When the Ink Smears Ever So Slightly

On rededicating yourself to your work.

Hi friends.

Today is a great day to rededicate yourself to your writing. It’s late July, the world is simmering, our feelings are raw, and we need may something to hold onto. What if it’s your words? What if you claim your words for yourself today? What if you decide that yes, your writing is important to you, more important than a lot of things in your life. What if you just decide to commit to it?

Again, always, forever.

I was really touched to see the 1000 Words book was the #1 bestseller at Blue Cypress Books last week. This feels especially meaningful to me because this is my local indie bookstore, and also because this book has been out for a year-and-a-half! And people are still buying it, giving a shit about it. Amazing. We’ve got great readers here in New Orleans. Thanks for making me believe in something again for a minute.

Also I wanted to mention the existence of my memoir I Came All This Way to Meet You, because I have, incredibly, 35,000 more subscribers here than I did when it originally came out, and also because this book is about building the life of a writer, which I know is of interest to a lot of you. It was a best book of the year according to The New Yorker, Time, and more publications, and I think it’s an entertaining read. You can buy that at Blue Cypress as well, but also probably anywhere else you might regularly buy books.

I’m having some delicate thoughts about work this week.

I’m always writing about writing because it’s the thing that interests me. The process, the craft, the art form, the work of my peers, too. What are we all doing? How are we all making our art? How do we continue to thrive or at least survive? I’m fascinated with all of it.

But also it’s the thing that buoys me. If I can write, then I’m still alive. If I can write, I’m still safe.

I wrote down in my journal yesterday:

Value your time.

Create the space in your schedule.

Find the moments where you can achieve clear-headedness.

Read, read, read.