The Em Dash #15
“Don’t worry about being creative, I plead. It’s not about that, it’s about sharing our stories. We must be heard.” –Felicia Rose Chavez
When I read this line in The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop (yes, I’m still not shutting up about this book), I was like
We. Must. Be. Heard.
I’m all for creativity and BIPOC excellence, but don’t get hung up on those things. At its core, writing is about self-expression, and ideally (in my opinion, anyway), it makes people see things in a way they wouldn’t normally see them.
Books are an escape. They are learning vehicles. They are examples for how to handle things like love triangles (or more likely, how not to handle them). And if you let them, they even help you make sense of your life and your feelings.
I’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo in my own, very chill way. Every day, I sit down to write a vignette (story snippet) of any length. When I used to have a blog, I’d write vignettes all the time, and they were so cute and clever and creative. (At least they felt that way to me.)
Exhibit A:
She sat in her room alone, staring at the part of the wall spackled by the tenant before her. She liked that part of the wall. Sure, it was void of color, and the edges were a bit jagged, but it was the only part of the wall with any character. It was the only part that had clearly been through some traumatizing shit, but still managed to be the best wall it could be.
Okay, maybe she was projecting a bit onto the wall. But still, it was a pretty solid piece of wall for not being a solid piece of wall.
But now, I sit down with my Remarkable (aka the best writing tablet ever) and it’s like, “Have I ever had anything interesting to say ever?”
And why, dear Friend, does this thought come up for me? Because now I actually work with other writers. I’m inundated with other people’s creativity and success every time I open Instagram (which is far too often, by the way).
But I need to let that shit go. And chances are you do, too.
You don’t have to be creative.
You don’t have to be witty.
You don’t have to write a thousand words a day.
You don’t even have to write every day.
You just have to write. Feel your story; search your heart and your brain and your gut, and just gather all the words and let them fly out of your fingers (or your mouth if you’re a speech-to-text kinda person).
Just get it out.
Okay, off my soapbox now.
But one last thing? If you ever feel stuck with your writing, and you don’t know what to do, you can always book a one-off coaching call with me. My Mini Coaching Session price went down to $250, and it's perfect for these existential moments when you just need someone else to help you get out of your head so you can put your words on the page. I’m here for you. 🧡
The Book I Literally Won’t Shut Up About + One I’m IN(!)
The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez
How to Enjoy Being Edited: A Practical Guide for Nonfiction Authors by Hannah de Keijzer
This super short book (84 pages) is perfect for indie authors who are a little skeptical for one reason or another about working with editors. A little snippet of the jacket copy: “You’ve poured your heart, time, expertise, and sweat into writing your nonfiction book. The last thing you want to do is hand it over to someone who’ll rip your voice away while ripping a hole in your wallet.
The good news? You don’t have to.”
AND Hannah quoted me in the book! There’s a whole section on how editors are not, in fact, judging you, and I got to add in my two cents. 🤭
Note: These are bookshop.org affiliate links
Happy writing, Friend. Don't let the pressure to be creative get you down!
See ya next week. :)
P.S. If you found this useful, forward it to a writing friend! They can subscribe and be part of the cool kids club, too. 😎
