Live the Writing Life Without Publishing
Sometimes I feel like I’m an imposter writer because I haven’t tried to publish the two book manuscripts that are sitting in my closet gathering dust. I’m at a crossroads right now, figuring out if publishing is still a dream I want to pursue.
I know writing will always be part of my everyday living and breathing. It’s a calling I can’t ignore. I have endless ideas, and I love revision and editing, but publishing means I’m an entrepreneur as well. I have to find an agent, build my social media reach, and create marketing campaigns. That takes a lot of time.
I think my recent cancer diagnosis (I’m fine by the way) and losing my sister-in-law last summer (also to cancer) makes me think about how I want to spend my time. My parents are in their late eighties and for me, sixty is right around the corner. Reawakening after a world pandemic and coming out of a hard season with our beloved daughter are also factors, but cancer in my very own body makes me consider time management from a new perspective.
I’m in the process of figuring out why I want to write for publication. Do my reasons justify all the time and effort it will take to publish? Am I trying to be seen as a legitimate writer with street cred? Does that really matter? Is posting haiku on Instagram, writing blog posts, and sharing writing with my beloved Family of Writers audience enough? Is the process of writing more important than the number of people who read my words? Will I regret not pursuing publishing when I look back over my life? These are the questions I’m thinking about when I wash dishes, sort laundry, take a shower, and weed my garden.
Where I’m landing today, in this season of life, is to stop worrying about publishing and just write.
My writing mentor and teacher, Laura Munson, was once given this life-changing advice from Terry Tempest Williams (Laura’s literary hero): “Take a year and stop trying to get published…Write your truth. Write your story.” Laura said that Terry could sense “her acute ambition addiction.” Oh, that stings and rings true. Maybe that’s what I should do. Write whatever the heck I want. Write for the joy of it, and see where my words land.
Whether we’re published or not, I think all of us can live the writing life when
We live with a paying attention state of mind. I believe down to my bones that our lives, and the world that surrounds us, are always offering daily presentations of writing ideas. We just need to get in the habit of paying attention and noticing them. I am always seeking writing ideas. I trust they will come.
We write often. Most days I do one or more of the following: scribble in my journal or write a haiku. When I have larger chunks of time, I write blog posts or newsletters, create Family of Writers curriculum, work on my One LIttle Word Journal, or compose personal essays. Even one haiku or gratitude list counts.
We share writing. I share pieces during Family of Writers. I post my haiku on Instagram. I share blog post with you, but honestly, sitting on the porch and sharing anything with your partner, child, or dog is enough.
I share all of this with you because I think so many of us are coming out of challenging seasons and that’s caused us to ask ourselves how we want to spend our days, weeks, months, and years.
Maybe writing for the joy of it is part of the answer. Let’s go for it. Start small. Discover all the ways writing can enrich our lives.
I’ll try to take my own advice.
