 Last week, I felt like quitting being a writer. So here's an advice list to myself and to current and future writers - a list of directives I wish I knew years ago and am still actively learning.
1. Don't wait till you're famous to lift other writers up. Do it now 2. Find a community of writers to deal w/ the waves of what writing and publishing bring, & if you don't have access to a community of writers, make friends w/ individual writers 3. Don't plagiarize anyone EVER 4. Don't let anyone plagiarize you or another writer. If you see it, say something 5. People will still get famous plagiarizing others, don't choose that path—yes it's a choice 6. People will criticize and condemn. Don't drown out *all* the criticisms, but draw lines 7. Listen to critique, filter if it's warranted, and if it is, do better, be better. It will make your voice stronger and your solidarity authentic 8. If it's not warranted, try your best to be compassionate, understand that everyone has wounds; if it comes in torrents, block it 9. Editors are amazing people. If you struggle with what they say at first, walk away, feel all the feels, then come back and look again with a level head & a warrior heart. Stay true to your voice, but know that your best voice needs community 10. Go to a therapist, if possible 11. The publishing system is broken, do what you can to reroute it. Share your platform, refuse events/interviews that will bring you fame/$ but are unjust. Recognize that publishing is not AT ALL immune to racism, classism, & sexism 12. Not all famous writers are rich 13. Famous writers aren't always good writers, some are 14. Comparing yourself with others will come. Figure out ways that work for you to silence those voices, or positively engage them 15. You are more than your writing 16. You are more than your published work 17. Even if you never publish anything again ever, you are enough 18. Find economic hacks if you need to: use Amazon's Look Inside as a library, get books from the library for research, send a message to the author & see if they'll send you a free copy 19. Ask yourself, is it worth writing this if only one person is affected? Yes numbers count in the current system, but they don't have to count in your heart. Get others to remind you of this, regularly 20. There's only as much room at "the table" as we, in our biases, actively make! 21. Marketing sucks, but it's part of the system. Ppl will say you don't have to do it, but you do. Famous ppl will talk about how dumb it is, & it is, but you still have to do it 22. Don't dehumanize other writers, don't assume they haven't gone through shit to be where they are 23. You are important, your voice matters. So keep working hard 24. Rejections will come, it's more important how you deal with them than how many you get 25. Find rhythms to get off social media so it doesn't suck the life out of you 26. Take hold of that which brings you joy.
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