A Writing Journey

Dear Slicers,

“Perhaps the rare and simple pleasure of being seen for what one is compensates for the misery of being it.” — Margaret Drabble (The Needle’s Eye)

I discovered these words by Drabble, a British novelist, at the beginning of this year. They appeared on my feed on the same day I began meeting with a group of writers from Two Writing Teachers. 

Drabble’s words resonated. In the act of writing I am able to share my experiences, my perspectives, my creativity, my life — a life that at times is full of beauty and at other times is full of suffering. This is one of the reasons why I write: to be seen. This is why writing in community is so special.

When Melanie (https://justwritemelanie.blogspot.com/) asked me at that first meeting if I was a slicer, I had no idea what she was talking about. Little did I know that the term “to slice” would never have the same meaning again.

The enthusiasm, commitment and sincerity I felt among that small group of teacher-writers at our first meeting was the spark I needed to reignite a deep love for the writing process — the words, the stories, the truth they conveyed, and the artistry of the writers behind those words.

As March 1st approached, I felt like giving up on more than one occasion. The frustration of trying to create a wordpress blog — the editor interface is not for the faint of heart or the tech neophyte that I am — but I persevered. After my first “test” slice, there was no turning back. That accomplishment fueled the next big risk: actually writing and posting a personal story for strangers to read every day for the next 31 days. 

What I didn’t realize is that these strangers would soon be the writers with whom I would look forward to “connecting” every morning. Every day I would jump out of bed early to see what you had all been up to.  In reading about your lives — your jobs as teachers, your pets, your family members, your students, your gardens, your special objects, your trips, your hobbies, your passions, your quirks, your past, your future — I connected with you in a very real way. I saw you and you saw me through the stories we shared.

Thank you fellow slicers for being part of this journey. I feel tremendous gratitude today as we reach the final day of this challenge. I had no idea when I started that writing in this community would bring me so much joy. Joy for the writing process and learning exceptional writing craft moves from so many of you. But, more importantly, a joy in noticing things I didn’t notice before. Slicing pushed me to look around and see more. It placed me more directly in the moments of my days and made me be more present. It demanded me to find just the right words to describe what I had seen and what I had heard. It pushed me to consider why these moments mattered and why anyone else would care. 

This writing challenge allowed me (and the things I deemed important) to be seen by you. You being a witness to my writing and to my life is an act of grace — it “compensates for the misery” and heightens the joy that colours my journey. Thank you for reading my stories and for sharing yours. Thank you for your comments and for reading mine. Thank you for giving me the space to see and to be seen. I feel blessed. 

Until the next time,

Giovanna (a first-year slicer)