THE PENCIL'S PHILOSOPHY - THURSDAYS
Welcome to The Pencil's Philosophy, my Thursday focus on writing as transformation. Here you'll explore how writing connects to deeper understanding, how questioning leads to growth, and how stories transform both writer and reader. Whether you're seeking truth or finding your voice, these posts guide your journey of discovery.
My journey from certain answers to courageous questions began with a pencil and a blank page. After sixty years of accepting inherited truths, I discovered that writing fiction opened doors to deeper understanding.
Writing demands honesty. When crafting characters, we can’t hide behind comfortable assumptions. Our characters must face hard truths, make difficult choices, and question everything—just as we must do in our own journey of growth.
Today, working on my twelfth novel, I’ve learned that authentic stories emerge from authentic questioning. Each time my characters face a crisis of belief, confront uncomfortable truths, or challenge accepted wisdom, they’re exploring the same territory I navigated in my transformation from CPA and attorney to novelist and story coach.
Three Truths About Writing and Growth:
1. Questions Lead to Stories
Every powerful story starts with “What if?” When we dare to question our assumptions, we find characters doing the same. Their journeys mirror our own search for truth.
2. Stories Lead to Understanding
Through fiction, we explore different perspectives, challenge our beliefs, and discover new ways of seeing the world. Our characters teach us as much as we teach them.
3. Understanding Leads to Growth
As our characters evolve through their stories, we evolve through our writing. Each draft becomes a step in our own transformation.
Your Story Journey:
Whether you’re writing your first novel or your twelfth, embrace the questions that arise. Let your characters challenge comfortable beliefs. Trust that your story will lead you to deeper understanding.
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
– Anaïs Nin
Remember: The truest stories come from the courage to question everything.
Note: If this is your first appointment, you do not have to pay. I offer a FREE—initial consultation.
The Pencil Driven Life 