Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul
A few weeks ago, I mentioned I was emptying a box from college and found my treasured book of Dr. Seuss stories. Of course, this made me happy not only because that book was quite expensive, but also because even at 26, he’s still one of my writing idols. Well, along with that book, I also found my copy of Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul.
Most of us are familiar with the Chicken Soup book series. They have been published for years now. You’ve got one for the Mom’s, the teenagers, grandparents, couples. You name it, they probably have a book of inspiration for it. This book was given to me a few years ago as a gift by one of my dear friends. He gave it to me the weekend before I was to leave the college we both were attending. I was transferring to another college, so my friends there decided to throw me a “farewell party”. Derek knew how much writing meant to me, and by giving me this book, it was his way of saying “Don’t give up.”
In the book, you have your usual sappy inspirational stories, but hey, sometimes you need that to get you going. At least, I do. There are days when I need a good cry to set the creative juices flowing. The Writer’s book has stories of how to deal with rejection and how you should never give up even when all the odds are stacked against you. Sometimes, I do feel like that. There are many days when I doubt myself and I need the time to think about why I’m doing this.
Not all the stories are the ones that make you want to pull out a Kleenex. Some are entertaining and some are just laugh out loud funny. Some of these people are your average, every day people. They are teachers, cops, parents, grandparents, store clerks, etc. Even though they come from different backgrounds, they all have one thing in common: the passion for writing. They want to help inspire other writers to not be afraid to go for what they want to do.
Inspiring others has always been a great thing for me. It has been something I have wanted to do for a long time. I’ve always been told to accomplish my dreams. My mom had to sacrifice a lot so I could have that opportunity. I’m not going to let her down. Accomplishing my dream will be like my gift to her for everything she has done for me.
One of my favorite quotes in the book comes from novelist, Erica Jong:
“And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.“
I remember this book! You gave it to me to read when I started writing. It’s been almost five years and I still remember some of the stories. They’ve helped me through so much!
~K
Yeah, it’s a great book. I’m glad I found it, so I can read it again.
Maybe it’ll help conquer any sort of writer’s block I may have. I should thank Derek again for giving it to me. lol
I used to read chicken soup all the time! I have the teenage soul one, the pets soul, and man… like 3 others I believe. I’m not even sure where they are now. I haven’t read them since I was a teenager. I remember the stories all being really motivational, though.. so I would say that would be a great thing for you to read to help with the motivation for writing.
I used to have the Teenage Soul one, but I lost it in one of our numerous moves lol. I like those books because they really do help, especially when you’re down on yourself.