Writing is the closest thing humanity has to immortality. The first named author lived more than 4,300 years ago, and their words still resonate. Have I got a story for you...

Thank you for reading MuseInks. I'm Ami Hendrickson, writer, ghost, and editor in chief of Soul Sparks Press. Each Thursday, I share thoughts for readers, writers, and other fabulous people.

Feel free to forward this to other wonderful people you know.
If someone awesome forwarded this to you, please subscribe here for more!

Musings

If there’s one thing I believe, it’s that our stories—our voices—matter.

Think of it:

You have been given a gift: a combination of a story to tell and a unique voice to speak it into existence.

Your voice is uniquely yours, full of insights, rippling with a personal, inner Truth that no one else has ever had – or will ever have.

You are the only person to ever have your thoughts — the only person to be given your voice — in the history of the universe. If you don’t use your voice, it will be lost for eternity.

Let me tell you a story...

More than 4300 years ago, a priestess of Inanna, the powerful moon goddess, lived in the Sumerian city-state of Ur.

Her name was Enheduanna.

Enheduanna was educated.

Opinionated.

Devout.

And articulate.

She had a beautiful way with words. She wrote psalms of power and praise. She also wrote a myth relating the tale of Ebih, a mountain god, insulting Inanna and Inanna's eventual victorious quest for revenge.

She asked for divine intervention.

She voiced her opinions on current problems, conflicts, and injustice.

In a world that often seeks to silence and undermine women’s voices, I find it ironic, and just delicious that Enheduanna is the first named author in history.

She’s been gone for over 4,000 years. But her words live on.

We can still read them now. And as we read, the thoughts she had continue to spark our own inspiration.

Enheduanna did not hesitate to use her voice... and it remains.

Writing is the closest thing humanity has to immortality.

Imagine!

A few pixels on a screen or squiggles of ink on paper (or in Enheduanna’s case, a few chisel marks in hardened clay) are all that’s needed to capture the unique thoughts in your head and transmit them to others for as long as Earth continues to spin.

If there’s a word for that other than “magic,” I don’t know what it is!

MuseNews

This weekend, I'm headed north to Toronto, Canada, for a Soul Sparks Press event.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a red carpet kind of girl. The last time I was in Hollywood, there was a big red carpet shindig at the hotel where I was staying. SO much traffic! SO many people! The word that would best describe it is: inconvenient.

However, I AM a huge fan of my clients and am really looking forward to meeting several of them in person. Zoom is great, but nothing beats Real Life!

I'll also get to meet colleagues from other publishers that I've worked with in recent years. It'll be up close and personal, and I cannot wait!

Menagerie Update

Last spring, a fox had kits somewhere near the barn and absolutely decimated our little flock of chickens.

We lost 12 birds. One neighbor also lost 12. Another lost nearly 20.

So we put up taller fence and were very vigilant and eventually the chicken carnage stopped. ::whew::

Welp...

This spring, ol Foxy's back again. This time, she got our old Pekin duck, who was 6 years old and inside the fence.

So we've taken to walking the dogs around the perimeter of the chicken fence, letting them mark their territory and hoping this will keep the fox from any more poultry thievery.

Because it's spring—and what would spring be without baby chicks—we have two little chicks (named Aziraphale and Crowley) and two little Pekins. When it's warm enough, they are slowly getting acclimated to the outdoors.

Crowley, especially, loves humans and wants nothing more than to s(h)it on your shoulder. Also, there is nothing cuter than little ducklings swimming in a tiny pond.

Hoping that the fox leaves them be.

Nature can be cruel.

Book Report

I read hundreds of books every year for my job. Every so often, one truly stands out. I did some copywriting for Tommy Short's new book, The Call I Almost Missed: 365 Days Without a Cell Phone and What It Taught Me About Love, Presence, and the Lies We Live, and liked his approach.

The book is written in epistolary form as a series of letters to Short's young daughters, documenting the reasons he gave up his phone for a year and charting the revelations that resulted.

I mentioned that I had genuinely enjoyed his book, so imagine my surprise and joy when a signed copy showed up at my door! (No, most authors I copywrite for do not send me autographed copies. More's the pity.)

The book is a very quick read, but it has a lot to say. In it, Short, a former Division I Men's College Basketball referee honestly confronts his fears and wrestles with his demons. He transparently shares his faith while exploring what it means to live authentically, without depending on the dopamine of distraction.

Reading the book got me thinking: Could I give up my phone for a year?

The answer: absolutely.

I think I could give up my computer too, as long as I could find a way to earn a living.

I wouldn't be willing to give up my animals, though.

Technology can go, no problem. But the critters need to stay.

What about you? Does the thought of giving up your phone make you smile or instantly trip the anxiety switch?

Next Week:

True confession: a year ago, I was guilty of profiling and almost refused to work with a new novelist. But I'm so glad I gave him a shot. Have I got a story for you!

Till next week,

May you spend less time on your phone and more time surrounded by Spring blooms, happy dogs, and loved ones. Life is an experience, y'all! Have a great one!

I love you all!

Ami

Ami Hendrickson
​Book Coach, Author, Editor, and Corgi Mom
💬 Say Hi on LinkedIn!
Or on Instagram!
Or on... Pinterest!​
Or on TikTok...