You know the feeling: Sometimes you come across something someone else says, a way of looking at things, that enriches yours own. That’s how I felt when I came across a description by the gifted memoirist and writing coach, Lorraine Ash. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Lorraine speak at several Write Group events, as she’s a blessing to us all — a kind, compassionate guide whose mission it is to help other writers unlock their own writing power and share their stories: http://lorraineash.com/services.htm.

In a nutshell, here’s how Lorraine described “the three writers inside every writer” — an intriguing and fruitful concept:

“The Artistic Self” — This is the writer who wants to share experience and deep lessons learned from life. This writer feels called to find his or her unique voice and to channel it in the form of stories through a variety of mediums — from memoir to short stories and novels.

“The Genius Self” — This is the writer who emerges when we put aside our conscious, thinking mind and realize that there’s a deeper, truer story within us. When we find the tools to tap our subconscious, from dreaming to journeys of the imagination, we can delve into this part of our writing self and mine the gold it offers.

“The Business Self” — This is the writer who is willing and able to understand and work with the realities of the publishing industry. Work can be shared through many different channels and finding the best, most fruitful path to publication is part of the author’s journey.

As Lorraine says so well, we need to “strengthen our knowledge of the three writers for a couple of essential reasons. One, only when we understand their various roles will we become completely conscious and in command of our own creative process. Two, when their respective roles are clearly delineated in our mind, each can enhance and protect the others instead of interfering with them.”

What a valuable way to approach depending our craft as we all write on! Bravo, Lorraine!