8.6 writing update
A weekly newsletter dedicated to the craft
Every Monday (ignore the fact that today is Tuesday), I’ll post a little update that includes:
a check in of the last week
an update on my writing journey
what I’m currently reading
something I noticed during the week
a writing prompt
These updates are both for me and you, so I can keep track of my progress while also sharing it with the world <3 Let me know if there's anything else you would like to see, both in these updates and on Substack as a whole.
check in
Literally in the airport as I write this after saying goodbye to my lovely long-distance boyfriend :(
My flight just got delayed by three hours are you kidding
ANYWAY we had SUCH A FUN WEEK!! we spent a few days in the hamptons (highlight of the trip), made dinner with our fellow stanford-harvard couple, went to the met—AND i ate omakase for the first time, new favorite food.
What’s been going on in your life? Let me know in the comments:
writing update
Last night, I had an hour long conversation with Christian, my boyfriend, about my current relationship with writing. There’s a lot of anxiety and stress surrounding the craft right now, and I think a lot of it comes from the fact that I dedicated my entire summer to it. When I’m not writing, I feel guilty. There’s a sensation of necessity, and not purely because of my strong desire to write. I feel the need to prove myself—to myself? To others? I’m not even sure right now. All I know is that I hold expectations of pushing out extensive amounts of content that are published in all the best places and win all the best awards RIGHT NOW. Which I’m not even sure is something I want at the moment. I’m confused by it all.
Maybe spending all of my time writing is not necessarily the most beneficial thing—at least, for now. I think part of the reason why I am struggling to come up with new ideas for short stories is from a lack of world engagement. When you’re up in your room all day plowing away at a story, where are you going to get your ideas? I usually draw a lot of inspiration from the people, the places, the experiences around me. What I learn in school, the interactions that occur outside of the my bedroom. These are quintessential parts of brainstorming for me—just interacting with the world. I’m not saying I’m a hermit at the moment. But I definitely think that writing every minute of every day—or even just the expectation of writing every minute of every day—isn’t very healthy.
I want to treat writing as play. Experiment with different forms, try out different characters, work on different prompts. Write for the pure sake of writing, not achievement or merit or anything else that comes with it. That’s why I started in the first place, and that’s what ultimately keeps me going. I hope, at least. Once you start attaching your work to success, even if completely unintentionally, it’s hard to know. Hard to unlearn, to understand that accolades do not define you.
What I’m trying to say is that I want to grow as not only a writer but a person. To understand my underlying motivations, my deep love for this craft. To push it as far as I can, to push myself as far as I can, while still maintaining my sanity, my self-respect, my worth. The cliches, I know, but it’s true. I don’t want my identity as a writer to define me, if that makes sense. Right now, I treat myself in that way—a writer. Nothing more, nothing less. That’s not a fair way to regard myself, or anyone else. But I still want to be the best I can be. It’s all a bit confusing. Hopefully some of it makes sense, at least.
current read
The Handmaid’s Tale is currently on pause, with A Court of Thorns and Roses taking center stage. Christian is 50 pages ahead of me, despite the fact that we’ve been reading it for the exact same amount of time and in the same sittings. A little discouraging, as an English major, but it’s okay. It’s not like I’m surprised or anything, I’ve always been a slow reader.
So far, nothing much has happened, even though I can tell it’s picking up. I dislike the writing style, but I also didn’t expect anything different. It’s very fantasy, which I guess is fitting. Still a little frustrating to read, though.
Since I have 3 more hours in the airport, plus a 6 hour flight home, I’m gonna try to get through quite a bit of the novel, if not finish it. Might also read some of The Handmaid’s Tale. We’ll see.
one note of the week
Each day, I try to take note of stand-out things around me. Here is this week’s best:
People watching in the Met. A blind woman being led my a smiling man. An artist sitting and painting the sculptures, all hunched over naked women. More artists, more sculptures. A young boy with a camera bigger than his palm, snapping photos of presidents and landscapes and whatever else American art has to offer. A couple sitting, tired of walking already.
writing prompt
Write a journal entry of the day in a creative style. Describe what happened as if you were telling a story!