“And if the story is traumatic, these methods will help it reach readers who might otherwise have looked away—not necessarily because they don’t care, but perhaps because they care too much. The nervous system learns to protect itself. It draws curtains. It keeps the door half-closed. For some readers, especially those with painful histories of their own, encountering another person’s wounds can feel like tearing open their own stitches. Art can be catharsis, yes. But it can also be rupture. Not every heart is ready for that.”

I’m signed up for Jeannine Ouellette’s class on writing “hot cold” about our most tender stories. She is an excellent teacher and lovely human and if you’re also unsure how to write about your hardest things, I hope you come!

Sign up link: writinginthedark.org/te…