A few great reads cherry picked just for you.
Welcome to our first issue of The Weekend Journal. As with any creative task, writing a newsletter for our fledgling publication presented a challenge until we realised that the best way to tell you what we’re about was to share a few favourite stories personally selected by one of our members.
But before we do that, we’d like to take you back to the beginning and tell you why we set about creating In Your Own Words.
In the frenzied world of social media, we often find ourselves stuck in a traffic jam of meaningless posts and endless feeds that all began with a single creative thought. Perhaps to entertain or to amuse but over time that creativity has been exploited by marketers harnessing the power of the “Like”, while the person who created the original thought, is lost and forgotten in the race to ‘go viral’.
Medium promised us a space to escape, a refuge from crazy cats and boiler plate memes, offering instead an exciting neighbourhood inhabited by an assortment of interesting people. As the Medium platform evolved, we decided to create a space where our words count, where our stories are read and shared, a place to connect with others, and also to seek recognition for what we have created.
In Your Own Words honours the authentic voice, hoping to reawaken the passion for the written word, not as a 140 character tweet or ‘viral’ post but as thought provoking stories about life, love, the future of work, travel and more.
The stories featured in the collection are often witty, warm or hopeful, sometimes poignant and sad, revealing the secrets of the writer’s soul, touching us in that place where all stories lie buried waiting to be brought to life by the power of words.
So what’s in it for you?
Collaboration is key in an evolving digital arena. In Your Own Words offers a familiar place to feel comfortable and inspired. A place to write and share your stories, a place to escape the ‘busyness’ of life and find a quiet corner to read. If you’d like to find out more about our plans for In Your Own Words, then follow us on medium and drop us a note with your comments or suggestions. We’d also like to invite you to join us on Facebook and Twitter
Writer Spotlight: Marni Willms
Marni Willms is a keen photographer inspired by the autumn hues of the leafy Vermont countryside where she lives.
‘I had a hard time pin-pointing a favorite story from the In Your Own Words collection because I enjoy them all so much,’ says Marni.
‘I identify with ChristaWojciechowski’s well-written pieces on the tough topics of social justice and ethics, I’m sucked into the lives of the fictional characters of Evelyn Oliverada and mourn with Vincent Fulco as he shares what had to have been one of the most difficult moments of his life while I delight in Tracey Pharoah’s exploration of words and the pros and cons of the digital age.
There are so many wonderful pieces in this collection, but the one that touches me the most is by Chad Sanderson. Chad’s poignant use of metaphors and eloquent descriptions of the depth of sadness one can carry within elicits a flood of emotion and compassion.’
Read ‘When it all stands still’ by Chad Sanderson
(4min Read)
‘Regarding my own contributions, That Moment When You Realize You Have Some More Letting Go to Do is the most meaningful for me,’ adds Marni.
‘Growing up in a conservative Christian home, it was a major shock to everyone, including me, when I came to terms with my sexuality at the relatively late age of 25. It was the impetus for a distinct line drawn in the sand, separating one way of BEing from another. My life has been a journey of reconciling all the conflicting pieces that make up the whole of Me. This story is the greatest representation of that process of reconciliation.’
‘Writing about my life experiences is liberating and I’m thrilled to be a part of this awesome collection of writers sharing their experiences… in their own words.’
Marni’s Selection of Great Weekend Reads
(25mins)
‘When it all stands still’ by Chad Sanderson
(4min Read)
‘Insidious Mantras’ by Christa Wojciechowski
(4min Read)
‘At the Train Station’ by Evelyn Oliverada
(4min Read)
‘The Great Destroyer’ by Vincent Fulco
(4min Read)
‘Lost in the Labyrinth’ by Tracey Pharoah
(2min Read)
‘That Moment When You Realize You Have Some More Letting Go to Do’ by Marni Willms
(7min Read)
Finally a warm welcome to our new members, Elizabeth Sleight and Jackie Lea Shelley. Thank you for your contributions to In Your Own Words.
So, do you have a place where your writing belongs?
If you’re inspired to write something about your own journey, please share your stories with In Your Own Words, we’d love to hear from you.
Until then, we hope that you will enjoy Marni Willms recommendations as well as other stories written by our members. And don’t forget to recommend our writers’ stories with anyone who may like to join our publication.
We look forward to welcoming new members to our family.
As Jeff Goins says: Every writer needs a tribe.
Until next time, connect with us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writeshareread
Twitter: https://twitter.com/In_YourOwnWords
Email: contact.inyourownwords@gmail.com
If you’ve received this letter by email, it’s because you follow In Your Own Words on Medium and are subscribed to receive the occasional newsletter from us.
