{"id":14943,"date":"2024-05-30T15:26:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T15:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/?p=14943"},"modified":"2024-06-02T11:01:41","modified_gmt":"2024-06-02T11:01:41","slug":"writing-their-own-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/spring-summe-2024\/writing-their-own-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Their Own Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

Y<\/span>\u201cou are the main character in your own life story\u201d is a well-known sentiment. And when we consider that humans love to tell stories<\/a> and, in fact, need to tell stories, \u201cyou\u201d as a character takes on great importance.<\/p>\n

Sharing stories allows us to connect with others, feel less alone in the world, and experience empathy in situations far flung from our own lives.<\/p>\n

The Power of Connection<\/h4>\n

Social science research shows that connection is important for successful aging and changes as people age. Studies of the happiness curve<\/a> show that people experience a dip in how happy they feel in their thirties and forties and begin to feel happier in their fifties. But this natural evolution of optimism is butting heads with a growing international epidemic of loneliness<\/a> that was only exasperated by the pandemic.<\/p>\n

People moving into midlife experience significant life changes such as widowhood, career issues, health concerns, divorce, and living in an empty nest. Loneliness also increases dramatically after age 65.<\/p>\n

When discussing ways to combat loneliness, experts recommend finding hobbies and activities and making time for friends, not solely concentrating on adult children and grandchildren. Avoiding loneliness can be a challenge for older adults who, through life changes, may no longer have close friends nearby.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

(Left to right) Authors Christine Gunderson and Sharon Wishnow<\/p><\/div>\n

However, authors Christine Gunderson and Sharon Wishnow offer a unique solution based on their passion for telling stories that have had unexpected benefits for their lives.<\/p>\n

Write, Share, Connect \u2013 About the Authors<\/h4>\n

Gunderson and Wishnow, both in their mid-fifties, grew up in different worlds. Gunderson hails from a small rural North Dakota community. \u201cI grew up on a fourth-generation family farm fifty miles from the nearest McDonalds,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Wishnow grew up in a middle-class Boston suburb. \u201cMy family spent a lot of time in the city, and summers were all about the beach,\u201d she said. The one childhood memory they joke about sharing is snow.<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, Gunderson and Wishnow both moved to Washington, DC, after college to pursue careers in communications but dreamed about writing and publishing novels. Gunderson worked as a TV anchor and reporter and then moved to the other side of the microphone as a press secretary on Capitol Hill. Wishnow worked for a non-profit and eventually started her own business. Both settled in Northern Virginia and began juggling families and careers, yet found time to pursue their passion for writing fiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWriting fiction was an escape from the business writing I did for work. Writing was also something that I could fit in between the kids\u2019 schedules,\u201d Wishnow said.<\/p>\n

Gunderson agrees. \u201cWriting gave me a creative outlet during those short but long years at home full-time with small children.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, like many creative passions, writing is solitary and can be a lonely hobby. Then, there is the question of what to do with all the stories. Do you find places to publish them? Where do you look? And most importantly, are they any good?<\/p>\n

Gunderson wrote seven novels and sought connection and help through the Washington Romance Writers<\/a>, the Romance Writers of America,<\/a>\u00a0 and then the Women\u2019s Fiction Writers Association.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know any writers until I joined these organizations. I found an incredible community of supportive women who gave me the courage to keep going in the face of rejection and offered their time and expertise to help me become a better writer,\u201d Gunderson said. \u201cI\u2019m a published author today because of these writing communities. Without them, I would have given up during those long years when all I had was a pile of rejection letters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wishnow feels the same. \u201cI was in a new phase of my life when I began my first novel. My kids were more independent; my career had matured, and I had too,\u201d she said. \u201cMy family and friends supported what I was doing but didn\u2019t understand my passion or goals. I needed help. I joined the Women\u2019s Fiction Writers Association and immediately connected with other writers in my community. That\u2019s when everything began to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

The writers Wishnow was meeting were as excited about fiction as she was, she said. They were interested in what she was writing, not how many children she had or what she did for a living. \u201cTell me about your writing,\u201d was the question of the day. She was making new friends who were meeting her and supporting her at this new stage of her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinding other writers gave me a second identity beyond mom,\u201d Gunderson said. \u201cI became a writer. I started entering and winning writing contests, which gave me the validation I needed to prioritize writing in a life filled with other responsibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Never Too Late to Find a New Hobby<\/h4>\n

There is never a wrong time to begin a hobby, creative or otherwise. For Gunderson and Wishnow, their creative outlet led them to others who shared their interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know how much I needed this new community at this stage of my life until I was at a writing conference with friends who were congratulating me on my novel. I felt such connection and joy,\u201d Wishnow said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can feel odd sometimes, being a writer,\u201d Gunderson said. \u201cThere\u2019s deep joy in being with others who have imaginary characters living inside their heads, too. My family and friends are incredibly supportive, but other writers understand why I feel compelled to write. That connection is powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning the Page<\/h4>\n

Writers working toward publication often share similar milestones. Gunderson and Wishnow secured literary agents to represent their work and attempted to sell their books to a publisher.<\/p>\n

\u201cI explain to people that selling a book these days feels like landing on the moon with a pocket calculator as your guidance system,\u201d Wishnow said. Gunderson agreed, saying, \u201cIt can take years of rejection to sell a book to a traditional publisher. It isn\u2019t a process for the thin-skinned or the faint of heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gunderson and Wishnow both \u201clanded\u201d in 2023 when they sold their debut novels to the same editor at Lake Union Publishing. At that time, the two women had only met in passing at a local writing event. Gunderson read Wishnow\u2019s book announcement through an online writing forum and connected the dots that they were \u201cbook sisters\u201d sharing the same editor. She reached out, and they met for lunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin five minutes of meeting, I felt as if I had known Christine my whole life. We came from completely different backgrounds but had just accomplished the same goal. The ability to share this journey with her has made it all that much more special. My family is happy for me, but Christine truly understands how much work it took to see this dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing through this process with Sharon is such a blessing,\u201d Gunderson said. \u201cShe\u2019s funny, encouraging, insightful, and so talented. Because of her, I\u2019m setting off on an adventure with a stalwart friend by my side. She cuts the fear in half and doubles the fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Can You Connect with New Communities<\/h4>\n

Gunderson and Wishnow used their solitary writing to connect with a new community, and they became friends because of it.<\/p>\n

Trying something new and making new friends can be intimidating, but that\u2019s the magic of meeting people through a shared interest. What matters is that you\u2019re there to participate.<\/p>\n

Local libraries and bookstores are great resources for book clubs and lecture series.<\/p>\n

Consider trying an art, acting, dance, cooking, or writing class. Check out a community theatre for open audition calls or set design needs. Look for wine-tasting events. Are you interested in sports? Look for tennis, racketball, softball, bowling, or pickleball clubs.<\/p>\n

Engaging in hobbies and connecting with others through those activities keep you turning the pages in your life story.<\/p>\n

And who knows, maybe you\u2019ll put pen to paper and share it with the world.<\/p>\n

Christine Gunderson and Sharon Wishnow are authors with debut novels in summer of 2024. Christine Gunderson<\/a>\u2019s debut novel is Friends with Secrets<\/a>, <\/em>published by Lake Union Publishing. Sharon Wishnow<\/a>\u2019s debut novel is The Pelican Tide<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0 published by Lake Union Publishing.<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Authors and gal pals find a community in their shared passion for writing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14997,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186,187],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-summe-2024","category-spring-summer-2024-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14943"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15268,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14943\/revisions\/15268"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}