I spend a lot of time supporting my writing. Making space for it, giving it the perfect environment, taking notes of interesting things I see to inform it, saying no to things to ensure there is time for it, tending to it with care and commitment, the list goes on. It can be a sacrifice, financially, emotionally, socially (entirely worth it, but tough sometimes nonetheless). And yet, today I want to talk about the times when writing supports me because this, dear readers, is very much a reciprocal relationship.
These last few weeks have been wild! Before the lunar eclipse in March I was feeling so peaceful and so creative. Everything was inspiration for stories, I felt joyful. I’d started pruning the trees outside my place and clearing up the rubbish, making it beautiful for everyone on the street- investing in my neighborhood. (I found a pair of shoes stuck in one of the bushes! – maybe that will be a story one day).
Then, just when I felt like things were nicely on track, everything went kind of wild. Maybe it had been building for a while and I was ignoring it in the hope I could just write stories in peace but it felt like a sudden switch. I won’t say too much about the details (ever the fiction writer as opposed to the life writer ;) but the result is that I had to make a very quick decision about moving house (yes I only moved in 6 months ago and no, this isn’t the fault of my wandering soul this time). I trust that it is all perfect but the chaos surrounding it had been deeply consuming and I have struggled to keep myself in my lane.
And so, it is now that my writing gets to support me. This is when, diving into a story for half an hour and forgetting about the world is the most perfect remedy. This is when writing offers me a chance to find myself back on the page when my sense of self gets lost in the chaos of others. Just as we look externally to art in our dark, lonely, most emotionally complex moments, hoping we will recognise ourselves in it or find the balm to soothe the very crack ripped open in our heart, so we can also dip ourselves, tentatively one toe and a time back into ourselves through writing. I have known the days when I need writing, taking it almost like a pill, it gives me respite, it offers me comforting arms to fall into. I know myself in writing, I can find myself in words. Writing doesn’t demand my time, but as I give it my time it gently shows me that it would like more.
More and more, I see the deep gratitude that I owe to writing. Am I over egging the pudding here? I don’t think I am. Writing might be one of the most beautifully reciprocal relationships I have ever had and it certainly offers me a quiet, unassuming comfort that I need in these moments.
I have tears in my eyes as I write this, but the tenderness I feel towards this art form is hard to fully describe. Do you feel something similar? Do you too, have examples of where writing has been your rock?
And dear reader, I am fine, it’s just an upheaval when I wasn’t expecting it and a chance to know myself and others deeper, I will be just fine (and will have more stories in my pocket).
Recommendations
A few things that have nourished me recently…
Dev Patel: This discussion between Dev Patel and Sam Fragoso on the Talk Easy podcast was a beautiful deep dive into the crazy risks you take when your work means so much to you. The sacrifice and the commitment were ripe in this conversation.
Bestseller Lists: I found this newsletter by Kate McKean of the
podcast fascinating. She explains that no one actually knows how the New York Times populates its bestseller list, and that blew my mind! It reminded me of someone recently describing social media as being like a bad relationship because you are trying to play by rules that are never clear (I am just so glad the weird phase of reels of people pointing to words is over). Another reason to just stay in our lanes, making art that we love and not trying to judge success on reaching goals with unclear parameters.Querying and Dating: I love
, a lot! They have made submitting to lit mags far easier and more enjoyable for me. They have normalised rejections and even made it funny (check out their insta for great memes) and it’s because of them that I found InkFish where I published the piece I spoke about in my last newsletter. Anyway, this article comparing querying a novel to dating, is pretty bloomin’ spot on!Margaret Atwood: I needed some wise woman energy in my world on Friday so I listened to Margaret Atwood on Talk Easy (yes I really like this podcast). Don’t miss the end where she reads her advice for writers. One is to do back exercises everyday, and boy is she right on that!
Mentoring
I honestly delight so much in mentoring other writers. I am currently working with novelists, memoirists, short story writers and creative non-fiction writers.
I work with beginner writers and writers with many published books in the world and everyone in between.
Sometimes its about tips and tricks for growing as a writer, sometimes it’s helping my mentees create time and space for writing, sometimes it’s about accountability, often times it’s about bearing witness to peoples desires and goals and guiding them back when life leads them in other directions.
I have some clients I have been working with for many years now and witnessing the way they have evolved as writers is such a great joy.
If you’d like to chat with me about your project and hear a little about how I work, sign up for a free discovery call with me.
I’m glad you’re doing well and moving through the chaos. The pic of you writing is gorgeous! And thank you for the recs! I jump at any chance to hear Margaret Atwood speak!
Xx
…and we shall call it “escape writing”