How to write

Times are hard these days. People are losing their homes, their jobs and their hope for the future. Even so, we rarely think of how far we could fall and for some there is no safety net. That was the case for Richard LeMieux. When LeMieux fell on hard times, depression robbed him of his ability to cope and he lost everything: his home, his family and his esteem.  He found himself in the company of “bums”, eating meals in soup kitchens and living in a van.  In 2002 he attempted suicide and was consequently diagnosed with depression, his symptoms included severe memory loss, an inability to adapt to changing contexts, isolation and anxiety.  LeMieux wrote about his experience during the two years he spent living in his van.  The book “Breakfast at Sally’s” will be published this fall.

So what is the moral of the story?  

1. There is no excuse NOT to write.  No matter how challenging it is for you to find time, inspiration or motivation to write, your excuses don’t compare to the excuses LeMieux could have used.  

2. Everybody has a story worth telling.  You don’t have to be a millionaire or leader of the free world to have a voice.  This doesn’t mean your story needs to be autobiographical.  You can use your personal experiences in fiction, to give characters depth.

3. Imagine the journey, emotionally and physically, that LeMieux or the thousands of homeless men, women and children, have taken.  What if everything you owned was taken away? Where would you go? How would you survive?  How would you be treated if you found yourself homeless and helpless one day?  These are questions for humanity, not just writers.