I always make time to read your words, and have come to appreciate a bit of who you are because of it. You have a definite voice and I love hearing it!
I'm struggling with making a living writing, too. But I suspect I'm at the opposite end of my career: First I was a graphic designer/artist, then a carpenter/handyman, and finally a bus driver. Now I'm nothing. Published 3 books, 2 of them myself, but have only gotten about $90. in royalties in all the years I've been writing. But at 60, I still have 4 kids at home.
My writing must qualify as a "labor of love" because there's certainly no money involved for me. I suspect the expression is the thing that keeps it going.
Your words have mattered to me since I've been reading your thought-provoking work. I especially love how thoughtful and compassionate you are in approaching sensitive subjects. I also super relate to cooking elaborate meals and then consuming the food in a matter of minutes lol. Still worth it!
I'm taking the month of December to decide if I want to continue putting anything I create online. The distractions are becoming detrimental to my health and creativity. Unfortunately, even Substack is social media and I'm kind of over it. Hopefully, a month off from the social media grind will give me a fresh perspective. My FOMO is already kicking in.
"I treasure your writing not primarily for itself but for the person behind the pen"
I am very slow to follow Substacks now unless it's someone who I've met and really liked, or someone whose writing has just captured me as if I have met them. I don't have time for unread emails! I want to love what shows up in my inbox.
Also when we come get our bikes we have to get one of those zines to save on shipping (but we'll still give you the $5 bc printing costs money too!!!)
They won’t be printed by then most likely! I’m sending the final draft to the presses next week but the turnover is about a week. And no worries about paying. Postage won’t be much anyway based on your address.
In one of our preluminarian meetings you mentioned one of your editors asked you "Who are you writing this for?" and you narrowed the audience from general to narrow until you said you were writing for a specific friend. I really took this to heart, and you became that friend in the audience, so that sometimes I include an extra word, a phrase, an interjection I think will delight you.
I'm glad I get to be that friend because I've genuinely never read poetry that viscerally delights me as much as yours. I think part of the reason is that your poems remind me of mini-essays but super condensed into extremely potent imagery. Like an essay in a shot glass. Distilled. Keep giving it, so I can keep getting drunk on those words.
So, having just proofread your fiction piece in the Zine, I feel delighted and maybe a little guilty that it will not be released for mass consumption because it is SO GOOD
Maybe pretty please you can publish it on this substack because I think these attentive readers will thoroughly enjoy it. It made me tear up with gratefulness over our shared story drafted by the good Author
I always make time to read your words, and have come to appreciate a bit of who you are because of it. You have a definite voice and I love hearing it!
I'm struggling with making a living writing, too. But I suspect I'm at the opposite end of my career: First I was a graphic designer/artist, then a carpenter/handyman, and finally a bus driver. Now I'm nothing. Published 3 books, 2 of them myself, but have only gotten about $90. in royalties in all the years I've been writing. But at 60, I still have 4 kids at home.
My writing must qualify as a "labor of love" because there's certainly no money involved for me. I suspect the expression is the thing that keeps it going.
Your words have mattered to me since I've been reading your thought-provoking work. I especially love how thoughtful and compassionate you are in approaching sensitive subjects. I also super relate to cooking elaborate meals and then consuming the food in a matter of minutes lol. Still worth it!
There's so much packed into this 3 minute read, I better not skim it too quickly 😉
Kind and wise words, given away so generously! I’ll have to be in touch about that ‘zine.
Amelia,
You've voiced much of what I've been feeling. Excellent work, as always!
Thanks! I hope you’re heartened :)
I'm taking the month of December to decide if I want to continue putting anything I create online. The distractions are becoming detrimental to my health and creativity. Unfortunately, even Substack is social media and I'm kind of over it. Hopefully, a month off from the social media grind will give me a fresh perspective. My FOMO is already kicking in.
I love, love, love this!
"I treasure your writing not primarily for itself but for the person behind the pen"
I am very slow to follow Substacks now unless it's someone who I've met and really liked, or someone whose writing has just captured me as if I have met them. I don't have time for unread emails! I want to love what shows up in my inbox.
Also when we come get our bikes we have to get one of those zines to save on shipping (but we'll still give you the $5 bc printing costs money too!!!)
They won’t be printed by then most likely! I’m sending the final draft to the presses next week but the turnover is about a week. And no worries about paying. Postage won’t be much anyway based on your address.
Oh God what a gloriously beautiful post.
In one of our preluminarian meetings you mentioned one of your editors asked you "Who are you writing this for?" and you narrowed the audience from general to narrow until you said you were writing for a specific friend. I really took this to heart, and you became that friend in the audience, so that sometimes I include an extra word, a phrase, an interjection I think will delight you.
I'm glad I get to be that friend because I've genuinely never read poetry that viscerally delights me as much as yours. I think part of the reason is that your poems remind me of mini-essays but super condensed into extremely potent imagery. Like an essay in a shot glass. Distilled. Keep giving it, so I can keep getting drunk on those words.
So, having just proofread your fiction piece in the Zine, I feel delighted and maybe a little guilty that it will not be released for mass consumption because it is SO GOOD
Maybe pretty please you can publish it on this substack because I think these attentive readers will thoroughly enjoy it. It made me tear up with gratefulness over our shared story drafted by the good Author