have begun making notes of chapters to be added to turn it into a complete book. It is the life story of the first pit bull ever certified by Washington State as a K-9. He was my dog for 16 too short years, and his stories deserve to be shared.

    I have also, thanks to some of my pit bull list friends, who happened to all be in a crazy mood one afternoon, begun my first novel. I guarantee that you will find something to laugh about on every page. It is going even faster than I could have hoped.

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    1. Hi Irish, For me, my muse is my days in Paris as a young woman. My experience as an American student unleashed into the streets of Paris will be apparitions of my former self forever. I have nothing but sentimental and sweet nostalgia for my days there. Those days will be permanently imprinted on my life.

      I, too, often use humor in my writing. Your K9 story sounds like an interesting, fun, and humorous read. I'd be interested to know when it comes out. Please share with us your progress so we can encourage each other along the journey.

      Blessings,
      Laurie Epps

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