I think we all have a story to tell. A story that — while it may not be earth-shattering or particularly important in the grand scheme of things — has an impact on the way we see the world. In this book, you’ll find stories from people who are just like you and me, with no particular skills or talents other than being able to express themselves through words. Stories about love lost and found again, about family bonds and life’s journey, about shared experiences that somehow feel unique when they’re put into words and shared with others. When one of the authors connected with me through Instagram and asked me if I wanted to join, I said yes. I knew exactly what pieces I wanted to share.
I just didn’t know how hard it would be to edit those pieces. I had written the short story a while back as a way to exorcise the haunting moment of being witness to my husband trying to end his life. I wrote it and put it away for close to a year. Since the anthology is about examining the human experience, I knew that I wanted to share this piece. I figured I had healed enough from that moment to edit the work. I had not.
In the piece ‘I Love You,’ I put the main character in the moment when my husband stood in front of me with a gun pressed between his lips. I go through nine or ten drafts of anything. Some may think it’s overkill, but I find that I always find something with each pass. I was on a deadline. Three months to finish the story. I thought, surely I can do it. The story’s draft is completed, after all. These were the most grueling edits where I had to take week-long breaks before diving back to finish the edits. I made a pact that every piece of writing will have a bit of me in it, whether fiction or not.
This one has a whole lot. In it, I put Gabriella in my shoes at that very moment and gave her the same emotions I felt. But because I mold my characters first before putting them in the story, I knew Gabriella’s reaction would be completely different than mines. Yet the weight of the moment laid on my shoulder every time I sat in front of my computer to edit the manuscript. It was a pervasive kind of pain, and I am a masochist.
But it was worth it. To see people connect with Gabriella’s emotions made me realize just how universal human experiences can be. I will continue to emotionally bleed onto the page not only because I’m a masochist but also because I want others to not feel like they are alone in their pain. I hope you like it.
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