The narrator

 “As a child, you learned that, in the scariest stories, the protagonist never had the power. But now you’ll understand, in life and in your craft, that the protagonist is never in control. Only the narrator is.” - Emily Fox Kaplan in The Protagonist Is Never in Control

I wonder if journaling is a way to take control of my experiences. That isn’t why I initially wanted to write down this quote, but it’s certainly interesting. Or maybe it was why. I was thinking generally of writing and how important it is to become the narrator and take ownership of the story. I was thinking of Heavy and how rewriting can change the “story”. I was thinking of this positively, but I wonder if it can also play a role in limiting the possibilities of my narrative. Once I’ve written about something, does it solidify my interpretation of events? Am I still open to alternatives?

I can see how writing about something I feel is out of my control eases my discomfort, but does it help me let go? Or by writing the story – by trying to own the narrative – do I prevent myself from accepting that some things just happen.