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Anyone Can Write


Well, The Babbling Brook is getting this one in at the very last minute. It seems like only yesterday it was November 1, and now we find ourselves on the cusp of December, wondering where the month has gone. Perhaps you can relate.

That said, did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month? It is often shortened to NaNoWriMo. Folks who choose to take part are encouraged to write a 50,000 word manuscript during the month of November. The conventional wisdom is that the November weather often drives folks indoors, so why not write? If you have ever considered writing a novel, or if you have started and just need a little motivation to finish, NaNoWriMo can get you over the hump. Check with your public library for local writing groups that meet not only during NaNoWriMo, but throughout the year. The support of fellow writers as you consider characters, develop plot lines, and test out endings can mean the world to both budding and seasoned writers alike who are looking to hone their craft.

At Willow Brook at Delaware Run, a resident-led writers group meets each month to bounce ideas off one another and to honor and keep the writing craft alive in their retirement years. Here are what some of the members have to say about their group:

“The group encourages all residents to do more writing; letters to family members, friends, teachers, etc.; to tell how to do it and why. In addition, everyone can journal, it helps a person remember and increases alertness. Hand-writing is wonderful, but computer-writing is easier. Try it! Anyone can write!” –Chuck

“Writing is my way of honoring and informing three generations of my family. 

1. I write memories based on my experiences with at least two generations before me—parents and grandparents at least.  

2. It is my life review as a conversation, as that it is my primary writing style—informal as I would tell it.

3. It is for the next generation/s. To tell them what I have found or think I know of my and their family history and experiences. To fill in some clues or answers to questions they wished they had asked family before the source wasn’t available.

I appreciate our writing group because they encourage, give constructive criticism and very often spur on new ideas of remembrances that add richness to my future writings.  They often provide resources to improve writing skills.” –Brenda

“Writing has been in my blood since my fiftieth birthday. Our writers group supports that love of writing. It also brings together fellow writers to encourage each other to keep after that art which is a tough mistress. It calls for the best as well as allowing us to open our hearts to creating poetry, stories, and memories of our long lives.” –Marilyn

For those who struggle to use a pen or pencil or to type on a computer or typewriter, but still want to get their thoughts on paper, there a number of transcription apps (some of them free) that will help you turn your spoken word into a written transcript—that may be a good place to start. Loved ones may also be able to help by chronicling events or life stories on video or with a tape recorder.

Though November may be the official National Novel Writing Month, who says you can’t pick a different month that works better for you? And who says you can’t take more than a month? The Babbling Brook would encourage you to start whenever the spirit moves you, and to keep at it as a matter of habit. Sound too daunting? Start by writing a sentence a day in a notebook. If that’s too easy, write a short paragraph—you can write about anything; an observation, what you ate for breakfast, why green is your favorite color, or the day’s weather. Maybe that short paragraph will turn into a page, maybe not. Maybe that page will turn into a story, maybe not. Writing for the sake of writing is a beautiful practice in itself, no end-goal required.

Still, there are so many stories that live within our elders that need to be shared and are waiting to be told. If not you, who? If not now, when?