Written by
Audra Edwards
There’s something special about getting to witness people write.
There’s a change that comes over them when they “crack the code” to what’s happening in their brains. I see it, and I smile. It’s one of the reasons I do what I do—to have the privilege of witnessing that creative epiphany. That moment when all the puzzle pieces spilled across the table magically rearrange themselves into the big picture for them.
It’s funny. When someone finds out I’m a writer, the typical response is: “Oh cool! So…what do you write?”
Cue all the things…panic, cold sweats, imposter syndrome, stuttering…because how, exactly, does a writer answer that seemingly innocuous question?
A good writer friend of mine has a favorite quote by Joan Didion:
“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means.”
That’s just it. I often don’t know what I’m writing…until I’m writing it. Oh, I have ideas, of course. Bullet point ideas clutter my Word .docs. The voice notes app on my phone is overflowing with enthusiastic ramblings. I swear fragments of story scenes scribbled on post-it notes multiply in my house when I’m asleep.
More often than not, though, those ideas end up taking on a life of their own once I finally dedicate myself to being their conduit to a heartbeat. It’s like—not a birth—but a coming-of-age. And every, single time, that journey through puberty, adolescence, and into adulthood for my stories also spells a coming-of-age for me.
I become, somehow, more by writing. I crack the code to my own growth, to the inner secrets of my soul. I never tire of that. Ever.
So that’s why I write. It’s why I love to witness others write. There’s magic in the written word. You just have to be willing to let it out.
In just a couple of weeks, on May 2nd, 3rd, & 4th, the VSP team is hitting the road, and we want to witness your moment. We want to see you figure out what it is you’re thinking, to share in the freedom of figuring out another piece of who you are, to help you find your story.
Come with us to Norfolk, Virginia & New York, New York!
Did this story resonate with you?
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Your reflection will help our military families know you see them!
Originally from the rural Midwest, AUDRA EDWARDS has taught writing and English literature in Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, Washington, North Carolina, & Texas. Her life as a nomad, living and writing from the wilds of the Scottish Highlands to the winter wonderland of Alaska to the scorching desert of southern Texas, (and many places in between), has given her a profound connection to the way in which our experiences shape our perspectives and perceptions. Audra utilizes this understanding in her work as both a writer and a nonprofit business manager for VSP and in her identity as the military spouse of her active duty Air Force soulmate. Her current work includes co-writing the memoir of Jeannie Puckett, wife of the late Korean War hero and Medal of Honor recipient COL (Ret.) Ralph Puckett. She was also recently selected to participate in the Dingle Writers’ Workshop and will be re-packing her suitcase for a writing adventure in Dingle, Ireland.
Are you an active duty or veteran milspouse interested in being a guest writer for VSP? Get in touch with your details and topic interests on our contact page!
