writing — The Craft — Permission to Write

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the craft. what it means to be a Black or POC writer.

the craft. what it means to be a Black or POC writer.

Have you ever thought about what it means to be a Black or POC writer? To you. Personally. Within your practice? I know I have thought about it often. Questioned even if there’s such a thing as being “too Black” in my work. Wondering exactly what it means when someone doesn’t identify with the character when I’m uncertain that’s ever been a prerequisite for my own reading. I’ve thought about the need at times to write to process the discrimination and hatred of being from a marginalized group, attempting to make sense of multiple chain of events over the last few years.

the craftAshley M. ColemanOctober 13, 2024writing, writing exercises, culture, identityComment

the craft. learning to trust your creative instincts.

the craft. learning to trust your creative instincts.

Recently, I came across a post where an author was talking about writing to the market as a way to build a successful writing career. It was an interesting take because I tend to be adverse to any inkling of curbing my creativity in any way to a market. I remember people telling me that romance was having a moment when I released Good Morning, Love and it was funny to me because I would have been writing that book anyway. I mean, I started it in 2017 simply because it was a story I wanted to write, it came out five years later. I will always write love stories, even when and if romance is beyond its moment, which it never will be because everything is a love story.

processAshley M. ColemanOctober 5, 2024writing, writing routine, Tananarive DueComment

the craft. no skipping steps.

the craft. no skipping steps.

There is no skipping forward to the good part. Remember when Issa said that in the mirror in that episode of Insecure? If that was the case, I’m sure all of us would be hitting that fast forward button. It’s funny because at this point in my career, I realize how much wisdom I’ve been gaining this whole time about how to be a writer, and what you don’t always know is that it takes doing, to get better.

encouragementAshley M. ColemanSeptember 23, 2024writing, writing processComment

the craft. finding your gaps as a writer and how to fill them.

the craft. finding your gaps as a writer and how to fill them.

Recently there was a clip of Will Smith that circulated where he talked about the gap between being a B and A student and the reality of the work it takes to get to that next tier. Similarly in writing, there will be the writer you want to be and the writer you are, and what separates those who get to a certain level of greatness are those who are able to recognize their gaps and figure out how to apply the knowledge to improve their craft.

processAshley M. ColemanSeptember 8, 2024writing, writing advice, writing processComment

the craft. the writers that inspire us to keep going and to quit.

the craft. the writers that inspire us to keep going and to quit.

I can’t stress enough the importance of reading as a writer. It’s why we have podcast episodes that deep dive books. It’s why we are currently reading James by Percival Everett for our summer reading series. We have older newsletters of the same moniker, reading only feeds your own writing practice.

processAshley M. ColemanJuly 20, 2024writing, James Baldwin, Little Rot, It's ElementaryComment

the craft. who are you writing for?

the craft. who are you writing for?

I’ve been reading through 1000 Words by Jami Attenberg and boy is it the long hug you need as a writer. Especially when you’ve been doling out a lot of the encouragement, you don’t realize how important it is to fill yourself back up. But I was struck by these two questions on P. 189.

Who are you writing this for?
What do you hope to accomplish with this work?

the craftAshley M. ColemanJuly 13, 20241000 words, jami attenberg, writingComment

the craft. the zero draft as discovery.

the craft. the zero draft as discovery.

I’m struck by a few things in this passage. The first, “art is a durational practice.” This is such an important concept to me here in 2024. Since I started Good Morning, Love in 2017, it’s been nonstop writing. I’ve written two manuscripts, I have a piece of another, and I’m currently drafting something new. But this current work in progress is the first time that I’m not feeling any pressure on the timing to get it done. I think a driving force with those other manuscripts was, will I be able to publish another book? Like how do I not miss this moment, which who’s to say hasn’t already passed, but I wanted to feel like I would be ready for the moment if it came. Like publishing wasn’t going to be waiting on me because I didn’t have finished material. I felt like I was trying to write my way to something, and now I understand that I’m simply writing, and whatever happens, happens. A story takes the time it takes to come together.

processAshley M. ColemanJune 23, 2024writing, drafting, writing processComment

the craft. drafting without editing.

the craft. drafting without editing.

In a conversation for the podcast, I was reminded that we all have different approaches to our work. So, I always want to remind you that when another writer shares, it’s solely about information and your work is choosing what to apply and what to throw away. I’m immensely grateful for all the data points I’ve gathered on writing, and more importantly, how to be a good writer. But ultimately, it’s all about what works for me.

the craftAshley M. ColemanJune 16, 2024writing, writing routine, writing processComment

the craft. the long game of book writing.

the craft. the long game of book writing.

As a generation, many of us are used to instant gratification. I mean there is literally an app for everything, we type random questions in Google day in and day out and get answers, and people in our lives are literally accessible to us every minute of the day. Remember when you left home and people could not reach you until you returned? What a world. But books, well, somehow they have maintained the beauty of the long game, and while AI may change some of the time it takes in the future, on this day, it is still a journey.

processAshley M. ColemanJune 8, 2024writing, novel writing, writing processComment

the craft. the challenge of unlikable characters.

the craft. the challenge of unlikable characters.

As I’ve been mulling over what I’m ready to work on next, I stumbled upon what feels like a next challenge for me. Writing an unlikeable female protagonist. I was struck by an interview I saw circulating with our literary godmother Toni Morrison, where the interviewer asks her about her female characters. He references them as rebels and trouble makers and Morrison, who is always profound, essentially says that these women make for great stories and while she wants to be friends with nice women, they’re simply not as interesting.

the craftAshley M. ColemanMay 18, 2024writing, unlikable protagonists, Black writersComment

the craft. knowing what's next.

the craft. knowing what's next.

I’m at a loss of what I would like to write next. My second project was turned down by my publisher. My third is with my agent, awaiting any additional feedback before we go out on submission. The best thing I’ve done in the past to help with the fact that publishing moves at a snail’s pace is typically to write something else, but I’m not sure what I’m ready to dive into next.

processAshley M. ColemanMay 5, 2024writing, taking breaks, writers block, writing inspirationComment

the craft. poetry and music.

the craft. poetry and music.

I had a revelation this week about how much I love both music and writing. They are honestly two of the topics I could talk about for hours ad nauseum. It’s hilarious to me though that I didn’t become a music writer. It’s like I love them separately but equally. To close out our series on poetry this month, I wanted to talk about the marriage of poetry and music.

the craftAshley M. ColemanApril 28, 2024writing, poetry, national poetry monthComment

the craft. poetry is my editor.

the craft. poetry is my editor.

Poetry challenges me in my own writing process. When I’m writing an initial draft of a manuscript, I’m mostly attempting to get the story out of my head onto paper. It’s not necessarily going to be this beautiful language that convinces you that I have any ability to write at all. But it’s those later drafts where things really start to come alive, and often, I’ve read some poetry in between.

the craftAshley M. ColemanApril 21, 2024writing, poetry, national poetry month, alive at the end of the world, saeed jones, victoria fordComment

the craft. poetry is.

the craft. poetry is.

To read how Ms. Sonia Sanchez perceives the poet, it’s no wonder poetry has always felt an intimidating genre to me. Growing up in Philadelphia, we were never short on hubs where words flowed over microphones in syncopated rhythms, sometimes over music, other times, solo straight to the ears of the audience, shooting this crafted language right into their veins.

the craftAshley M. ColemanMarch 31, 2024writing, poetry, sonia sanchez, lucille cliftonComment

the craft. place as inspiration in writing.

the craft. place as inspiration in writing.

Thirteen to fourteen years ago, I boarded a plane headed to Los Angeles, California. I’d been at my job for close to two years and they were sending a group of us to LA to do an onboarding. Yes, that much later than my start date, but nonetheless, it came with so much anxiety. I was in my early twenties, had never been on a plane, and certainly had never been that far from my family. Your girl stayed local for college. Either way, the moment I landed at LAX, I realized I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

processAshley M. ColemanMarch 24, 2024writing, travelComment

the craft. writing through grief.

the craft. writing through grief.

We talk a lot about the business of writing, but there is a personal element of writing that has seen me through various hardships in my life. Grief, especially, is one of them. Sadly, I know grief intimately. Over the years, I’ve lost people I loved both quickly and heartbreakingly slow. Writing has been an integral part of making sense of loss, of archiving loss, of healing from loss.

processAshley M. ColemanMarch 17, 2024grief, writing, writing processComment

the craft. writing it then.

the craft. writing it then.

Someone recently complimented me on my ability to write description, which honestly was such a validating comment because it’s something I’ve worked really hard on. I would read other writers all the time and think, “I wish I could describe things as well as they do.” In my self-critical pattern, I also feel like I still have a ways to go, but I do have some processes that have certainly helped me along the way.

processAshley M. ColemanFebruary 28, 2024writing, travelComment

the craft. writing the middle.

the craft. writing the middle.

I know you may not suspect it, but I partake in watching the chaos that is Netflix’s Love is Blind. I don’t need your judgment, only your support. But hey, I’m a sucker for love stories no matter how contrived, and it’s passive watching meaning, I’m typically doing something else while I have it going in the background. However, there are a lot of elements of storytelling that this mind-numbing reality show takes into consideration.

the craftAshley M. ColemanFebruary 19, 2024writing, drafting, outlinesComment

the craft. become an expert.

the craft. become an expert.

I was struck by a piece of writing in Dr. Sheena C. Howard’s forthcoming book, Academic Branding: A step-by-step guide to increased visibility, authority, and income, which discussed how there are so many people who aren’t experts in any field, but have figured out marketing and social media to be successful, while the real experts are struggling to see the value in branding themselves. So, we see a plethora of people who don’t honestly know much about anything, being lauded as experts. See the problem there?

encouragementAshley M. ColemanFebruary 11, 2024writing, craft, beyonce, usher, tracy chapmanComment

the craft. the beauty of creativity.

the craft. the beauty of creativity.

Pardon me while I wax poetic a bit in this edition of the newsletter, but I guess I’m feeling a little sappy about the privilege of creativity. It’s not one many get to take part in. The daily struggle of “capitalism doesn’t care about your creativity,” has many of us stuck in a mode of survival. Making lunches, going to extra-curricular activities, meetings, working, caretaking, and otherwise doing our best to stay afloat. To be able to carve out the time, to be able to quiet the noise that says, “there’s more ‘serious’ things to do with your time,” is a superpower.

encouragementAshley M. ColemanJanuary 28, 2024writing, creativity, creative writingComment