The Writing Secret

/ roughwighting

https://pixabay.com/vectors/counselling-advice-therapist-3630323/ “The writing class dug out my neuroses in 30 minutes,” Susie claimed.

Her therapist nodded, eyebrows raised.

“I mean, I’ve been seeing you for five months and all you say to me is ‘how does that make you feel?’” Susie continued, pushing her bangs away from her eyes. “Yet in the class I attended on a whim, I discovered things I never knew about myself!”

The therapist straightened in her high-backed chair. “Well, Susie,” Dr. Walters began, “how does that make you feel?”

Susie stood up in the well-appointed room, walls covered with bookcases filled with important looking tomes entitled The Petulant Client in the ‘Me-First’ Age and How to Fertilize the Mind of a Reluctant Learner. https://pixabay.com/photos/notepad-coffee-notebook-wooden-1276779/

Mumbling to herself, Susie faced Dr. Walters. “To be honest, it makes me feel as if you’re wasting my money.” Susie noticed that Dr. Walters blushed. Feeling powerful for once in her life, Susie asked her therapist, “How does that make you feel, Dr. Walters?”

The middle-aged woman, dressed in a gray business suit festooned with a silk burgundy blouse, steepled her fingers together.  “I’m feeling that you have made a breakthrough!” Dr. Walters pushed her chair closer in to her imposing desk and began to write on a medical pad.

“What are you doing?” Susie asked, surprise and worry in her voice.

“I’m writing you a prescription,” the doctor replied as cool as a cucumber salted with success.

“I thought you don’t believe in meds,” Susie protested.

Dr. Walters ripped the sheet off the pad and handed it to her patient. “I don’t.”

https://pixabay.com/photos/female-diary-journal-write-865110/ “Sooooo?” Susie questioned, confused. Then she read the prescription. “A six-week session of creative writing? Are you kidding me?”

Dr. Nina Walters smiled knowingly and added, “You discovered a secret most of us therapists don’t share. Now, go and write your stories.”

152 thoughts on “The Writing Secret”

  5. Terrific, Pam! 😀 What a wise therapist and hooray for Susie and her breakthrough! I’m imagining those six weeks will transform her life. Writing is an incredible release of one’s creative, emotional and mental self – leading to new challenges / life!

    Liked by 3 people

  7. Fabulous read Pam thank you. Written with such style and entertainment. Wise therapist Dr. Walters – go now and write your stories – sharp Suzy too for using her voice in the therapy session – breakthrough indeed! (ps. Do you like to be called Pam or Pamela? It’s a serious question ..)

    Liked by 2 people

    • I love to be called Pam or Pamela. And my favorite name is “Author Pamela S Wight ” Just kidding. But I have taught creative writing classes for more than 20 years and ongoing students have told me they dropped their therapist as soon as they began to write down the stories of their life. 🤓

      Liked by 1 person

  11. So enjoyed this short story ~ crisp and humorous and with a good ending. Yes to writing as therapy, I’d add painting and many other creative outlets to the list. When things flow and we manage to float into a zen mode … that seems to be where the magic happens.

    Peta

    Liked by 1 person

    • That’s an interesting perspective, Peta. Since I have not learned to let my feelings out with another art form, I hadn’t considered that drawing or painting or sculpting can also help a person figure out a lot about herself. 💙

      Like

  12. Way, way cool, Pam! I’m glad I put my neuroses into memoir writing and certainly got more bang for my buck. The investment I made equated to years with a therapist and has paid dividends: I have a BOOK! Though it’s not a best-seller and won’t make me rich, I have found a path toward forgiveness and helped others to heal in the process.

    Such great advice therein. I wonder if you’re still teaching creative writing classes, perhaps via ZOOM. By the way I googled How to Fertilize the Mind of a Reluctant Learner and came up with Dirty Dancing.
    Ha! Love your creativity, Pam. You started my Friday morning off with a chuckle – thank you! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Three cheers to you Marian. Yes, writing a memoir is one of the top ways to get rid of a therapist! And I agree that those who write a memoir do a great service not just to themselves but also to the readers who connect their own reality with the author’s, and they figure out what was once confusing or hidden in their memory and psyche.
      I’m laughing at you Googling the title that I made up in that writing instant. Dirty dancing indeed! 🤣

      Like

  17. This is a fun short story Pam! I’m glad Suzie, and so many of us find insights and great value in writing. For me it’s a way to clarify and sort out my thoughts and feelings with the added bonus of our great community. Have a wonderful week!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. YES! Writing can be sooo therapeutic. A person can find answers to things they didn’t even know were questions. When there’s inner sides that disagree you can find yourself in the vicinity of working it out just by writing, writing, writing. Love this, you writer/teacher/solver/storyteller!

    Liked by 2 people

    • I think that’s part of the magic, Kathy. When we write a story in which we have no idea where we’re going with it, our “inner side” leads us on a magical journey to answers… and perceptions magnified. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

    • Haha. Ain’t that the truth? And the other truth is how much we also learn by reading other writers’ perceptions. It’s a win/win world of writing/reading/writing. Perhaps there’s no money in it because the “powers that be” like a “messed up mixed up” populace. ;-0 Well, those of us who write and read know better.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. This is just awesome, Pam. Phew! So true!
    I’ve learned much from my characters. Every time I put them in a tough situation, in the back of my mind, I’m evaluating how I would respond. Sometimes they’ve forced me to step to the plate! Great flash piece. I loved it. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, Diana. It’s interesting how friends/family who “know” me have a difficult time reading my books, saying “but you’re not like this character at all!” Or “how could you write about someone like (Meredith) (Blake) (Parker) when that’s not how YOU are?” Those who aren’t writers don’t understand that the characters come to us with their stories and their flaws and their courage and even their neuroses to teach us about ourselves, and then of course the readers learn too.

      Liked by 1 person

        • Interesting, my brother says the same thing to me! I think I scare him sometimes… ;-0 Yes, I have a sequel in a sense to the Meredith story, although she’s not in it much. My wish is for me to get some of your writing energy (and that my muse might be a bit more aggressive like yours) so I could write more/faster on it….

          Liked by 1 person

  26. I like the lovely prescription Pam. I know a few persons who don’t know the C of “creative writing”… I hope Susie is not one of them.
    There was a time when joint families could provide good therapy and little moments of sadness were diffused by an aunt, a grandma or some wise member of the family, who helped youngsters understand ‘what is life.’

    Liked by 1 person

    • Writing is “blah” without that “C” word, isn’t it Balroop? But I know that creativity scares many away from writing …. and from themselves. What a great point about how “back in the day” joint families helped each other with the pain and heartache of life.

      Liked by 1 person

    • You said it so well, Carol. If we’re feeling down/confused/unhappy, just pick up a pen or start pounding the keyboard writing a story. It’s amazing how our problems dwindle as we focus on our “made-up” characters who in many ways are more “human” than the humans we come across. ;-0

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you! Sometimes I wonder where my fictional stories “come from,” when I haven’t experienced something myself (like this one – never been to a therapist). B U T, I believe that we hit a universal thread when we write, and the experiences of others melds into ours, and our stories beam out truth.

      Like

  33. Good one, Pam. In June when I went to see mine for our monthly giggle fest, I was in a bad place and mentioned I had stopped writing my blog. She insisted I go home and put one together that day. I did and it uncorked the dam. Now I’m writing in a side notebook while I journal at night or do my morning pages. I have a very GOOD therapist. She’s a real human and I can always make her laugh out loud and big. Makes me feel quite happy to do that. You hit the target with this one. Writing is excellent therapy.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’ve read your comment over and over because it makes me feel so good, Marlene. First, a “giggle-fest” with a therapist. How fabulous is that? You both are lucky women. Second, that your therapist is astute enough, and self-confident enough, to encourage you to W R I T E. And I love that going back to your writing “uncorded the dam.” Never stop writing your blog. Not only is it good for you, it’s good for us who read it!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Thanks so much for your kind words, Pam. She is the best I’ve found and it’s the best $10 a month I spend. Medicare takes care of the rest of the Dr’s fee. I’m happiest when I make her laugh out loud enough for the whole building to hear. Of course there is no one in there these days. Just us 6 ft. apart. We get the job done though. 🙂 She actually checked online while I was there to make sure the book store was open and sent me right away to go visit the books. I was lonely for them. 🙂 It was almost empty but I had a nice visit with my favorite friends. Books. 😉 Stay well and happy.

        Liked by 1 person

  40. I loved this Pam, simple and write to the point…I will write my stories also. I’m actually working on it now but have yet to put pen to paper very often. This might just be the kick in the ass that I needed. Thanks so much and enjoy your week…xo

    Liked by 1 person

      • Thanks for stopping by the blog Pam…and yes, we have similar tastes in books. We have a lot of likes along many lines. I love my blog but I was sorry after finishing it that there is no way for me to let people know that I respond to their comments…I do. I’m too lazy to start a new blog now…have a great weekend coming up…xo

        Liked by 1 person

    • Sooooo true. I’ve been writing for more than half my life, and I’m sane and level-headed because of it. 🙂 Just kidding. But I definitely believe that my daily writing has helped me make sense of my world, myself, and the people around me. ❤

      Like

    • Your comment makes me wonder why I’ve never called my creative writing classes “The WRITE Therapy.” Well, plenty of my students would never have signed up. Didn’t think they needed therapy. But oh wow, have they benefited from writing out their hearts!

      Liked by 1 person

  51. Hi Pam, The hair rose on my arms. “I discovered things I never knew about myself!” And, then a smile. “How does that make you feel?”

    My entire body is now tingling. You hit it right on, Pam. Especially, when we have to find it out for ourselves. You are speaking (writing) to the choir.😀 Thank you for a great post! ❤️

    Liked by 2 people

  52. Hi Pam, I have a problem: When I’m given a topic, its hard for me to write, but when I have nothing to do, its when my creative juices flow. Please give some advice on how to write when I’m supposed to…

    Liked by 2 people

    • What a great question. And, you have a wonderful blog – I just followed you. I’m so impressed with how far you are, already, in your writing. I have found, and this is what I teach my creative writing students, that sitting down to write because we “have to,” is a great way to get writer’s block. But in my classes, I do give out a prompt and everyone “must” write right away. The secret? DON’T THINK. If we sit down to write “a great story” or “something profound,” most likely nothing will come. But if we start with a prompt – something easy even like “I remember” without thinking about WHAT we’re going to write about, the words will flow. Try it!

      Liked by 2 people

  59. I’m not writing these days… I need to start again. But it feels like crying. If I start, will I be able to stop? Do I need to stop? Do I need to start? ugh…
    Love your posts. They are an inspiration! Thank you for that.
    Stay safe my lovely friend. We need more of your words. 😚💕

    Liked by 2 people

    • “Will I be able to stop (crying)?” “Do I need to stop?” “Do I need to start?” Hi Kim. As your blogging friend, I suggest that YES, you do need to start writing. Even if your notebook pages are wet with your tears, they will soon dry out as your words pour forth, and I promise you – you’ll feel better. ❤

      Like

Comments are closed.