Three Inspiring Female Writers — Kristen Morris Writes

Apr 4

Apr 4 Three Inspiring Female Writers

I bought a shirt a couple months ago but don't wear it regularly. Not because it isn't comfortable or I don't like the message but it feels like bragging which I'm not good at. No matter how much I accomplish there is always something new for me seek out and conquer. Depending on your definition of writer I may or not be one. If it is a very loose, someone who writes words, then I am a writer. If it has more barriers I might not fit.

I haven't gotten paid for any of my writing or had anything published prominently on the internet or anywhere else. Sometimes in low moments I feel like no one will read anything I write or have a reaction to it. That last one isn't true at least on the very micro level I can control. I send most of my writing to my husband who usually likes it or tries to find hidden inner meaning between the lines with my creative use of adjectives.

But when I need writing inspiration there is a group of three women who I turn to whose words still make me marvel. Sometimes I can't believe we are speaking the same language because their grasp of prose always surprises me. If you are looking for writing advice the essentials are to write and read a lot. Beyond that sentiment these three inspiring female writers have a lot to say.

Roxane Gay

I was a little late jumping on board the Roxane Gay train but after her interview on Girlboss Radio about Hunger, I was ready to dive in. This memoir is a raw, unflinching look at how your body can tell your story sometimes better than words can. I, thankfully, have few body issues and my body, indirectly, subscribes to the aspirational narrative that is pretty unattainable to most. The irony is when I was at my thinnest in junior high and high school I was eating terrible, junk food and barely exercising, a typical teen, and felt anxious about myself and interacting with the world. Behind the gilded genetic gift of my body I was suffering. Things have changed drastically since then but it still pains me to think so many women and girls pined for my body shape. There is also sharp criticism of the world which through culture and design makes it harder to exist and move in the world when you are a larger size. Bad Feminist is also filled with great essays with one of my favorites about unlikable female characters which is something I strive to write more of in my own writing.

I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

-Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

While she is a phenomenal writer I really enjoy hearing interviews with Maya. She sounds wise beyond her years at every age with the soothing cadence and rhythm in her voice. Somehow she understands or is able to grasp the complexities of life and explain it eloquently. I've had to venture out on my own outside of educational institutions to read her work since they weren't assigned outside of a few poems. Her writing makes cliches out of all my opinions so I blend into the crowd of fans waving our banners of praise.

Joan Didion

As a quiet and observant child I escaped into worlds within worlds like the sky or patterns of shadows on the wall. While analyzing and over thinking about everything to a fault isn't helpful I find solace in the fact that Joan Didion made a career out of analyzing situations and hardships to work through them while telling amazing stories. For a deeper dive into her world and work for long time fans or curious new comers I recommend the documentary The Center Will Not Hold. I found many new great quotes and loving descriptions from colleagues and family members about Joan that might not be found anywhere else.

Obviously this list is not comprehensive or exhaustive and I'm sure there are many more great female writers I have yet to discover in the world. These three are just my favorites and seem to have the right words when I can't seem to find any. What I realized with my Phenomenal Woman shirt is I'm not just saying I'm great. I'm saying all women are great which is a sentiment we can all get behind.