Walk in the Woods
Vol IV: #12 Hard To Write Stories
It’s a story worth telling, worth writing and publishing. Maybe someone will read it and see themselves in Drake as he sits in the chair, suffering verbal abuse. And they’ll find the courage to run as fast and far as possible, away from their Abbey. Or, perhaps this is my opportunity to practice sharing my ugliest stories.
Gary and Mary was fun to write (and I hope it’s fun to read.) I enjoyed creating the main characters, researching subway lines, and trying to recall the sights and sounds of New York in the spring. And the plot gave me room to explore new-to-me concepts. I couldn’t wait to write each day once I envisioned Mary the magic paint brush. And I experienced an ease to the process I didn’t expect.
My newest short is more complicated and personal than the first. For one, it’s almost entirely autobiographical. And two, the tale is unflattering, unfunny, and somewhat shameful to compose. Yes. I was buried deep inside a relationship with an abusive drug addict. Yes. I kept going back to her in an attempt to save her. How dumb? How stupid could I be? And the passage of time doesn’t make it easier to relate. However…it’s a story worth telling, worth writing and publishing. Maybe someone will read it and see themselves in Drake as he sits in the chair, suffering verbal abuse. And they’ll find the courage to run as fast and far as possible, away from their Abbey. Or, perhaps this is my opportunity to practice sharing my ugliest stories.