the craft. even if your voice shakes.

“To be seen and not heard,” is a statement that many of us are familiar with. It is either mouthed audibly or shown through the actions of the adults that are shaping us early on to believe that our voices don’t matter. So much of our conflict as writers is simply accepting that they do.

Our voices as writers are even more important because we speak for so many others that will never be heard. For our ancestors that were never taught to read or write as people of color. For the woman who still thinks the rape was her fault. For the man struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy after the passing of his wife. See many of us start out writing for ourselves but in the process, we build tribes and communities and provide healing and perspective and understanding.

For so long, I didn’t think that writing was a talent. It came so easily to me. There was no way that it could be a career, let alone something that would make an impact on other people. But I was sadly mistaken. My voice mattered and it didn’t have to sound like Dr. Angelou’s or Toni Morrison’s or Rupi or Nayirrah, it could sound like me. Finding that value has led me on an amazing path that I look forward to continuing to see unfold.

So along with that journey, I’ve been led to you. I want to talk about you and your writing career as well. What has been stifling your writing? What has stopped you from putting your pen to the page? Writing can be a lonely profession. No one can really do the work for you. It’s about your thoughts and your ideas being framed through the written medium. But a community is essential in the process of learning the value of your words.

We’ve all been there. Will anyone care? Will I say it the right way? Am I good enough? These thoughts will cripple us to the point where just the sight of a blank page causes us to sweat. So I wanted to create something that would aid you in your process of blossoming as a writer. There is no more time to waste. It is really now or never. Fighting the battle of hearing your voice, accepting its value, and beginning to use it is a huge part of the journey to becoming the writer you want to be.

If you feel you’ve been graced you for writing, the best thing that we can do as gratitude is to use it. That’s what motivates me every day. That’s what pushes me when I’m afraid and unsure of myself.

There is a season for everything and when we are stuck in one season too long we will never see the harvest that we want.

In this weekly newsletter, we will be diving deeper into the craft. To begin, I’ll take you through four weeks of a course I built called In Bloom.

We’ll assess the four seasons of blossoming as a writer and by the end of this, I pray that you are overflowing with creativity and ready to make the jump, ready to rise above the ground, ready to bloom.

I’d also love to know some topics you’re interested in covering, so tweet us and let us know!

All the best,

Ashley

Writing Opportunities

@fsgbooks is taking remote fall interns! Interns can be from anywhere in the US; this is a great way to learn about publishing and work with awesome people. Email a résumé and cover letter (telling us about yourself/why you want this internship) to fsg.internship@fsgbooks.com.

Input Mag is looking for news writers. https://jobs.lever.co/bustle/e06b73be-fe20-4bf8-86a8-a8f905cde7fd

Backstage wants to expand its freelancer network, specifically to include more BIPOC writers. If that’s you, please email a resume and a few relevant samples to casey.mink@backstage.com, subject: Freelancing for Backstage.

Editorial and Communications Manager at Shareable. https://apply.workable.com/shareable/j/39ECAD960B/

The Mic is hiring a part-time politics writer. https://jobs.lever.co/bustle/a7948761-9c7a-4d7e-8ce6-1ed51e00c72d

Nonfiction Reviews Editor at Publisher’s Weekly. https://jobzone.publishersweekly.com/job/nonfiction-reviews-editor/54280194/

The New Voices Award is given annually by children's book publisher Lee & Low Books for a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer of color or Native/Indigenous writer.

https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-voices-award