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What a time to be a writer! If the events of this past week make your project suddenly feel irrelevant, I've got some encouragement for you. If writing does not seem like an activity you can do right now, the ideas below will help you keep your thoughts active, your writing muscles toned.

And if you are more energized than ever to return to the page, great. Your story is important. It matters to the world.

First, how does the statement "My story matters" sit with you? Does it feel like overstatement? Unnecessary bravado? Something that would fit in someone else's mouth but not your own? Let me tell you why I believe this statement is true, and why I believe your story matters now more than ever, no matter what kind of writing you do.

Over the course of history, which stories are most often told? Usually it's not the everyday worker or artist, but the people in seats of power. Wouldn't you love to have firsthand accounts from those outside the court of Henry VIII and his various wives? Or written versions the stories and songs told and sung through the ages from different cultures across the globe? So much is lost, and I feel that as writers we've been given an incredible opportunity to capture the tapestry of human experience right now.

To illustrate the sweep of time: Many of us remember life very well before the internet ("the World Wide Web," "the information superhighway"--those charming old names!) came crashing onto the scene. You may be thinking, "Well, there's nothing special about that. Everyone except the youngest remembers what the world was like back then." Except, and not to be grim, in a few years, no one will remember what it was like. Soon even monumental events like 9/11 will be a chapter, then a paragraph in a textbook.

What may feel like small details or common experiences to all do need to be recorded. And all perspectives and experiences add to the picture. Contrary to what we might think, the internet is not forever. It does not serve as a reliable backup for human experience, which is good news for writers.

And digital files are precarious, too. They degrade. Software and hardware become obsolete. Passwords are forgotten. You may have experienced your own headaches with crashed computers, lost files, and the like. Paper itself is susceptible to loss whether through carelessness, theft, fire, or flood--but is ultimately more hardy than digital records. We can't rely on the news, Substack, or even email to preserve our experience. Do you see why I keep saying your story matters?

So if you can't return to the epic high fantasy you're currently working on or the delicious murder mystery or even your memoir about your experience as a solo female pilot in the Alaskan wilderness, here are some things you can do to keep moving creatively--and to contribute to the great tapestry of human experience while you're at it:

Let's do this on paper. Grab a notebook and pen.
Where are you in the world? What brought you there? How does your location affect to your lived experience?
What are you excited about? Why? What does this thing you are excited about mean for you and the people in your life?
What are you looking forward to? Will it change your life? How?
What is currently at stake for you and your family? How does this fit with what's at stake for your broader community?
What is your biggest wish? How will you make it come true?

These questions may seem overly broad, but the trick is to be specific and generous with detail as you write. You can take them in any direction and follow new lines of inquiry these questions may spark. Be curious about your experience. Excavate boldly. Don't think about who might read it one day. For now, this is for you alone. Write like no one is watching. Write like you don't want to forget a single thing.

💡 Here are some resources for preserving your stories:

Your Personal Archiving Project: Where Do You Start? [Library of Congress]

Organize Your Personal Archive (includes recommendations on what to do with digital files) [The Writers Guild Foundation]