7. Become A Warrior
You are a warrior. The Bottomless Pit is your enemy. So, battle, my friend. Throw your punches, unsheathe your sword, brandish your shield. Warriors never fear bottomless pits. They welcome them and beat them to the dust.
A warrior is fighting for something. What are you fighting for? Clarify that, then move forward and fight for that something with every fiber of your being.
8. Fall In Love
Along with his cause, every warrior fights for his beloved, too. So what beloved are you fighting for? Your girlfriend, or boyfriend? Your husband, or wife? Your children? Your readers? Humanity? An idea: like justice, peace, or freedom? A belief in something bigger than you?
What future do you want to secure for the beloved you’re fighting for? Let your work be an extension of that love–and The Bottomless Pit will be that much easier to tackle.
These questions are the primary issues I'm focusing on in my writing life (and real life, not that there's a difference, beyond the name). This article clarifies the questions that will guide this next leg of my journey as a writer.
I used to know what (and who) I loved and what ideals I cherished enough to fight for. Both my love and my cause have changed, or, more accurately, they are in the process of being transformed. My writer's voice is changing. It's becoming stronger and more urgent, on the one hand, but also more patient, willing to let Story emerge rather than trying to force it.
I intend to become a Warrior-Crone, brandishing the sword of stories about strong women and men who are people with purpose and integrity.
In a world that too often allows important things to be side-tracked by petty squabbles, where women are too often ignored (at best), disrespected, if not outright abused, we artists along with teachers, parents and anyone else who cares to join, need to do battle daily to teach our children that there is a better way to live.
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