The Most Challenging Part of Being a Writer (Apologies to Elsa)

Would you think me a bad parent if I told you my four year old has seen Frozen 2 three times? (Does that make it Frozen 6?) Well, I only saw it once. And at first the new anthem didn’t catch my gut the way “Let It Go,” did; I heard that anthem waaay before I became a mom and I knew it could be belted out ferociously even then. (Another reason to have a kid!)

At first, I wasn’t even sure which of the new Frozen songs was supposed to be the anthem. (Which is weird, in every Princess style movie you just know: Moana’s been staring at the water, Rapunzul sees the light, etc. etc. Elsa just has to let it go and hold back all her feelings).

Now, though, she hears a voice calling and she doesn’t know if she should follow:

 

Into the unknown.

The song grows on you.

What do you want? ‘Cause you’ve been keeping me awake
Are you here to distract me so I make a big mistake?
Or are you someone out there who’s a little bit like me?
Who knows deep down I’m not where I’m meant to be?
Every day’s a little harder as I feel your power grow
Don’t you know there’s part of me that longs to go
Into the unknown?
Into the unknown
Into the unknown
That’s the hardest part of writing. For me, anyway. Following that voice into the unknown. Is it a big mistake? Where am I meant to be?
Spoiler Alert for People Who Don’t Have Daughters Obsessed with Frozen: She goes. She does. Elsa follows the voice into the unknown. She has to.
And so do I.

Author: Amy Klein

Amy Klein is the author of "The Trying Game: Get Through Fertility Treatment and Get Pregnant Without Losing Your Mind," (Ballantine, 2020) based on her New York Times "Fertility Diary" column. Her writing on health, science, reproduction and essays has also appeared in Slate, Salon, The Washington Post, Aeon and more.