From Elevators to Butterflies
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Welcome to The Writing Rundown, a weekly newsletter that offers advice, short essays, and reading suggestions to help driven writers (like you!) improve their writing craft. It's nice to see you here! If someone forwarded you this email because they love your writing, you can subscribe here. “The most wonderful thing about life is that you can always begin again. No matter what ups and downs you are handed in life today, you can always begin again tomorrow.” – Raiza Mendoza Ask Me Anything …“Thank you for your newsletter last week, it resonated with me. I’ve been feeling frustrated trying to balance writing with the need to make a living, and it helps to know that even successful writers have faced this. You mentioned something about the day jobs of famous writers, and I’d love to hear more. I could really use some inspiration right now.” — Paychecks & Plots Hi P&P, First off, I’m glad my response last week resonated. I wasn’t sure if it was something that people would want to hear or not, so it’s nice to know that it hit the right people the right way. Yes, I’ve done a lot of research and reading up on the writing and routines and day-to-day of master writers from years gone by (and some more modern folks!) While there are a number of factors to consider with some of the more well-known and prolific writers (including class, generational wealth, spousal and household support, society, etc.) the reality is that many writers had to go at a 9-to-5 to support themselves until their writing really took off. Here are a few of my favorite “working gigs” from the anecdotes of history:
I could honestly go on and on (just Google “jobs of famous writers” to see extensive lists) because writers and other creatives & artists have a long history of working during the day to make a living, so they could work at night to write a life. Please know, if you are in that place right now, you are in good company! Something I’ve been chastising myself for recently is realizing that the only reason my writing isn’t advancing or known is because I stopped doing it. The key seems to be doing whatever you need to do to take care of yourself (and any family or other dependents) — but making sure to stay at it. Perhaps one day your name will be on a list, alongside these master writers, sharing what you did during the day and how it shaped your career and life. _____________________________________________________ Each week I answer a question from a reader about writing, editing, creativity — and everything in between. Do you have a question you’d like me to answer? Hit REPLY and ask away! What You Missed on Craft Your Content …Our articles have the same mission we do — to help you to make your own words even better!
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In Other Reading This Week …Need more insights and inspiration for your writing and mindset?
Weekly Writing Tip …A quick chance to learn from the masters. “I think that my job is to observe people and the world, and not to judge them. I always hope to position myself away from so-called conclusions. I would like to leave everything wide open to all the possibilities in the world.” ― Haruki Murakami Bygone …Exquisite words from years gone by. Tosticated [TOSS-tih-cay-ted] (adj.) – From the mid-17th century, tosticated was originally used to describe someone who was a bit confused or disoriented. Some believe it is a morpheme of the word intoxicated, as it was often used to describe a sort of stupor. The etymology is thought to come from the Latin intoxicatus (to be poisoned, like when you are drunk by alcohol.) Sorta synonyms: fuddlebrained, befuddled, discombobulated This Week’s Writing Resource …Why not use the tools at your disposal? Chronophoto — This fun game lets you guess when photos happened throughout history. Warning, the rabbit hole is deep with this one, as you’ll want to learn everything about that band around the table from 1901. Who knows what writing it might inspire For the Upcoming Week …Because we all need a good chuckle to start things off right! I’m just a girl, standing in front of a vat of coffee, asking it to reset her brain every morning. ‘Til next time! ~ Elisa PS — Want to learn more from master writers who’ve come before? BAMW is opening rather unexpectedly this week for a quick enrollment. I'm not looking to run a huge class, but a small group for the fall is always a nice way to spend my autumnal hours. If you aren’t already on the waitlist, info will be coming early next week. 😉 |