Has everyone put their story down on paper

[mellowcanuck]

During my time trying to deal with life. I found writing your story down helped process. Writing it down, reading it. Absorbing it instead of exuding it. Like sanding down the sharp edge. Any one else? I find it to be deeply personal. I've shown three people. One a mental health counselor.

I guess this is the place to be open, so many others have. Is there a thread of non-fiction dev bombardments? Should we start one? Should I? Scary shit. 

[Dani]

I've always written stories since when I was young as a teenager. When I read these stories now, I can already see the devotee writing them, but then I didn't know these things about myself. It was a different time.

I started writing a lot again in about 2009 when I consciously discovered my devness and also learned all this about myself. It was a very difficult time for me, very scary and I felt very alone. I thought I was the only weirdo like this and it was not a fun time. I cried a lot. I had to somehow process things that were going on inside of me and so I wrote my first "devotee" story "New Beginnings". I have written several stories since then, working on a new one right now, and have many more ideas in my head and WIPs. I also discovered PD back then and it helped me tremendously to learn that there are others like me, women who are different but also awesome.

[devogirl]

I wrote my whole dating life as a dev in my 20s and 30s here:
paradevostories.blogspot.com/search/label/Devo%20Diary
I changed names and identifying details. It was definitely cathartic to write it all down, and I hope that other devs have learned from my mistakes.

If you want to share any personal stories, please do. You're welcome to post here, or if you want to put it on the blog, send me a PM. It is scary but comments on the stories blog are generally kind.

[loveonaroll2]

I haven’t wrote my story Per se I did try to write a fictional story called not so average but writing is therapeutic for me I like to write songs but I wouldn’t even know where to start when it comes to writing my actual story down

[britishtetra]

In 2006, I started to write my story, it was called, Once Upon A Time In Oswestry. This was because when I had my accident, the spinal unit was in Oswestry which is near Wales. I have written close to 20,000 words over the years, and then I changed direction and started to write a novel about somebody who has an accident, I am finished but still bloody editing. To be honest, it was a good learning curve, and whilst I was writing, I got in contact with the driver of the car, and I asked him for his opinion of what happened. There were four soldiers in the car altogether, and I came out the worst. He gave me great closure, as the crash happened in 1990. He told me how he pulled me out the car, whilst it was on fire, and it stopped with me until the ambulance came. Over the years, he has suffered with PTSD, and I thanked him for saving my life. I think he needed that, and it was just an accident. Recently one of my mates wanted me to write my story, because so many soldiers are committing suicide. But, I am only three chapters away from editing my novel, and I am going to hand it over to somebody to see if it can get published. A couple of months ago, I read a book about a quadriplegic had been in his wheelchair for 30 years, and that was a good read. I’ve got the name of it if anybody wants it?

Pete, 👍

[imupforanything]

I've written up the 24hrs leading up to my accident as it's kind of an unusual story. It's amazing how many things were telling me to stop what I was doing but I ignored them all. I'm a former extreme athlete and was injured while performing.

Interestingly I have the entire accident on video, from two different angles.

[ayla]

Feb 24, 2023 22:29:33 GMT -5 imupforanything said:

I've written up the 24hrs leading up to my accident as it's kind of an unusual story. It's amazing how many things were telling me to stop what I was doing but I ignored them all. I'm a former extreme athlete and was injured while performing.

Interestingly I have the entire accident on video, from two different angles.

That sounds fascinating 😮

I have done some scattered writings about my own journey, privately — putting every dev-related memory I have into a sort of timeline. Looking for clues to the origin, understanding the factors that kept me from acknowledging/accepting this part of myself for so long, and trying to figure out what role devness will play in my life going forward.

[sungod]

At one point I thought I might try to make a book out of my experience, detailing from preinjury, my ski injury, rehab, returning to college, and other quad details that can present unique challenges. I wrote 10-ish pages for a few chapters, but I'm not naturally a detailed writer. I lost steam and the drafts are sitting on my computer.

[britishtetra]

I am at the point at the moment, when I am 3/ quarters into writing a novel about somebody who has an accident, goes into a care home and it’s all to do with the workings of Sherlock Holmes, which is a great interest of mine. And I have also written nearly 20,000 words of my own novel, joining the army at 16, breaking my neck at 18, and the next three decades, but I don’t know which to do.

Pete 👍

[loveonaroll2]

Both

[Inkdevil]

I keep meaning to carry on doing a dev diary. I used to write a journal kind of thing on DeviantArt, but it was usually just the ramblings of a drunken idiot, as the words flowed more freely when I was half-cut. Not sure it ever made any sense, but I had a few people engage with it. I can’t do ‘proper’ writing, just conversational stuff. No plot. Or maybe I just lost the plot haha. Some people on here write so well. I’m in awe of their talent.

[koala]

I did a bit of writing after my husband passed to capture our story and the crazy journey we had. It was mostly for me (a brain dump to process the chaos of those few years), and it was extremely therapeutic and cathartic. I also decided, though, to put it out there into the ether as a sort of mini blog just in case it might benefit others, as well. I don't try to drive traffic to it, but a few people have found it over the years and enjoyed it, and that's more than enough for me. I've never writen about my devness, but I do enjoy just capturing life stuff and will hopefully add more chapters to my blog at some point to capture and process life after loss and the experiences that got me back on my feet and led me to where I am today.

[britishtetra]

Just a thought, as I have hit a few snags with my novel at the moment, do people like reading life stories? I only ask because I think I am going to have more luck writing about myself. This September, I am 33 years in a wheelchair, and it’s like where has the time gone. I read Tony’s a few years ago, who was pony boy on here, and that was really good. During these last three decades, I would say that my sense of humour has kept me going. Plus I have got over 600 friends on Facebook, so I might get a few quid if it gets published.🤣
Pete

[not THAT violet]

I love reading about and hearing people’s stories. Do it!

[britishtetra]

I feel a bit strange at the moment, since my accident in 1990, my dad has been by my side in all those years. He stopped with me while I was in skull traction, and moved in with me to attend to my garden and drive me around everywhere till I got carers. He has been my constant companion, but at the moment he’s in hospital and for the first time in my life, I just feel lost. The last few weeks he has started to forget a few things, but if anybody is worth a life story it’s him. In my case, perhaps that’s a good place to start.

Pete 👍