Amy Lyles Wilson Believes Stories Can Save Us

Amy Lyles Wilson

Amy Lyles Wilson writes to pay attention—to what hurts, what heals, what makes us laugh out loud. A writer, facilitator, and storyteller, she’s spent decades helping words do what they do best: connect us to ourselves and to each other. Her work—on the page, in workshops, and in spiritual spaces—starts with a simple conviction: "I work to help people tell the stories they need to tell through a variety of creative and spiritual practices."

Like many people, Amy Lyles didn’t start with a neat plan. Rather than a single straight track, her career reads like a well-edited collection: different forms, different audiences, and a steady commitment to craft. She left law school in her twenties and earned a graduate degree in journalism, stepping into a world where curiosity is an asset and listening counts as skill. From there, publishing became a natural home. Later, Amy pursued study in theology—an expansion that didn’t replace her creative life so much as deepen it. For her, spirituality isn’t separate from creativity. "It solidified my belief that creativity and spirituality are linked. I also believe it’s the sharing of our stories that save us."

When Amy Lyles gets stuck, she doesn’t wait for lightning; she muddles her way back to motion. "I facilitate a writing workshop that meets once a month that is generative in nature, so I usually get something started there. About a year ago, I formed a critique group with three other writers, and we meet once a month to review about ten pages each of whatever we happen to be working on. I do take classes on occasion as I’m always looking to improve my writing group and retreat facilitation skills, as well as enhance my own writing." She often makes lists (a practical, low-pressure way to gather material) or steps away from the page long enough to let the mind and body exhale.

Amy Lyles’s conviction is grounded in witnessing what happens when people finally tell the truth about a hard season—or a joyful one—and are met with recognition instead of silence. Check out her latest offerings:

• NPR: her piece The Guts to Keep Going

• Forthcoming essay: an upcoming contribution in the Guided Autobiography Anthology.

• Website: amylyleswilson.com

• Upcoming project: The Language of Loss: Putting Grief into Words — August 16 at the Center for Hope and Healing / Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville, TN (Center info: Center for Hope and Healing).

However you encounter her work—on air, on the page, or in a circle of writers with notebooks open—Amy Lyles Wilson keeps offering the same invitation: tell the story you need to tell. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s how we find each other. And often, it’s how we keep going.