Something that gets tossed around a lot in libraries and schools is this idea of tapping into your ‘why’ (as in, why did you choose this career?). Unfortunately, this gets weaponized a lot as a way to combat burnout or try and talk folks into accepting bad conditions because they love their work. But, I do think considering your ‘why’ is important when it comes to doing things that are hard.

Writing is hard. I find myself telling this to people all the time. When I tell people I’m a writer, one of the common responses seems to be ‘I don’t know how you do that, writing is so much work.’ And I always say, yes! It is work! It is also work for me, a writer! The difference between me and folks who don’t write though, is that I have a ‘why.’

I write because I love it, even though it’s hard. It’s cathartic to write things down, it feels good to share my thoughts in this way, and it’s rewarding to bring something new to life.

What’s your why?

Love and gratitude.

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Back when I was trying to force social media to work for me, I don’t think I ever considered what I wanted my end result to be. The ‘big picture’ goal was always to have my book published, and I viewed my social media presence as part of that–a way to try and build an audience to support this mythical publishing deal.

The problem with that though is it wasn’t near enough motivation to get me to consistently post to social media. I found it so tedious and annoying, so not getting an instant result of new followers was incredibly disheartening. I was always thinking, why am I doing all of this work if nothing comes of it?

The issue, of course, is that I was focusing on the wrong result. I didn’t actually want a big following on Instagram, I wanted a place to share my writing life. Adding a picture to that, and hashtags, and trying to game the algorithm wasn’t helping me achieve that result. This blog though? This is actually motivating–I’m talking about what I love, and in doing so, I’m constantly flexing the writing muscle in my brain, which helps me get to the ultimate goal: published book. And while it would be nice to build a bit of an audience, the act of writing the blog is its own positive result, regardless of viewership.

So, if you’re frustrated with the results you’re getting for whatever long-term project you’re working on, sit back and consider if the result you’re after actually aligns with your goals and helps you grow.

Love and gratitude, as always.

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When I was in grad school, I feel like there was a lot of talk about how publishers want you to already have a following in some way–through social media or a blog or a newsletter. It makes sense, in a way. Publishers want to sell books, and it’s easier to do that if the people they’re publishing have fans that will buy the book no matter what. This is the reason we see more and more celebrity books (like Milly Bobby Brown, bless her heart) with questionable quality, even after the ghost writers have had at them. Even my mom fell into the trap–she pre-ordered a book by an influencer she loves, and was horrified to discover how badly written it was.

So here’s the thing: you will never be able to compete with the followings of celebrities and influencers (unless you’re an influencer yourself, in which case, leverage that as best you can). But also, why would you want to? People with large followings generate from things other than writing generally publish bad books! Those people are not actually your competition. Those books are going to be published by the big four no matter what.

My response to that? Focus on the quality of your work and the work you want to be in company with. For me, that maybe means an indie publisher, once I’m ready. What does it mean for you?

Love and gratitude, friends.

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I hate doing social media.

It’s taken me a very, very long time to be honest with myself about that. The thing is, I like learning about it. I find algorithms interesting, and I’ve invested way too much time in trying to game the system and develop a following. But it’s always miserable.

So, I’ve decided to finally give it up. Social media does not serve me. But, I do still want to connect with others. That’s why I’ve got this blog, and why I’ve started a newsletter and run a Patreon. It has been so freeing to focus on these things that I actually enjoy doing instead of trying to make myself do Instagram or Twitter or (God forbid) Threads. The reach is smaller, of course, but I’m having fun! And hopefully, I’ll find the folks who really do want to go on this journey with me.

What are you forcing yourself to do because you think you have to? What could life look like if you let that go?

Much love and gratitude.

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I have a real day job. Not a freelancing, contractor type deal but an actual nine to five. What sucks about this is that my best hours are undeniably nine to noon. Those are the hours when I get my best writing and editing done, but a lot of the time, I have to use those hours for work.

So, I’m having to rethink what a ‘good day’ looks like when it comes to progress on my creative pursuits. Sometimes it’s just one sentence, or writing out my to-do list, or making an edit to a single paragraph. But I know that all of that little stuff will keep adding up, and maybe one day, I won’t need that nine to five.

Whatever you’re working on, I hope you’re able to make a little bit of progress every day, no matter how little that progress might be.

Love and gratitude, as always.

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I’m taking a moment to shout out my newsletter. I’m trying to make it something that’s actually useful for folks, with little tips and recommendations from my own practice or from the practices of others.

I love talking about writing, and I really miss teaching it. While I do have some vague dreams of doing a series of courses, I’m having to start small. So, my newsletter is becoming my outlet for sharing the things I’ve learned, and the things I’m still learning, with others.

If you like writing at all, take a moment to check it out and consider subscribing.

Love and gratitude.

Read my writing here.

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Some myths about writing/being an author that I’ve worked hard to unlearn:

1. Writing is a solitary practice. Okay, sure you can make it solitary, but why would you? Writing is best in community! Talk to your friends about your writing, engage with authors on their social media, build a network for yourself. I promise it makes it easier to remember you’re not alone.
2. Writing is something you’re born with. Boo! Not true! Writing is a skill that can be taught and developed. While there are excellent classes and workshops out there, I maintain that the best way to improve your writing is to read widely and often. It gets in your brain.
3. It’s smart to write for the market. This is the quickest way to set yourself up for failure, partly because the market changes way too fast for you to be able to hop on a trend, but mostly because if you aren’t excited about what you’re writing, it won’t be good. Write what you want to write! If you’re excited about it, readers will be excited about it.

These are all things that I’m still unlearning (especially that first one!), but I try to remind myself of these things all the time. I am not alone, I can improve my skills, and it will always be best to write what I want.

Love and gratitude, as always.

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So as I’ve mentioned on this blog (and wrote about here), I’ve sort of let everything slip over the past few months. And I’m not beating myself up about it or anything, but I am thinking about what I might do the next time that sort of slump hits me.

I’ve never been the sort of person to write every day, but I’m wondering if maybe I should be. Not necessarily a ‘write something creative’ every day, but just writing at all (sort of like what I’m doing here).

What do y’all think? Do you have a daily writing practice? What does it look like? Please share, I’m open to suggestions!

Love and gratitude, as always.

Read my writing here.

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