Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books (mostly)

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You are here: Home / Potpourri / Are These Stories Worth Telling?

Are These Stories Worth Telling?

Are These Stories Worth Telling?

[This is part of the series: 20 Writing Tips From John Erickson]

I agree with the sentiment here on average: Not all stories are worth telling.

But I think I would add that what is “worth” reading and writing can also be subjective.

For example, Erickson uses here a story of working in a bar. People behave at their worst in bars. Nothing substantive happened during his time there. And so nothing he found was worth writing about.

While many writers might agree, I also have little doubt that the right writer, with the right eye, coming along at the right time, could write an interesting memoir or fiction book based in and around a bar.

Not everyone would love it – but that’s true of everything else too.

Some stories are also worth writing for non-obvious reasons. I mean, I don’t care if this post is interesting to anyone or not.

I enjoyed writing it – and I know my kids and grandkids will enjoy reading it one day too.

It was worth writing because it was a part of my story – that I thought was worth penning for posterity.

16. Good writers know that every story isn’t worth writing.

-John Erickson, Story Craft (Amazon)

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Filed Under: PotpourriTagged With: #Blogging, #Writing

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