I've been in and out -- socially, physically, mentally, emotionally -- for several months. Clearly the weight of the world has impacted my usual rhythm. When projects stack up, I rather enjoy the rush of saying yes!yes!yes! in order to feel the eventual victory of tasks completed. Not this time.
For several months I've been working on my second draft with the deadline of two days ago. I woke up at 5am to edit, worked at my day job, dabbled in the draft again during lunch, worked more, then edited into the evening. I deleted social media, limited my news watching, and narrowed my already hyper-focus further. This routine nearly caused me to quit this draft, yet I continued forward. Simultaneously, the world grew ugly.
Tremendous guilt took over these past weeks. The world called for support but my bandwidth was depleted. So what happened when I said no while the world kept calling me? I did what I could (which didn't feel enough); I donated money to black nonprofits and supported black businesses, and I pledge to do more for black writers with Fight For Our Lives. My action is a mere trickle compared to the flood of protest and support for Black Lives Matter. But I created the briefest of action steps to express my own advocacy for Black Lives and Black Trans Lives.
How to Support #BLM as a Writer
Hire an editor of color (send me recommendations, BTW, for my third draft of my book)
Take writing courses with black writers (I can't wait for Creative Storytelling through Songwriting with queer musician Sassy Black!)
Donate to black owned literary nonprofits (African-American Writers' Alliance does amazing work in the Seattle area)
Buy books from black authors (I'm currently reading How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones)
Advocate for and attend literary events of black authors
Continue the great fight, stay safe, and live well, y'all.
コメント