What’s an unexpected benefit you got from writing?

[Kathleen]

What’s an unexpected benefit you got from writing?

For me an unanticipated benefit from writing was becoming a more empathetic person. It seems kinda obvious now, but yeah, creating and writing people who are completely different from yourself really changes how you look at people.

Having to put yourself in their mind and understand why they are making the decisions they are making, both the good and the bad, makes you understand the people in your life so much more.

Write about a character who lies all the time? Now I can understand the person I know who is a chronic liar.

But not only do I understand them, but I also better understand how terrible the consequences are.

There is a principle that if you want to write a good book it has to make sense. Not in the abiding by the laws of physics sense, but in the human nature sense.

If you have a character who lies all the time and nothing bad happens because of it, then it doesn’t make sense, because someone always gets hurts because of lies. We know this because of the study of human nature, the Bible, history, and from our own personal experiences. And if the story doesn’t make sense in this way, then it lowers the impact of the story.

So yeah, this applies to everything in my stories. When I was younger, I simply could not understand certain people. But now I not only understand why people make certain decisions, but I also understand the consequences of those decisions more.

I still have a lot to learn when it come to characters and people in general, (aren’t we all?) but writing has definitely helped me understand so much more than I did.

What about you? What’s an unexpected benefit you got from writing?

 

[R.M. Archer]

Writing has helped me to understand theology and the character of God better. Not only as I reflect His creativity and sovereignty through sub-creation (obviously on a far inferior scale, and fallibly), but also as I strive to reflect truth in my stories. I’ve had to hammer out my beliefs on a number of topics as they’ve come up in my stories and I’ve had to ask “Okay, what is the most biblical way to handle this?” Or even as topics come up in conversation with other authors, and we work through them together in light of scripture.

And in relation to that last point, the communities I’ve gotten to be a part of as a writer have been such an unexpected blessing. The Christian writing groups I’m part of (KP included) have been such quality examples of what the Church ought to be, and it’s such a joy to get to be part of that, to encourage and challenge other authors and to be challenged and encouraged in return. 🙂

Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

[Linyang Zhang]

@kathleenramm Writing has allowed me to appreciate different forms of story more. While more things may seem mediocre now, I can also truly better appreciate the highest forms of literary art, such as classic lit, as well as extremely well done movies. Yes, being a writer ruins some things because now I can predict the plot. But when I can’t predict the plot, it makes the thing so much better. Kind of a give and take.

Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days

[Trahia the Minstrel]

@kathleenramm

I think the thing that writing taught me was first of all, like you said, how to understand different people and their motivations and how nobody thinks of themselves as a bad guy, but also secondly, how God is looking after us.

Think about it. When we write stories, we put our characters through all kinds of pain and suffering, through difficult trials and forms of grief, and we do it so they will grow, so that they’ll become better people. And we know as the author that at the end they’ll have discovered some beautiful truth; that things will have worked out happily in spite of the trials. And that makes me feel encouraged about God.

Because God is the author of our lives, and He’s perfect.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So He’s refining us through the trials and griefs we face. I like to think that when we suffer, it’s not without purpose, but that even though God is sad when we suffer, He will ultimately use it to refine us, and bring it to good somehow. I like to remember that I’m still in the middle, or even maybe the first act of my story — I don’t know the big picture, the whole novel, what the grand design is. I don’t know and will never know why a bad thing has happened, but I do know that God must have a reason for it.

One of the hardest things to accept is that God is sovereign, but in the end, I just have to say ‘I don’t know why. I’ll never know why. It’ll always hurt and I can never go back to the way things were before, but I have to trust it’s part of Your plan somehow, God, and that You had a good reason.’

That’s a very hard thing to accept, and I struggle with it daily, but being an author has made me ponder it — and feel encouraged that in the end, it’s God’s story, and He knows best.

Sorry if this was rambly or hard to understand or over-poetic. It’s just something I’m working through myself, and I feel like I can’t convey what I’m trying to say about how beautiful it is.😅😂

The end of a story, a beautiful picture; a feeling of longing yet hope~
That’s my wish to create.

[Elishavet Pidyon]

@kathleenramm

My typing improved! Ok, that isn’t a nice, deep thinking one one, but it’s true. My spelling and typing have improved* immensely.

Also, writing is teaching me to harness* my imagination. Instead of rambling from character sketch to character sketch, I’m learning to brainstorm ideas and create storylines with meaning behind them. Writing has also helped me find the humor in difficult situations, and I hope it will make me more empathetic and resilient.

Writing has also helped build friendships between other writers that have become treasured friends.

Writing has helped me find lessons and themes in other books, because I’ve come to see the books themselves differently.

*Still in progress

You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan

[Koshka]

Writing has helped me think in words, to put my thoughts in a written format. But that may be expected. What I didn’t expect was a love for editing.

Yes, editing. Fixing mistakes, taking my horrid words and forming something beautiful. Sadly, I rarely have enough written to reform, and what I do have usually needs complete revision. *Sighs, thinking woefully of beloved classics*

@trahia-the-minstrel

Oh… Thank you for posting all you did.

First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)

[Elfwing]

@kathleenramm I would say it has done similar things for me.

I can read people well and figure them out pretty quick, or so I’m told. I evaluate and if someone asked me to describe I can and I’m usually correct. The problem with that, is, among other things, that if I’m not careful I can get cocky, and start thinking I see things that aren’t there.

Writing in so many different peoples’ shoes has taught me to never prejudge; looks mean nothing about a person’s character. Color is irrelevant because we are all created by God as equal. We are all one race.

I have met people who look so nice and polite, do everything right around the crowd, but they… definitely could use some lessons in genuiness.

I know other people who seem to be the rough blunt person who’s kinda rude at times, but they would do anything to help if you needed it. You wouldn’t expect it by the way they talk but they would, and I have been asking God to help me see people for who they really are; His treasures.

I'm 'a homeschooler' because cookie-making writing artistic animal-whisperer isn't a job title

[Elanor]

@kathleenramm

One thing that has took me by surprise with writing was how enormously satisfying it is. You can sit and write something and your work will stay put. There’s a result to show whether terrible or great there’s physical proof of the effort you put into it. You can also come along and change it whenever you like and going back to see old writings comparing it to new also gives a great sense of accomplishment and achievement.

Also like you and others said making realistic characters makes one observe everyone around them more carefully. Everyone has a story. What has happened to them in the past? what did they decide to do with it? How does that bring them to where they are now?

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." - Gandalf

[Issabelle Perry]

@kathleenramm

Honestly, I relate to your answer SO much. I am a much more empathetic person because of my writing. I have lived a million lives, so to speak, through stories and I can empathize with other people even if what they are struggling with or going through I’ve never experienced before.

I don’t know if my unexpected benefit from writing is as deep or profound as most of y’all’s are but for me personally, I have found a greater courage to face the battles in life and fight for victory than I had. A lot of the stories I write follow a common theme about searching for the light in the darkness, the beauty in the brokenness, and it’s given me a new way to see my own scars, failures, and brokenness. And it challenges and gives me the courage to believe in a brighter tomorrow which might not seem like much to most people, but it means a lot to me. 🙃

God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.
TeenWritersNook.com

[Author]

Posts