On my Road to Freedom Bicycle Tour Across America, I’ve had the privilege of spending the last several days in and around the tiny town of Corinth, Mississippi. It is rich with history, particularly from the Civil War.
I marveled as I read the journals and diaries of young men who witnessed the battle at Shiloh where over 23,000 men lost their lives fighting for the north or the south.
As I walked through the railroad depot at Crossroads in Corinth, I wondered what story would have been told today if someone hadn’t written back then. We would be in the dark, or left to stories being handed down—and watered down—generation after generation.
These young men who went into battle are the historians that we count on to give us an accurate portrayal of what it was like to be a witness to the history. As the story unfolded in front of them, their hearts overflowed onto paper.
As I read the battle through their eyes, I felt like I was there. I could clearly see what they eyes beheld and understood the gravity of Shiloh and Corinth. I heard the cry of the hearts of these young valiant men who left their mothers and walked into war.
I walked the hallowed grounds of Shiloh that today is silent and peaceful with the understanding that, just below the surface lies the sacrifice paid on the altar of battle.
You are a writer. There is a story in your heart. Fiction or fact, that story must be written. Generations of readers to come will depend on it. They yearn for it and will not rest until they read the story you have to offer.
Just as my heart was filled with emotion as I poured over those words, your readers will be stirred. They will relate to your characters and identify with the challenges they face.
Their lives will be changed and their hearts will be filled with gratitude that you took the time to create on paper what they could not express.
So, please follow the cry of your own heart and write. Sit down at the computer and allow your fingers to be your mouthpiece. Create a fictional reality that will create a happy heart for your readers.
If you don’t, the world will have a void. That is why you MUST write. Will you accept the challenge?
Comments 3
I never thought about that I should be chronicling the day to day events of my world. I thought with so many stories about what’s going on there was no need. But, duh, no on can tell my story but me. So thanks for the kick in the pants. I will start doing that!
Wow. Thank you for posting this, Reba. I really needed to read this today. On the verge of giving up.
Thanks Reba, This is especially true for writers like me who write historical novels. We have the opportunity to put the reader there in the time and place of great events and significant people who changed our world. I love history and I am envious of your journey across America. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Jan