SLANT LETTER

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Where shall the story begin? It’s a question with which every writer must rumble. This Sunday, we enter the season of Advent, and in the Christian liturgical tradition, Advent is where the story of the sacred year begins. There are a million ways to tell a story, and just as many ways to start one. What scene, what moment, what emotion or idea will take the lead? And what will be the most effective way to engage your reader at the outset? What will meet your reader where they are, and draw them in?

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You may know George Saunders by reputation, as he is considered one of the best short story writers of our time. You may know him from his Story Club newsletter here on Substack, which is excellent. I had the joy of seeing him speak at my local book festival (LUCKY to have this embarrassment of riches so close to home!), talking about his new short story collection Liberation Day (you can get your own signed copy here). And I took notes for all of us.

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I learn best by example, and am constantly sending writers to their personal libraries to become students of what works and why. We can learn so much by doing what writers do best and paying attention to structure, story craft, transitions, flow and popping the hood on why we underlined that sentence or that story spoke to us so. So today I thought we might become students together, with a close reading of Tish Harrison Warren’s Prayer in the Night.

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Hi friends, When I put out the question recently if you’d like to see more personal essay material here, what I heard back was a strong yes, so today I’m trying a new format (in addition to the usual letters which aren’t going anywhere): a personal essay from me and a writing prompt for you. [CW: pregnancy loss] Time can be tricky. Each day holds not only the present, but many past lives in memories and anniversaries. And sometimes they collide in strange ways.

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I don’t know about you, but I have stacks of old journals, and in the spirit of Taylor Swift, the eras have evolved. While the thoughts and takes are true to me then, sometimes (many times?) they are wildly afield from my voice and vision today. Uncomfortable as this may be, I’m convinced this is as it should be, as it speaks to personal growth. However, that’s a lot of ink to have outgrown, and if we believe as writers that there’s no wasted page, what is it all for?