Michael asked Michael Finkel:

Michael, For nearly three decades, I've had a strong feeling deep in that part of my gut, my chest, that I have a story to tell. I believe everyone has a story. My question is, how do I pin point my story and make it interesting to readers? How do I sort out all the things in my head from experiences I've had and the feelings produced by them and put them into a cohesive story with a point?

Michael Finkel These are good questions -- for which there is no easy answer. People spend years in writing programs to answer such questions. I do have to say that the first thing needed to be a writer, in my opinion, is exactly what you said -- a strong feeling that you just need to write. So you've covered the most important part! How to actually write? Well, I seriously sometimes envision sitting at a bar with a friend, and the friend asks, "So, what's your story about?" And however you'd answer, that is what you write. Don't worry, at least not at first, about making every sentence sing; just get the story down on paper (or on a computer screen). See what happens, where it goes. Don't worry about an audience. Just write.

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