At Home with Who I Am
When I had “the call” with my agent, she had three polished, from-the-heart stories to consider. She pointed something out that I’ve never forgotten. She said, and I’ll paraphrase: You have written three lovely stories but they all have the same emotional undertone—and you got it right with A Home Named Walter. She sees this from authors often, where we have something pulsing and pushing to get out of us, and it finds its way into many stories.
I looked closely at the feeling that connected all three; it was loneliness and a longing to be loved.
Did I need to reach out to my therapist at that point? Like—where was that coming from and why is it in all my stories?
While working The Artists Way with my critique group, I dug deep into my childhood memories and found a few places where that emotion may have roots. My mom had to go away for a little while when I was eight years old. Everything worked out when she returned, but I can still feel that pain like a fresh wound.
Accessing my emotions isn’t difficult for me. Even the emotion of a deeply buried memory sits right at the surface. I see myself like a well that has already been dug. I can dive into my well and I’m right at its deepest point. I’m like, always there. That’s what my agent meant on that phone call years ago.
Can you teach emotional writing? Hmm. Not sure. But here are some ideas for diving into your own well.
Start by paying attention to the movies, music, and books that make you cry or feel something. Not just on the whole, but which specific scenes, lines, words, and expressions create an emotional shift? Ask yourself why. Really strip away at what made you physically react.
It’s not as obvious as you’d think.
When they are singing “Where You Are” in Moana, there’s a quieter moment between Moana and her grandmother. Gramma Tala says, “You may hear a voice inside . . .that voice inside is who you are.”
And I kid you not, I bawl like a baby. It’s not sad or tragic. So why does that moment get to me?
One of the final scenes in After the Fall (you know the one), makes me choke up and barely able to read the words. Again, it’s not sad. It’s not tragic. So why does it make me swell?
There is a spread in Jerome by Heart where Rafael reclaims and proclaims his love for his friend with a renewed confidence, and again, I weep.
Why do I keep crying at these scenes or moments that aren’t inherently sad? What do they have in common?
They are all about being true to you. To knowing what you’re capable of doing. To not being afraid of being the you-est you you can be.
Huh.
So why does that feel like it’s tapping into something deep inside of me, beyond just the universal inspirational sentiment?
I dove into my well.
When I was six years old, I had to take a test to get into a private school. I shared my kooky answers to their questions:
What do you do with a spoon? Go to the store and buy yogurt.
Apparently my answers were “off” and they suggested I see a psychologist. I remember walking into Dr. Rose’s office thinking, “what’s wrong with the voice inside me?” After only a few months, Dr. Rose said nothing was wrong with me. She said I was imaginative, and she gifted me Where the Sidewalk Ends.
I opened the pages, and felt seen. For the first time, I knew what I was capable of doing.
I chose to live as the me-ist me I could be, and I found my way to writing.
I have felt like Walter. I have had people who loved me, leave me. I have felt unlivable, er, unlovable. I still live with those feelings.
But I continue to be me. I continue to listen to my voice, spread my wings, and declare my love for who I am and what I do.
And I’ve never felt more at home with who I am.
Dig your well. Dive in. Listen to the voice inside you. And don’t hold back being the you-ist you you can be.
Chelsea Lin Wallace is an author and a poet with a master’s in education. As a former elementary school educator, she loves teaching creative writing to children. As a little girl, Chelsea moved around a lot, but felt a unique connection to every home. She now lives happily in Los Angeles, California with her husband, daughter, and dog. She is the author of A HOME NAMED WALTER and YOU ARE ALWAYS LOVED.
Chelsea is offering a zoom critique as a prize to our April check-in winner. (Fiction only. Rhyme accepted.) Spring into a new picture draft and get a revision completed for your best chance at this fantastic prize!
204 Responses
Chelsea, your words resonated deep within me. I’ll be thinking today about the stories and scenes that make me weep and why that is so. Voice is what makes our writing unique, but it is not easy to write from that truest of places. It takes courage and vulnerability. It takes being who we are unequivocally.
Thank you for writing this, Chelsea!
Oh my gosh – thank you for these lovely words!!
I’m kind of scared to dig deep because I cry at ev-er-y-thing! haha I don’t even need to watch the movie — the end scene gets me regardless. (Looking at you, Disney) I have noticed threads in my stories, as well. I’m interested to see which one will finally reveal what I’ m trying to say =)
Chelsea – thank you for this beautiful and honest post! I cry at everything too…and I appreciate your thoughts about digging deep and finding the voice inside ourselves. I look forward to reading your stories!
Wow, your experiences really ring true for me. I had a bullying brother and a sister so sick she spent months in the hospital. I wrote stories as a young child in an unconscious effort to express the myriad emotions I felt. I remember being told over and over that I was too sensitive. Maybe it’s time in my writing to be too sensitive again.
Thank you!
Julia Banta
Thank you Chelsea. Getting the emotional component right is often a challenge. Thanks for sharing your journey.
So many different writers, so many different voices, so many different needs, so many different stories needing to be told…I am so glad, Chelsea, that yours are out there. Thank you.
Thank you for being so vulnerable and honest in this post. I find that I write about the same things over and over again in different ways, too. Similar to you, my thread is wanting to be accepted for who I am. I can’t wait to read your stories!
Chelsea, thank you for a beautiful post. Your words are inspirational and filled with insight.
Not surprisingly, this post really resonated with me. I think as picture book writers we must all have some strong remnants of our childhood that are desperate to be ‘seen’. I love how well you articulated this, Chelsea, and thank you for sharing such personal, insightful thoughts.
Oh, Chelsea! Thank you for sharing your true self with us and for encouraging us to do the same.
Thank you Chelsea for this beautiful post. I too, am a big crier – I can’t get through Taylor Swift’s song, The Best Day, without crying.
I won a critique with you a few years ago, and your words were so helpful then, and are again today. I’m looking forward to diving into my well. Thank you!
Congratulations on your books!
Chelsea, these tips and this vulnerability are so good and hit me today. Thank you!
Wow! Chelsea, thank you for the depth and honesty you shared in this post. It gives new meaning to “write from your heart.” I recall a lecture on story structure and the speaker said: Every main character has a hole in their heart. I know my job as a writer is to find that hole and write from there. On a funny note: Last year, in an interview I read (about you), A HOUSE NAMED WALTER came up. I was so excited, I went to the library to check it out; then to Amazon order it; found out it was not published yet. I’m really happy to finally get your book in my lap!
Chelsea, thank you for your honest and inspiring post. I was tearing up reading about your experiences. Your suggestions for digging my well hit home. It’s so wonderful to reminded to be my truest self!
Thank you for sharing this, Chelsea. A HOME FOR WALTER sounds deeply beautiful. I can’t wait to read it.
Your post made me cry! I love stories with emotional resonance. Can’t wait to read A Home For Walter… Congratulations!
Chelsea, this is beautiful! I hope we’ll be able to meet in person someday. I’m in Santa Barbara, if you’re ever up this way. 🙂 I have a story I would love to have you critique so fingers crossed for winning this drawing! I appreciate your honesty and encouragement. Here’s to writing authentic stories and the words we needed then and need now. I am adding your books to my reading list!
Powerful and true. Thank you so much, Chelsea!
Aw, Chelsea, my heart beams for you. Truly. Can’t wait to read ‘Walter’! I think “What do you do with a spoon?” would be a great book title!
Such a beautiful and thoughtful post! Love watching you soar!
Wow! This is amazing and something I have not thought about doing. Thank you for sharing!
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing this, Chelsea. I have often wondered about the themes in my own manuscripts, and it totally make sense that there would be these emotional undertones lurking beneath the surface. I’m curious to dive deeper now and see where they are coming from and why. I think recognizing ourselves in our writing frees us to write more authentically and go beyond our comfort zones. Thanks so much for the honesty and encouragement!
You’ve given me a lot to think about! Thank you for sharing your process.
Thank you for sharing your heart-felt journey with us. Such a great reminder that it’s okay to allow ourselves to open up and be emotional. And what we learn from exploring our emotions can be transferred into our stories.
I am reading all of the beautiful, generous, heartfelt comments and I…I am just so deeply humbled and moved by all of you. Thank you for sharing your heart with me here. It means so much to me. Truly. Keep that well of yours open. Happy diving. Xx
Wow. I feel like you just dove into my deepest pool where my me-ist self lives. After reading your heartfelt words, I am letting my “me-ist” self out of the well and fully into my life. I believe my writing will also benefit as my me-ist self draws from the well and expresses what is in my heart. Thank you for sharing your heart and me-ist self.
Thanks for this heartfelt and honest post. The emotional arc in a story is so important, and we can need find it within ourselves.
Thank you Chelsea! Your post is straight from the heart! And so, goes straight to my heart. Thank you for sharing this important aspect of our journeys as writers and beings.
Chelsea, this is such a beautiful post about the emotional well we pull from. Thank you!
This was such a beautiful and meaningful post. I LOVE the idea of being the you-est you can be.
Thank you!
Thank you for your openness! Beautiful words.
Chelsea this was beautiful to read! I loved your line about feeling at home with who you are. As a new mom, I’m struggling to figure that out but after reading your post I’m wondering if maybe I should lean into those new emotions. Thank you for sharing your story and book.
I loved this post, thank you. You have given me much food for thought. A Home Named Walter sounds like a sweet story, I look forward to reading it.
Chelsea. I almost cried reading this. Looking forward to reading your book.
Thank you Chelsea. I really enjoyed reading your post. It was so meaningful and heartfelt. Full of emotion.
Thanks for a great post. Your story is touching and relatable. I’m looking forward to reading your book.
I can so relate to your school story! In 4th grade we had a lady (I’m assuming a grad student) come to our class and test us. She would give us a word and you’d say the first thing that came to mind. Like, if she said “bark,” then we would say “dog.” But because I never wasted an opportunity to be the center of attention, I would purposefully say something different, like “the bark on a tree.”.
The school ended up calling my mom in for an emergency conference, because this lady was concerned about how unusual my answers were..
Thank you, Chelsea, for your tips into finding the roots in my childhood memories and for taking note of those movies, songs and books that touch me emotionally. I know what you’re referring to and now I need to record them for review. I think this will help me when I’m writing stories with heart.
Chelsea, thank you for letting us look into your well, for being open and vulnerable. This is what makes good writing. You left us with action items and food for thought as it relates to our own writing – thank you! This was a terrific post.
Oh, Chelsea, thanks for your transparency, for sharing your heart and soul with us. WALTER is a wonderful testament to the world!
What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing so much of yourself. I have moments when I get emotional too and have been considering what links them together. I’ll have to dig more and dive in.
It’s back to the well I go! Thank you for sharing and encouraging us to dig deep. So many times we write what we think others want to read, and that’s okay, but we need to listen to our heart and tap into it more.
Your post has touched me so deeply. I too cry at things that are hard to explain, and I also see common threads in my stories. You’ve encouraged me to look into this more thoughtfully. Getting to the root of things sounds so freeing and empowering. I can only imagine that understanding and accepting our truths will make us better writers. Thank you so much for sharing this important message.
Your post made me tear up….must dig into that well to find out why. I had a counselor who asked what stories made me cry and it opened up lots of me-ness. Thanks for the inspiring, uplifting and instructive post.
I see your story with kids at my school all the time. Everyone has lots going on and you really can’t know until you talk with them about it. I just try to be as positive and encouraging with them as I can as they navigate through their childhood. Your story looks great! Congratulations!
WOW! Wonderful post. Digging deep is the hardest. I have a manuscript I wrote years ago that I hadn’t been able to sell, but every time I pull it out to read, there is a part that has me tear up. It’s a fiction story. Not even something that happened to me. Doesn’t trigger an immediate memory, but it must be something deep. Now I have to think about why.
Thank you so much for your words and for sharing from the depths of your heart. You say with words what many of us just think!
Thanks, Chelsea for your insight into finding yourself and why I decided to write what I feel interested in telling stories about. I feel emotional in movies like The Big Chill and I don’t know why except the death of loved family members tugs at my heart.
Growing up, nothing I read or saw made me cry (not even Old Yeller). I often wondered what was wrong with me. Now (several decades older), I tear up at the slightest things. I think allowing myself to feel has allowed me to dig deep into my well, and find my voice as a writer in the process. Thank you for helping to put words onto what I feel.
Chelsea, what a beautiful post. Congratulations on Walter and I hope the other 2 books you mentioned will be out in the world soon.
This was such a powerful post Chelsea! Thank you for your honest words and encouraging all of us to be ourselves – because that is what sets the truth free (love how you wrote “the you-ist you can be!”). Congratulations on A Home Named Walter! (I also love all of your poetry – it is so inspiring!)
Thank you for sharing your feelings and thoughts and encouraging me to think deeper too. Congratulations on your book — I will be looking for it!!
Digging deep makes my stories stronger and emotionally resonant, so I enjoy doing it. When I get the feels, I know I am onto something. Thanks for your wonderful post!
Chelsea, your voice spoke to me. Thank you for sharing your experience. Emotions do run deep and sometimes we keep treading water. I’m going to try that deep dive. Congratulations! I look forward to reading your book.
Thank you, Chelsea. Digging deep into that emotional well is where I struggle most. You posed the question “Can you teach emotional writing?” I’m not sure either, but I think your suggestions will help. Congrats on your latest book!
Wow, what a great post. That is spot on, we tend to write from something that is pulsing or pushing to get out of us. Or, at least I have noticed I tend to do this with my stories. I loved this. Thank you.
Thank you, Chelsea, for your words that ring so true. I thought about this when I noticed many of my stories had the same emotional feel and and similar endings. I also noted how comfortable I was with my writing.
What a beautiful post! I think a lot about the subject and structure of my various stories, but I’ve never really stopped to be deliberate about the emotions behind them. You’ve given me lots to stew on, including thinking through those things in books, movies, and even the occasional commercial that resonate with my emotions. Thank you for sharing!
That bit in Moana gets me every time! And thinking about why is very clarifying! Thanks so much for this thought exercise.
Chelsea, Your “you-ness” truly shines through the words you wove into your profound post. Diving deep into ourselves–what makes us smile, cry, laugh, scowl–is truly key to staying true to our own voice when writing stories. Whenever I write a line or scene that I react to unconsciously, I know I’ve hit a sweet spot in my story. Thank you for reminding us not to “worry about” what’s trending, but trust ourselves more than the “latest, the greatest.” I WILL DEFINITELY buy your book, share your book with my four-year-old twin girls next door, and make sure our local library includes your book on its NEW BOOKS shelf. Sending you inspiration and energy to continue your successful journey….
You are so brave, Chelsea. Thank you for sharing your journey. I can’t wait to read A HOME NAMED WALTER. I’ve no doubts it will be loved by all.
Beautifully said. Be the you-est you can be. I love that! And your great advice that we look for the emotional undertone that connects our stories.
Chelsea,
I am a weeper too! Thank you for the tip of tuning into those movies, shows, commercials (subaru car commercials get me every time) that ignite an emotion. The why behind what we feel can help us become better writers.
Cheers! Looking forward to reading your PB
Tracy
Oh my Chelsea, diving deep to become the you-est you (or me-est me), heart and soul searching to find our own authenticity, then using it to make the story completely our own… wonderful advice! The Artist’s Way is a wonderful book to help uncover and tie together those lost and broken threads. Thank you such great sharing, and if I may say so, a great follow-up to Angela Dalton’s re-centering post.
Oof, this is such excellent advice, Chelsea. I’m absolutely going to pay attention to what makes me emotional when reading and watching things in the future. But for starters, it’s time to truly examine why I cry LITERALLY EVERY TIME I watch an episode of Parks and Recreation where they sing “Bye Bye Lil Sebastian.” My gut reaction is that the writers uses that song to showcase connection and a community coming together around a shared experience, but I’m going to spend some time with this one.
Thank you for your insight! Can’t wait for A Home for Walter– I just put myself on the waitlist for it at my library!
OOF, I got the title of your book wrong. A Home NAMED Walter. NAMED. Which makes quite a bit more sense.
Chelsea, I know exactly what you are talking about. I found that it was only when I started really going deep into my past and about things I’ve grappled with for years — including my parents divorce as a child, and what sprang from that: feelings of anxiety, abandonment, fear of the unknown, lack of confidence that anything will stay the same for long, etc. –and bringing some of those themes into my books, that I started to really connect with my writing. It’s so important to honor those parts of us and find ways to bring those true feelings out in our writing because there are SO many kids who are feeling these things NOW and need to know they aren’t alone. Thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing your truth with all of us and with the kids who read your books. xoxo
Chelsea thank you for sharing your heart and how you bring true feelings into your writing. We all feel things and this can be shared.
Absolutely beautiful—thank you for opening your well to us.
What an inspiring post, Chelsea! Thank you for giving us an honest peek at your writing journey. I agree with you that writing is hard and doubly so when you are telling the true… warts and all. I have never written to the marketplace but write from the heart and on whatever subject catches my fancy.
I recognized myself in this post as I spent most of my childhood in and out of the hospital undergoing10 operations on my legs in 9 years, in full body casts, or in traction. I began to write stories and poems in order to keep myself from being lonely and/or going insane.
I’m looking forward to reading about Walter!
Whooo, Chelsea. So interesting. I think part of why I write humor is because I’m not ready to address a few other things. 🙂 I loved this post, though, and it is truly inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing!
Excellent post! Chelsea said she wasn’t sure how to teach writers to write from the heart, yet her idea to analyze what moments touch you is an amazing tool! I can’t wait to read her books and explore my own thoughts and discover the voice in me. Thank You!
Chelsea: Thank you for your honesty. It’s hard to dive into those childhood feelings, especially if they involve death or abandonment. Feeling unlovable. I thoroughly identify with that. You are brave and honest and a great mentor to all of us who are attempting to tell the stories children need to hear.
Wow! I really liked this post. I am going to go back and read my own stuff again.
What a beautiful post. Heartfelt stories are ones that would surely sell. I look forward to reading your book.
Chelsea- what a lovely post. Best advice I’ve had in years – be the you-ist you can be!
I’m going to post that over my writing desk. Thanks much. Nancy
I was so touched by this. What a great article. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thank you, Chelsea, for this wonderful post. It seems it resonated deeply with so many of us. It seems we are all kindred spirits here. Makes me smile and yes, tear up a little too.
Being true to yourself, knowing what you’re capable of doing, and not being afraid of being the you-est you you can be. What powerful insight for all of us! Thank you for sharing.
Chelsea, (love that name-we named our daughter Chelsie), what a beautiful post! Wonderful advice for each of us. Congratulations on your picture book! It looks adorable and full of heart!
First of all, I am so glad that Dr. Rose realized that you were just an imaginative child. 🙂 Whew!
Secondly, this post really hit home with me. One of the themes that crops up in several of my PB wips is intergenerational activities that involve making: making a nativity figure, canning peaches, or making a May basket. I do NOT know why I keep circling around this theme but I do know that one day, one of these stories will really capture what I am trying to get at, and maybe that is the story that will sell.
Thank you for sharing a great post. So wonderful and so scary at the same time! Lots to think about here.
Chelsea, Thank you for sharing your story. I’m pretty new at picture book writing but have already found that I have the same theme throughout my drafts – who am I? and am I worthy of love? I just hope have more than one interesting way to explore those questions. Thank you again!
Thank you for such a profound and thought-provoking post. Congratulations on all of your success! It’s a joy to share the journey with you.
Your advice resonated with me! My own picture book stories center around being one’s authentic self, but I hesitate to take the deep dive. Thank you for suggesting a way to tune in to what’s in my well and inspiring me to explore my characters on a deeper emotional level.
I appreciate this post on so many levels! And I love your answer about the spoon. Now, that I’ve ready that, no other answer seems like it would do justice to the question. Thank you for sharing. You’ve got me thinking about those things that stir my emotions…
Thanks for sharing this Chelsea. You inspire me to dig deeper to show true emotion in my work. Your book looks wonderful!
Chelsea, your post plucks at my heart strings. Thank you for sharing your tips and reminder to embrace emotions not hide it. Time for me to dive into my well — the few years’ worth of morning pages — to learn or relearn more.
Wow! Thanks so much for this powerful, honest post. I’m going to go dig in my well. Congrats on your success!
I don’t have an agent yet, so don’t have access to that “mirror” to reflect back what might be seen in my writing. Reading your post makes me feel like it’s OK to be myself and write what’s meaningful to me. When I first started sending writing out to prospective agents, I was nervous about whether or not they would like my work. I am coming to understand that it’s just a matter of finding the right “fit”, who will appreciate what I am doing and help me to be the me-est me I can be.
Thank you!
What you say is so true. We either write the same mood or subject repeatedly until we nail it. I had three totally different versions of a recent ms I sold and guess I finally figured it out! I look forward to reading your book. Congratulations!
Chelsea, your words are very touching. I could hear your voice as I read your post. I wish you much success with your writing career. Marlena
Chelsea,
Thank you for this lovely post and for being so open.
What an absolutely beautiful post.
Great post, Chelsea! Your answer about the spoon and what happened after–it is the perfect example of what happens when a creative voice outshines a rigid one. Even as a child, you were clearly armed with something more powerful than those testing you could comprehend. So, so, so happy for you! Can’t wait to get my copy of Walter!!!!!!!! Sending hugs to you (and Charlie-my fav unicorn artist!) 🙂 <3
What a beautiful story from your heart to ours. Thank you.
If I was given a spoon I would go buy ice cream, but yougurt was a great totally non-weird answer!!!
The You-est You you can be! Something we should strive for every day. Thank you for the reminder!
Thanks for sharing this. What a beautiful post! Can’t wait to read A Home Named Walter!
Chelsea-This was an excellent post. I love the advice to dig into “your well” and be the youest you, you can be. I am tryiing to write from the heart and this was great inspiration. Thank you!
Well Moana makes me ugly cry! Ugh – gets me every time. Can’t wait to read your book it looks sweet 🙂
Thank you all you shared! A beautiful post. I can’t wait to read A Home Named Walter! 🥰
This looks amazing. I can’t wait to read it! Thank you for your insight!
Chelsea- thank you so much for sharing your vulnerability. I can’t wait to read your book- I have to see when you’ll be at Children’s Book World, I’m also an Angelino and LOVE that bookshop! Congrats on you book!🎊👏🌸
Thanks for sharing your very personal journey and process. I was just noticing myself that the theme of being an only child pops into my writing often (a common therapy topic for me haha). Hopefully I can use this as well to enhance my writing.
Thank you for your heartfelt, inspiring words!
I love this post! Thank you for sharing your story and journey! What a beautiful book.
This really resonated with me. Many of my stories include similar themes. This is motivating me to take a deep dive into the meaning behind my stories. Thank you!
What a wonderful suggestion! Now I really need to go to those scenes that make me weep (especially that ones that aren’t sad or tragic). I have some digging to do. Thanks!
Wow! Chelsea, this was such an honest and introspective post! Thank you so much for sharing your heart. I can’t wait to read A Home Named Walter.
Love all this! So honest! Best of luck with WALTER!!
Thank you so much for this post Chelsea. It’s always good to remember to look inside. Best of luck with your writing as you move ahead.
Thank you so very much for sharing, Chelsea. I almost cried while reading your post … so I suppose there’s a lot in what you said that resonates with me and a lot of digging that still needs to be done <3
Thank you for sharing your experience, I took away a lot from it. Can’t wait to read your book about Walter.
This is such a lovely, heartfelt post. Thank you for sharing!
I appreciate your comments, As a child who almost got held back in kindergarten because I refused to do dot to dots right. (The pictures looked funny. ) I understood. Thank you for sharing.-Kassy
Thank you Chelsea for such insight. The other day I read Beth Ferry’s picture book “The Scarecrow,” and I started to cry. I had not expected that a picture book could make me cry. I know it touched something deep inside me. Now, I look for picture books that touch me.
This idea of exploring our own themes is intriguing to me, and I definitely think can influence developing heart in our stories if we pay attention!
Your insightful words are encouraging. I love the Idea of exploring the emotions of the authentic self.
Thank you for being so brave and sharing your heart.
What a wonderful story
What a lovely post and reminder to be true to ourselves and our manuscripts will resonate with others!
Loved, loved, loved, LOVED this post! And the reminder it represents.
This is wonderful advice…I’m working on my well!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and for the wonderful suggestions on getting in touch with that deep emotional thread.
So very relatable. Thank you for sharing.
What a powerful and meaningful post, Chelsea. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, journey, and process. I’m excited to read A HOME NAMED WALTER and dig deep to bring out the voice in my stories.
What a beautiful post. Thank you!
I cry so often at so many things! That exact moment in Moana? Sobbing. I’ve seen it AT LEAST a dozen times. I think I just cry harder and sooner in anticipation.
I once cried so hard at the end of Act One of a Broadway show (Wicked) that people were turning to stare. But it never occurred to me to look closer at WHY I cry at those moments. The answer is always complex and (I’ve recently noticed) usually involves a certain amount of girl power undertones. Thank you for this 🙂
Wow, Chelsea, that was deep! Thanks for getting me to think about why and when we feel those emotions. Curious if the agent will sub the other two manuscripts that had the same undertones, or will they pass on those since the themes are too similar?
WOW, what a post! I have so much thinking to do…in the best way! Thank you thank you!!
Thanks for a beautiful and inspiring post! I’ve recognized that a number of my own stories are “the same story” or contain the same themes, and this makes sense. Congratulations on A HOME NAMED WALTER, and I’m so happy it’s waiting at the library for me- I look forward to reading!
This post is so insightful. My stories have a common thread to them as well. I feel like I’m discovering more and more of who I am as I write. Thank you for these encouraging words!
This is so beautiful! I can’t wait to check out your book. Thank you for this!
Oh, Chelsea, your answers for that test weren’t off at all. It’s funny how adults expect a single answer, not allowing for the creativity — and in your answer, common sense — of a child. Congrats on your new book! I can’t wait to read it!
It seems so obvious to pay attention to what moves me in books and movies and music in order to discover my emotional centre, and then to use that knowledge in my writing. But that’s so hard and scary and elusive. And I guess absolutely necessary to write from the heart. So, with a big breath, I’ll try to focus more on what moves me and use that in my stories.
Oh, Chelsea. I’m feeling ALL the feelings right now. Your words are lyrical, vulnerable, and pure poetry. THANK YOU for sharing this post with us. I’m so happy your words are out in the world.
Chelsea!! I love, love, love reading all about your writing process and your books! I feel like I know you from your First Stories interview and this post, and I really hope we can meet in person some day! Congrats on Walter’s release!!
Thank you for sharing your story with us…our childhood likes to creep into our stories.
OMG Chelsea! To say that you have a way with words is the understatement of the year. But you should know that by now. And if you don’t, you should. Your writing is as simple as it it beautiful and moving. I can’t wait to read your books.
Thank you for sharing.
What a beautiful post! So relatable! Thank you for sharing!
Oh, friend – I adore you and your beautiful words! (I also took a test as a kid and my mom was horrified when she heard about my “creative” answers!) Congrats on WALTER (finally!) being out in the world!
Thank you, Chelsea, for inspiring the creative voice in all of us! 🙂
Great post. I never really looked at where the emotions come from in my writing and how it is tied to my past experiences. I guess I will be rereading all of my manuscripts now.
Thank you for your incredibly thoughtful post. So much to unpack within it. I’m looking forward to reading it again and acting on your suggestions. So nice to have a little bit of a road map to try to deepen my stories.
Thank you Chelsea for your very personal and inspiring post, along with your wise words. You must have been a wonderful elementary school teacher, and now mentor and children’s creative writing teacher. I look forward to reading Walter’s story.
Thank you, Chelsea, for sharing story and validating that we are all unique in who we are and the experiences we’ve had. What a great thing to convey to children.
Congratulations on your picture books.
What a strong, emotional piece! Thanks so much for sharing with us!
Thank you for this advice. I’ve never thought about why I react – I’m usually thinking about keeping it tamped down. I will take time to wonder, instead So hmmm, why do I well up at parades???
Thank you for sharing your experiences, Chelsea! And congratulations on your wonderful story, A Home Named Walter!
Wow, so powerful! This really resonates with me for a story I’m working on.
I don’t know why I’m always surprised by what I learn in these. I devour them now. Thank you for your honesty and for sharing your history. I would take the spoon and go buy ice cream. Lol Congrats on your books. I hope you’re writing lots more.
Thank you so much for this! As a humorous writer, sometimes I have to stop & remind myself to add in more emotion, so these ideas are very helpful 🙂
Yes! That voice inside you that sometimes is so soft that you need to stop to hear it. Wonderful inspiration. Can’t wait to read A Home Named Walter.
Thank you for these inspirational words
Thank you, Chelsea for sharing some of your writing experiences. I love your tips on emotional writing. I’m excited to read A Home Named Walter!
Thanks for sharing! Love the idea of dig your well and dive in.
I love your suggestion on tapping into those book and film moments that bring a surge of emotion and asking “why”? I recently watched My Octopus Teacher and wept like mad!
Thank you for being so open and vulnerable, Chelsea! Love this invitation to dig deep.
Chelsea,
I am so glad Dr. Rose recognized your creativity and gave you a gift that helped you find your path. Seeing the strengths in the kids that could fall through the cracks is what made me a school psychologist myself, and that career has a lot to do with my newfound joy in writing picture books.
It’s always good to come back to yourself and realize what you are really putting into your stories. Somehow it both guides your path forward and lights up where you’ve been. Congratulations on the book!
Thank you for sharing, Chelsea!
After sitting on the title/concept for years, thanks to 12×12 and my writers’ group, I finally wrote and have revised (lots) a PB about growing up with my grandparents during the summers in FL after my dad was killed. I, too, have been digging into childhood memories and finding tons of emotions that I want to build into story.
Chelsea, I admire your openness about your emotions, and how they influence your writing. I am glad you had such a positive experience with a psychologist. I had some good experiences with psychologists and a very unsettling experience with a Freudian psychiatrist. But, I am a bit older than you and the mental health field has improved. The way you incorporate your own emotions into your book is really heartfelt and beautifully done. Judy
This post resonates with me because I’ve been recently thinking more deeply about the relationship between themes in my stories and my life. I love the story about the psychologist gifting you the book! I also look forward to reading your book. Thank you for your post!
Such an interesting and personal post! Thank you for your openness and your insight into emotional depth and what resonates with us.
That was definitely the private school’s loss. Too bad they couldn’t see the delightful spark and instead were looking for cookie-cutter answers. Glad you’ve embraced you in all your unique ways!
Wow, Chelsea, I thank you for reminding me of why I love to write for kids in the first place- the seeds of creativity that germinate in adversity. I could totally see myself in your experiences. 🙂
I’m the feeling one too ! Thank you for this grounding of thought.
The emotional component is so important, yet I seldom use it in stories.
Thank you for sharing.
Chelsea, thank you for your wonderfully insightful observations about exploring emotions through writing stories. Can’t wait to read “Walter!”
I enjoyed reading your lovely post.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful, relatable post. That Moana lyric tugs at my heart too! I appreciate your honesty and encouragement to dig deep. Look forward to reading A HOME NAMED WALTER!
What a beautiful post! Home is where the heart is. Would love to read A Home For Walter!
This was beautiful to read. I love the advice from your agent and will dig into my well to see what repetitions are there. And love the Artist’s Way, have done it twice with friends and learn so much each time!
I will remember to note which scenes makes me cry. I just finished the audio of The Giver of Stars by Jojo Mayes and several times I was brought to tears. I will pay attention. Thanks
Thank you! That was a wonderful burst of positivity and self-love.
You have such a kind heart! Thanks for sharing!
I love the Artists Way! And your book is beautiful.
This is a beautiful post and so important. It’s not easy to accept yourself for your true self. It has taken me many, many years to top hating myself for what I saw as personality flaws — because I wasn’t like everyone else around me. Be you! Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you for this and for sharing these emotions with the world.
Thank you for your inspiration and wisdom of paying attention! I also find it so fascinating that when our “emotional themes” need to be heard, they find their way into everything we write, but can come out looking very different.
Thank you for your honesty in posting this part of yourself, which is the you-est part of you. I relate to your post as many of us do! Being the you-est you is not for the faint of heart. Glad you are brave!
Kim
Wow! This is an amazing post! Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you for your inspirational post! Can’t wait to read your book!
Wow! Chelsea, the emotional resonance in this post is palpable! Plus, your book is fantastic. Great advice as well. Thank you for sharing!! Congrats!!
Wonderful insights from you, your agent, and Dr. Rose! Thank you for sharing. I moved all the time growing up — never lived in a house longer than 4 years — so I look forward to reading your book.
Oh my goodness, thank you for this post. I often feel like my well is already dug up, too, although I don’t always understand what’s in there. I had a loving, secure childhood. I don’t have much tragedy to draw from, but my emotions are just under the surface and I’m almost debilitatingly empathetic. One thing that always makes me cry and really feel like I’m bursting with emotion is seeing people in large groups dancing. I would love to write about this someday, but I’m really not sure what it means and I’m definitely not sure how to capture it in a PB. Maybe one day I will? Like your agent, I’ve noticed that my stories always have love at the center: how much you are loved. You are, too, Chelsea! Thank you for helping me dive into well.
This. This.
To not being afraid of being the you-est you you can be.
Chelsea, what a wonderful way to capture this! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Chelsea. I look forward to reading your books.
Thank you so much for your post. I’m excited to read your book.
I have had kind of insecure life. I wish it had just been my childhood. My book attempts tend to revolve around bullies or looking on the positive side of things. And I do know every reason why.
Chelsea, thanks for this beautiful and authentic piece. Your words really resonated with me.
Hi Chelsea,
Kudos for being true to the child in your mind and venting her feelings.
A very inspiring write-up.
Can’t wait to read the book.
MalvikaDekhane
Chelsea, Thanks for sharing your journey. I will be looking for your book.
Thank you for sharing and for your encouragement!!
Chelsea, Bravo for being the me-ist me. Thank you for sharing!
Your post gave me a story idea!
Chelsea: Thank you for sharing your head and your heart. Oooh, ouch, getting at those deep emotions. For me, it’s like peeling an onion. And that always makes me cry. My parents both died when I was a teenager and I’m just now, 50 years later, beginning to deal with it. Writing helps, yes it does.
Chelsea, your words go to the core. Some of us search for the deep well, and you seem to be right there, and it shines in “A Home Named Walter.” I love how you describe that the same issue/theme showing up for you in different stories. You remind me how hard it is to be a “sensitive” or imaginative child around people who want kids to fit in. Thanks for your fresh insight and I look forward to reading your work. Sheila
Thank you for sharing all those big feelings you have and putting them into a beautiful book for kids who also have those big feelings. We get so used to burying those feelings, it’s nice to imagine them right there on Walter’s walls.
Wow, Chelsea, thank you for sharing so deeply with us. Your beautiful post is a reminder of just how loving and accepting of a community 12×12 really is. And I will for sure be checking out A Home Named Walter.
Digging deep is something I need to remind myself to do. So much to mine. Thank you for sharing, Chelsea. Wonderful book and article.
Exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you.
Thinking about diving into my well…
Your post challenged me to be honest regarding my emotions and how my writing is impacted by my emotions. Thank you, Chelsea, for a very inspirational post.