Being A Writer is Powerful

Last week at the Minneapolis Young Writer's Conference, two authors changed my whole outlook on writing. Jonathan and Jennifer gave amazing keynotes, using their spoken words to move us young writers. I cried. Some of my friends cried. It was huge and big and awesome and I can't wait to tell you more about it. So here we go.

I have a huge heart for writing. I also have a huge heart for helping people. But my mind never put those two together and considered them as one thing. 

At one point I very briefly considered counseling, or becoming a nurse, doing missions, a doctor, or working somewhere that could help people who are hurting and put a smile on their face and show them the truth in this messy little life.

But writing is where my passion lies. As awesome as it would be to help people in the medical field of things, that's just not me. I would only further scar the patients as I make disgusting sounds at the sight of blood, and that's not the point. (whoops. :P)

Going back to the conference, Jonathan walked onto the stage on the first night. I wasn't sure what to expect -- definitely not what he delivered -- so I sat there with mildly high hopes and my notebook ready. 

Wow.

He got up. He told stories. That's all he did -- he told powerful stories. Stories that make you cry at the hard parts and then cry even more at the happy parts. Story after story after story was thrown at us, and all I could do was listen. 

The stories were raw. Of people in hard places -- even of him in hard places -- but they moved me. I'm sure they moved everyone in that room. 

The stories all lead to one point -- to one question everyone has:

"DO YOU SEE ME? DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?"

Everyone has that longing to belong. To be appreciated and liked.

And, each of us has a duty to make sure to see people in this life. Words can be so powerful, especially to those in times of hurting -- just to pay attention and make them feel like a person. Say hi. Take an interest in their passions. Care about other people.

As writer's we have been gifted words. And not only written words. We can use spoken words to share our love as well. Because words are powerful.

(a snippet of part of the speech he did. He's truly a fantastic speaker.)

The next night Jennifer Nielsen got on the stage.

She delivered another emotional tear-delivering speech. (would've brought some tissues if I had known that I was gonna cry so much over the conference)

Her talk really showed me how helping people and writing go hand and hand. And that gave me so much hope.

One of Jennifer's readers was a girl. She was hurting badly, to the point where she had become suicidal. But she found Jennifer's books. Opened and started to read. Continued reading until she could no longer hold her eyes open. The next day would be the same thing -- hurting and filled with pain, but she had to figure out what happened to the characters.

On and on she kept reading. The next couple paragraphs, the next couple pages. The next chapter -- the next book. And because of that time it took to read Jennifer's books, it allowed her time to rethink everything.

Because of writing, Jennifer literally saved a life.

There were other stories. A story about a man in the army, suffering with PTSD. Jennifer's books helped him to learn how to focus on something and get through the hard days.

This is what I want out of writing.

I want to help people. I want to inspire people. I want to create stories and worlds so readers can escape this life. I want people to smile, laugh, even cry -- to feel things.

And that's what is powerful about writing. A book can influence people in so many different ways. In turn, that gives the author opportunities to make a difference. I know that the authors I met this weekend were super influential and sincere in everything they did. 

I want to be like that. 

I want to be a powerful writer.  

// katie grace

*awkwardly ends rambling and disjointed thoughts about writing without a question because I'm not sure what I'd even ask* 

so go ahead and feel free to ramble in the comments about the power of writing if you'd like. :P