the craft. do you remember your why?
There are no guarantees in publishing. I know I’ve said that a bunch in this newsletter, but I think it’s an important reminder. We sit down at our laptops or pull out our pens and paper and there is no guarantee that whatever we come up with will land anywhere. So, what is it exactly that makes us indulge in a craft with no safety net, rarely with upfront money, or acclaim before the work is actually complete? I imagine, it has to be our why.
Why do you write? Do you know? Some may make the claim that we’re narcissists. Ha! I mean I already have a memoir title on reserve because who wouldn’t want to read about my life? But honestly, I don’t think that’s the case. I think that for many of us, there is so much power in storytelling. It’s present in all our favorite things. From the products we use to the movies we watch and the songs we listen to, everyone’s telling stories.
My why started with trips to the Logan branch library in Philadelphia with my mother. I’ll never forget how that felt to be so little in this vast room full of shelves. A place full of new worlds so far from my own that held kiddie stories just for me like Goosebumps and Babysitters Club. I had this magic card that allowed me to take those books home with me and when a few weeks were up, I did it all over again.
While the thought that I could one day write stories crept into my head, I had no idea I could actually achieve something like publishing a book that would be in all different stores across the country. That I could walk into Barnes & Noble with my mother and see it there or Busboys & Poets with my cousin and it be on the shelves. I only had this seed of a thought that sprouted into this lush opportunity to call myself a writer today.
When it gets hard, that’s what I lean on. When I’m waiting months and months to hear back from editors and it feels like they have my whole career in their hands. When I’ve gotten my umpteenth rejection from a literary journal. When I’m not sure that I can complete another manuscript and do it well, I remember that little girl who had the smallest inkling that maybe she could string some words together to tell stories about love, and culture, and striving to get ahead in the world.
As I was looking around the Zoom screen at our quarterly check-in this weekend, I thought about what inspired each woman to be a writer. I wondered about what brought them to this particular path. As the end of the year approaches, many of us are working on getting something done or seeing a current work in progress through to the finish line. But it’s so easy to put it down. It’s easy to see our writing as another thing on the to-do list. It is easy to allow fear to make us keep our words to ourselves. But when we can tap into that early love, curling up in the corner of a room, maybe with a blanket and hot cocoa and getting lost for hours in a book, something awakens that can give you the fuel to see it through.
Especially as we become “professional” writers, only meaning that we publish things out into the world whether self-published, traditionally published, online, etc., you can get caught up in a lot of other thoughts outside of being the best writer you can be. We start thinking about bestseller lists and panels you’re not a part of, and wonder if what you wrote will be right for the publisher’s list at the right time. But more and more, I’m reminded that our only duty as writers is to write. I am in love with what it means to write words. Whether it’s processing my life in the confines of my journal, researching a part of the craft to write about in this newsletter, or taking the tiniest thought and turning it into a full-on story with a cast of characters, I will write forever.
As 2024 winds down, we will come to the new year and be reflective. We will likely ask ourselves, “what did I achieve this year?” Then, we’ll look into the future wondering what we will achieve in the foreseeable future. Goals are important, they are, but I assure you that if you are putting pen to paper or fingers to keys, consistently, you will get there. Whether I sell a book or finish drafting this one, I have written, and little me would be so proud.
The Rumpus is accepting essay submissions up to 4,000 words in length. In addition to personal narrative-driven essays they are interested in non-traditional forms of nonfiction. Essays should explore issues and ideas with depth and breadth, illuminating a larger cultural context or human struggle. Regardless of topic, they are looking for well-crafted sentences, a clear voice, vivid scenes, dramatic arc, reflection, thematic build, and attention to the musicality of prose. (Closes Oct. 31)
The 2025 Fresh Voices Fellowship is NOW OPEN for submissions. This fellowship supports one emerging Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, or other writer of color who does not have a BA nor MFA in creative writing, and is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program. The submission period ends on (Closes Nov. 1st.)
Mesa Refuge welcomes a diverse community of writers—both emerging and established—who define and/or offer solutions to the pressing issues of our time to apply for their residency. Particularly, it is their priority to support writers, activists and artists whose ideas are “on the edge,” taking on the pressing issues of our time including (but not limited to): nature, environment and climate crisis; economic, racial and gender equity; social justice and restorative justice; immigration; health care access; housing; and more. (Closes Nov. 1st)
Mighty Writers is hiring for multiple positions including Literary Manager, Distribution Manager, Distribution Coordinator, and Technology Associate and holding OPEN CALL INTERVIEWS next month. They’re hiring for several full-time and part-time positions within their academic and food distribution teams. Register for an interview. Email hr@mightywriters.org. (Nov. 14 and Nov. 21, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM.) Bok Building, 1901 S. Ninth Street, #622. Philadelphia, PA.
