Loaded Bow

Gen and i are SO excited to offer you the readings, muses and the real-life story of Katie Twitchett.  She will be here monthly with us at Loaded Bow where you will be able to follow her through the creation and exicution of her dream of becoming a writer.  Katie will also offer resources on writing and following your heart.

Katie takes a good look at the future

ABOUT HER:  Katie Twitchett is a free lance writer in the making, Mom to one year old daughter Gwynevere, coffee barrista extraordinaire, gourmet cook, and reality show expert. She takes up residence in the glorious town of White Rock BC, although she spends a lot of time taking imaginary and totally free vacations to such luxurious hot spots as Italy, Brazil, and Kenya. She likes long morning talks in vinyl clad greasy spoon booths, laughing until pop comes out her nose, and knowing that she is surrounded by some of the best people this world has to offer.

WAKE UP, O SLEEPER  by Katie Twitchett

You could say I’ve always been what some people like to call a dreamer. As a kid the phrase “she has her head in the clouds” followed me around like a half-starved stray dog. Of all my many dreams, of who I would be and how I would irreversibly change the world, the strongest and most persistent was definitely the one entitled, simply, “the writer”. Since I can remember I have carried this dream, heavy and potent around my neck. It’s a very specific dream, one that comes with a very definite set of visual images: myself wearing glasses (which the optometrist seems unfailingly convinced I do not need), tousled hair, and an ever distracted gleam in my eye, soaking up every curious detail about the people and world around me, furiously scribbling notes into a scrapbook of ideas which I would later compile into earth shattering prose and poetry. And I would change the world, yes, change the world forever with my humble written word.

You see why I acquired the reputation of a dreamer so early on. And maybe, also, why I have always been so intimidated, actually, scared paralytic by my own dreams. For while I have always been a person who writes, ever since I learned the art of using ink, lead or a word processor to translate thoughts into readable format I have never felt like I quite measured up, nor could I ever hope to attain the lofty title of writer. But still, one can always dream, and cling to these dreams -however unattainable-clutch them in your arms, pop your thumb in your mouth and drift off to peaceful sleep.

And so I have been sleeping for most of my adult life, working a series of dead-end, unfulfilling jobs that are such a far cry from my dreams that they in no way threaten to wake me from my slumber. Somehow by not trying to fulfil any of my dreams I felt that I could keep them safe out of harms way. If I never tried then I would never, ever fail. Wimpy? Yes, but also very human.

Leaving Safety

But then it happened, slowly at first but with ever gaining momentum. I started to feel a kind of restlessness, an unshakable sensation that reality was wrestling with my consciousness and winning: in short I began to wake up. And suddenly, at the age of 29 dreams are no longer enough.

This past year, for the first time in my life, I have struggled not to let go of my dreams, and in particular, my dream of being a writer, but to find a way to translate this dream into the real world, scary as that may be. No small task for a girl who has her head perpetually in the clouds or who was born with a conspicuously small sense of business. But I am bound and determined to find a way to earn an income with my words.
I always imagined that working for myself would be heaven on earth, that I would at least make my top ten list of best bosses. After all, I am fully conscious of my own needs and schedules and always willing to accommodate me, whatever that takes. Which, it turns out, is precisely why I am actually my own worst boss. If every boss were as lenient and accommodating as I am, the entire capitalist world would collapse in a fortnight.

Rousing myself from 29 years of slumber means I’m still on the steeper part of the learning curve, but I have definitely acquired a few useful tidbits about the mysterious world of trying to work for yourself and realizing your dreams:

First, find some people who believe in you. Of course this might seem like a no-brainer, but believe me, this piece of advice is utterly indispensable. And then, and this is the scary part, tell them exactly what it is you are dreaming, no, make that planning, of doing. Don’t tell a single soul who you think may pour water on your flickering flame of an idea, but do tell every one you know who will support you.

Second, find some people who know how to kick your lazy ass into at least a slow trot. Give these special, brutal and inspiring people full reign to speak into your life, to tell you when you are being lazy and indulgent. But make sure that these people fit into the first category, namely that they are unfailing fans of yours.

And lastly, take yourself seriously. I mean it. Don’t lose your sense of humour, be patient with yourself, but tell yourself that you mean business. Stop making excuses about why you haven’t or can’t or don’t have the time to start trying to accomplish the things that deep down in your soul you are longing to do. Treat yourself the way you would a good friend whom you know has potential and yet is sitting on it instead of using it. Give yourself the same pep talk you would so unblinkingly give them. And then, of course, take it to heart, and get going.

So this is me, now, taking myself seriously. I am a writer. I may not have started a world-wide revolution of peace and good will toward men (yet), but I do sit down at my computer not just as a person who writes, but thanks to a simple change in perspective and attitude towards myself, as a writer. And that, in itself, is a dream come true.

RESOURCES for waking writers:

• Escaping Into the Open: The Art of Writing True is an inspirational and helpful tale of one author’s journey, complete with a section of writing exercises guaranteed to help open up even the most closed, could-be writer. 
• www.freelancewriting.com has an extensive database of magazines and such that accept freelance submissions, which you can find under “writer’s guidelines.” 
• I highly recommend being part of a writing group where you can share new material with fellow, honest and encouraging writers. www.6ftferrets.com has some great tools for getting a group started, and while a “live in person” group is definitely the best way to go, you can also find a list of online writing groups at www.forwriters.com/groups.html.

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