To be a writer is to be fearless.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? But let’s face it: how many of us really write without fear? Mhm, thought so. Writing – whether it’s a personal essay or a fantasy story – makes us vulnerable, and that’s terrifying. There is nothing between the writer and the page, except for the reader’s expectations – and that’s terrifying too.
Starting in 2019, we’re throwing caution to the wind and heading out on a writing adventure. We hope you’ll join us. The Year of Fearless Writing is about learning to take yourself seriously as a writer. It’s about breaking down the barriers you set up for yourself, and pushing through the terror to find something meaningful to you, as a writer, on the other side.
This isn’t about pep talks, although you’ll hear plenty of those along the way. We’re going to work on concrete skills and professional practices: how to craft a good author’s bio, where to find paying markets for your work, how to track your submissions. In short, how to position yourself so that opportunities start to come your way. Some steps will be easy, some will be hard, some will be fun and some… not so fun… but in the end, we want you to feel confidence – not fear – when someone asks, “Are you a writer?” and you answer, “Yes. I am.”
So how does this work, anyway?
Each month in 2019, in place of our usual technique toolbox, we’re going to delve into the craft – not the art – of writing. We’ll give you behind the scenes industry looks and tips that will take you from “I like to write, and I have a blog… sort of…” to a place where when someone asks what you do, you’ll say “I’m a writer.”
It’s a big difference, “I write” and “I’m a writer.” Try it right now, in the mirror. Say it out loud. “I’m a writer.” Because you are.
What we don’t want you to take away from the Year of Fearless Writing is that there’s One True Way to become a writer. There are a ton of paths to the top of that mountain, and the mountain looks different for everyone. Your biggest challenge might be “finding time.” Someone else’s might be “making connections.” What we hope is that whatever your particular challenge is, you’ll find ways to push through it this coming year.
Besides the specific tip, trick, or insight each month, we’ll have a brief assignment for you that works with the insight. Completing – or even just working toward – that assignment will put you a few steps closer to the top of Mount I’m-A-Writer. You can get started on that with this month’s insight, coming…. right now!
What’s your mountain?
With the new year coming, a lot of us are thinking about resolutions. Let’s get a jumpstart on that with your writing resolutions.
This month’s assignment for the Year of Fearless Writing is:
what would being a writer look like for you?
Does it look like getting a piece published online, or is print more important to you? Does it look like completing the book you’ve been working on, or like starting a new one? Does it look like finding an editor, or a beta reader, or working with a pro for the first time?
Write your goals down. And if you’d like, share them with us in comments, in the Coffeehouse or (I’m shy, too!) totally in confidence at editors@yeahwrite.me – if enough folks share the same goal, we’ll work it into our schedule. This is not the time to limit yourself or to worry about what’s feasible. Your goals should reflect your dreams. What do you really want to accomplish? Here are a few examples of goals.
- Get a story accepted for pay
- Find an agent for my novel
- Present at a conference/convention
- Build my network
Then look at how realistic those goals are, and how much you have control over. “Get my book published” is a fantastic goal, but it could look like a lot of things, not all of which you have control over. You do have control over how many times you send the book to agents, though, or publishing houses, or if you learn to self-publish this year – which can be a bigger deal than you think, because you’re not off the hook for producing a pro-quality product just because you can hit “publish” on a first draft. Your reputation is going to be built on that self-published book, and you want it to be the same quality as if you’d gone through a pro house.
We’re not trying to step on your dreams in 2019, though: we want to walk you through the realistic, achievable steps that you can take to get to the place where your dreams are more likely to come true. Sound good?
Get those goals on paper (or your blog, or a secret file on your phone) and let’s get started!
About the author:
Rowan submitted exactly one piece of microfiction to YeahWrite before being consumed by the editorial darkside. She spent some time working hard as our Submissions Editor before becoming YeahWrite’s Managing Editor in 2016. She was a BlogHer Voice of the Year in 2017 for her work on intersectional feminism, but she suggests you find and follow WOC instead. In real life she’s been at various times an attorney, aerialist, professional knitter, artist, graphic designer (yes, they’re different things), editor, secretary, tailor, and martial artist. It bothers her vaguely that the preceding list isn’t alphabetized, but the Oxford comma makes up for it. She lives in Portlandia with a menagerie which includes at least one other human. She tells lies at textwall and uncomfortable truths at CrossKnit.
