the craft. the stories we tell.

I finally had to cave and get a subscription to the New York Times because it always seems like I’ve reached my article limit. And with good timing because this article exploring representation in Black literature was making its rounds. After the final straw of being tagged on Twitter about it, I figured I’d take a look.

I’ll let you read it and make your own deductions, but first, let me just say, boy did they hit some of my own thoughts on the head with some of their analysis. However, it ties into an idea I already had brewing around the stories we decide to tell.

Often, in talking about Good Morning, Love, I’ve mentioned that it felt like the book it took a lifetime to write. Not in the literal execution but in the collection of experiences. Not only in the content of the book but in the development of my skill as a writer. The second I stepped foot into a music studio, I thought, this is some type of subset of the real world. Rules don’t necessarily apply in the same way and the people are almost like characterizations of real people. It was ripe for mining.

So, the fact that my debut novel is about the industry, probably didn’t shock anyone in my close circle. It was a story I was always meant to write and funny enough probably had written multiple iterations of in various forms.

It wasn’t difficult for me to decide what type of story I wanted to write. However, I quickly picked up in the literary world that most of the stories that garnered critical acclaim seemed to have been centered around trauma. While I believe in depicting the fullness of our experiences which would likely include both, I feel like the TV show Insecure was honestly the story that made me feel like I, too, could write a regular millennial coming of age story. Meaning, nothing tragic had to particularly happen to my character for it to resonant with the intended audience.

I also quickly noticed that so many romance books that centered Black women protagonists, couldn’t also seem to have a Black male love interest. Not that we aren’t clearly in a world of diverse love stories, but it felt a little formulaic, in my opinion. Almost like it would then make the book appeal to a broader audience, specifically one that has historically dominated the romance space.

While I observed different things happening in the business of literature, it didn’t influence the story I wanted to tell. Now, someone might say, “well, how is that working out for you?” And I would say, “Just fine.” I’m extremely confident in that, growing up, I loved Black literature. I didn’t care whether Terry McMillan was long or short listed for anything. I knew her stories lit up the big screen and that Black women felt seen in a way they hadn’t experienced before. I still have to tell people who Diane McKinney-Whetstone is and I’m not sure what fancy fellowships or awards she has won either.

I am here to tell you that it’s really important for you to know a couple things as a writer. What is it you want to say? And who are you trying to say it to? My job, as a writer, is to be authentic to the storytelling. Whether it includes a trope or stereotype that may have some truth, or whether I’m disproving a myth about Black people and culture. I write because I feel like there are things I want, maybe even need to say. I write because I love Black culture and think we are some of the best natural storytellers. I write because it’s fun to take bits of truth and run with them into your own fictional universe. Not because somehow it’s cool to be a writer. There are things that pay a lot more and definitely may make you feel a lot more sane. If that never lands me on the bestseller list or garners me prestigious acclaim, I am totally okay with knowing that I was true to what I wanted to say.

Don’t let the burden of being a Black or POC writer be yours to carry. If you want to dive into the dark history of race in America, okay. If you want to talk about shooting the shit on the stoop in the summers, that’s okay too.

Publishing has absolutely used the opportunity for representation in its favor. Hell, I signed my book deal in 2020 when Black writers were hotter than fish grease. Not making any assumptions because shout out to my two very Black editors, however, who's to say that their pitch meetings didn’t go a little easier because of the climate?

But I don’t care about any of that. I’m grateful for the opportunity to show up in a space that normally doesn’t center Black writers and that has often forfeited full-on Blackness for the sake of palatability.

You know what someone DMd me the other day? “Thank you for writing books for girls like me.” Truly, if none of my stories ever see the light of day, that my friend, is absolutely enough.

Your ideas, your stories, they matter. In their authentic form the way you want to tell them. How do you know which idea you should explore through your writing? Knowing that you're passionate as hell about it because especially when it comes to writing books, you will need that motivation to see you through.

Writing/Job Opportunities

Uproxx is hiring a skilled Social Media Manager who’s tapped in with the latest trends in music, entertainment, and pop culture. If you have a strong voice, sense of humor, and video/graphic editing experience, send your resume to apply@uproxx.com.

John Gotty is accepting pitches for Andscape. This time, he is looking for thoughtful, engaging food stories that matter. Rates start at $500 depending on reporting. jg@johgotty.com.

Remember to read the site before pitching.

Kiera Fields is looking for pitches or first-person essays on people who work non-linear schedules i.e. outside the 9-to-5 and find it more productive or improves their work-life balance. kfields@insider.com.

The Washington Post is hiring a News and Features Writer, Books.

Twitter is hiring a Culture & Community Coordinator. Please note it is a contract role with an initial term of 6 months with hopes of extending. Send resumes to: culturecommunity@twitter.com.

The Brooklyn Nets are hiring a Senior Content Manager.

Esquire is hiring an Associate Commerce Editor.

The Hechinger Report is hiring an Audience Engagement Editor.