Good writing changes us, whether we are the writers or the readers.
I’ve taught a few writing courses this year and have plans for more in the coming months. No matter what kind of writing course I teach, whether it’s PR writing, business writing, or personal writing, there is one common element to what I teach. In every course, there is at least one session in which we talk about writing that impacts change.
Whether we write blog posts, newspaper articles, press releases, novels, ad copy, memoirs, or simply emails and Facebook updates, there is always potential for our writing to impact change in other people and ourselves. We may never see it that way (and often it’s best if we don’t), but writing is a powerful medium that can cause a LOT of impact.
While paddling across the lake last week, my friend and canoe-mate Jo, who’s very close to achieving her PhD in Psychology, told me that there is a growing field in psychology called bibliotherapy in which people use books, poetry, and other written word as their therapy. It was a relief to me to hear that this is taken seriously among experts, because books have always been my favourite therapists.
Because I teach writing for change, and have an upcoming workshop at the university called “Writing to Impact Social Change”, I’ve been asking a lot of writers to share their best tips on the subject. I have happily compiled tips from 26 writers (plus myself) that I’ve used in my classes. Writers include Christine Claire Reed, Margaret Sanders, Renae Cobb, Jarda Dokoupil, Michele Visser-Wikkerink, Jamie Ridler, Julie Daley, Katharine Weinmann, Hiro Boga, Susan Plett, Michele Lisenbury Christensen, Rachelle Mee-Chapman, Connie Hozvicka, Ronna Detrick, Dora Dueck, Marion Ann Berry, Tara Sophia Mohr, Amy Oscar, Mahala Mazerov, Debbie Lattuga, Kathy Jourdain, Lisa Wilson, Lianne Raymond, Jo Hassan, Tina Francis, and Desiree Adaway.
Because I love their advice, and I love playing with images, I put together a beautiful little ebook that I’m thrilled to share with you. (The pages look like the sample above.) Along with a tip, each page contains an original photo taken by me. (Except for the last photo, which was taken by my daughter Maddy.)
It’s a freebie – no strings attached, no need to give me your email address, no need to sign up for anything. Just download it, share it, pass it around, read it out loud at your writing circles, save your favourite pages and use them as your desktop wallpaper, or print and laminate them and hang them on your wall as posters in your writing room.
All I ask is that you PLEASE, pretty please, always remember to credit me and the other writers who graciously shared free advice with you. 🙂
To download, simply click on the image of the cover below. And then… enjoy! Be inspired. And WRITE!
Note: If you’re interested in an 8 week course that I’ll be teaching in Winnipeg this Fall called Creative Writing for Self Discovery, or if you want to know about the 1 day workshop on Writing to Impact Social Change at the university, email me at heather at heatherplett dot com.