On writing
the zig zagging on writing and how I find it challenging but oh how fun it is to write!!
A little bit off schedule on my newsletter, but happy Wednesday!! and Happy June. Here’s a little fun video of Queen Mariah explaining LGBTQ for us. First, let me just do a little humble sharing here. I got a first paid publish article out last week! It really really feels so good. The first one really! I urge people to celebrate these small moments, whatever it may be. I ordered a hamburger from Uber despite my fear of gaining weight and spending too much money recently, but I did. I also ordered a side of my favorite onion rings, and honestly, I have zero regrets as it should be.
The article is published here by Polyester. Why I’m jealous of people who love Japan. Thank you Gina Tonic for being such a cool editor!
I’ve been very diligent recently with my writing. When I see a word I haven’t seen before, (which, there are many) or there’s a word I feel like I can use around to make myself sound more intelligent, I put them in my notes app. I read a lot more than before. I also write a lot more than before, which is a huge change. Starting May, I wake up around 6am, and start writing. It can be for this Substack or it can be for pitching to editors but I’ve been writing for about 2 - 3 hours before I need to go to my freelance work. Now, when I don’t have time to write, it stresses me out. I want to find the time to write, that’s how much I want to put my writing as a priority now.
I also pitch a lot. Pitching is something I just recently learned about and still learning the ‘art’ of it all. You send in an idea to an editor at a magazine and you see if they are interested or not. Twitter is filled with #jurnorequests #freelancewriter hashtags in order to get freelance writers pitch stories to the magazine for a topic they are looking for, did not know Twitter is literally like Linkedin for writers. I’ve been routinely pitching almost every other day now since April. This is a COMPLETE vulnerable, and ridiculous screenshot that I’m sharing here, but I’m getting a lot of rejections, to a point that I think I now know how to handle rejections in my own way - it’s not an attack on my personality but I just need to get better. I flip things now to a positive to grow, because sobbing here at all these rejections at this stage doesn’t seem productive.
As you can see, most of them are denied or no responses! (eeeee, this is really vulnerable.) I keep track of places where I pitched to and to who, and it ranges from anywhere really that needs an idea from freelancer writers.
Pitching takes up a lot of time and of course, no money is occurring while pitching. That’s why admire full time *freelance writers*, they live by pitching so many of these and getting recognition as writers, I wonder how many articles they write per week. I could never do just this, because obviously I’m not getting paid aside from the one article that was published and that doesn’t pay the bills. That’s why most of the times, ~writers in progress~ needs to also have a full time job or another stream of revenue to allow space to not panic and write. It’s draining and tiring, but we have to or else, where are you going to write? The author
newsletter of Little Things once said in her newsletter about creating art does require some privileges and money and personal space. Virginia Woolf once said in her book, A room of one’s own,“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” It is true, that if you are scrambling through life to get by, it’s hard to focus on your art, your writing. I can only do the life style I have now thanks to the savings from my previous jobs and also some minimum basic income I’m able to get monthly.I get rejected on a daily basis now, as if I enjoy being rejected? (No one does, and trust me, I hate it too.) and it does phase me of course. It’s discouraging to not get any responses or recognition you want. I read this newsletter by
How to find compassion for ourselves, and it is really about this. Gannon is a writer, a legitimate one, who published six books in the past but she candidly talks about how bleak the publishing industry can be. All she wants to do is write, but now because of the media clout, you need to prove your tokenism of some sort as a writer to market and PR your book. It’s a funny industry but as she said, she will keep writing because she is a writer and “that is what will make her life joyous.” I stand by this too, repeated rejection is bleak, I’m not asking to be rejected, but I’ll keep writing as I can because it’s fun for me.Even though, I wake up almost every week day at 6am (sometimes on weekends too) to write for 2 hours or so, and I pitch to editors, I feel embarrassed to call myself a writerーthis is true. Just because I have one article published, can’t make me writer right? Just because I have a Substack newsletter, I can’t call myself that. I think that I’m craving for approval and recognition from someone who is a writer and tell me, “Yes, Megumi. You can write. You are a writer.” or else I feel like I will never believe in it. It will just stay as a hobby. Then I saw this article that went out last week by Rainesford Stauffer, Is My Writing a Hobby Or a Career? It’s such a brilliant read about being a writer while having multiple jobs that do not necessarily relate to as a writer. If you still write, you are a writer, and even more, if you get paid for it, it is a job. It made me rehabilitate my fears and embarrassment I had as a ‘writer’, that yes, I too write and it’s somewhere in between of a hobby and a job, and that’s ok. She spoke with someone called Neema Avashia, and I loved what she said about writing.
Writing is not a hobby, not work, but what she calls a “third space.”
I’ve only been doing this certain writing routine for a month or so now, so I don’t know the long run of things at all to be honest, but if I learned anything from doing sales for 6 years and more, doing the same thing for years, it does teach you growth. You want to innately want to become better at it, especially when you like doing it. I want to become better at writing. Writing was just an extension from my Instagram caption writing or a thing I’ve done when I found some time. I want to become better and good at what I do andーhonestly, I do really love writing. I am so happy and ecstatic to know that at 30 years old, I found something that I want to be good atーto keep exploring my “third place” that is safe and sound.
Reads
The Messiness of Coming Out Later in Life
Across dark waters by the Chestnut Review
Apparently the lit event of the year happened. (more the reason why I shouldn’t be in Japan. ) What We Learned From Annie Ernaux and Sally Rooney’s Head-to-Head
I think the act of writing is inherently ambiguous
After reading this review by Gina Tonic, In Pictures: One Young Woman’s Inspiring Fight Against Fatphobia , I immediately bought the book Kiss it! Cant’t wait to devour the world of teenager Shannon, who was the inspiration of Trayler-Smith’s book.
HBO hastily employed a super-rich consultant, whose job was to explain what it was like to be a billionaire to a group of people who were thrilled that someone was paying for their Pret sandwich.
lol stop! so there’s a intimacy coordinator, and there’s a rich people etiquette consultant as well!!!! Georgia Pritchett also wrote Veep, and she has a book out called My mess is a bit of a life, which I’m super keen on reading.
Small Stories. Mother-Writer.I’m reading a lot about motherhood and mothers, not because I’m going to be a mom, (no, not at all) but I’m trying to write about my mom for the first time.
The Return of Ryan Gosling By GQ
What a profile!!! If Ryan Gosling needed a rebrand, which he doesn’t this is it.
Movie
Midnight Swan
I have many many thoughts! Who’s watched it, let’s chat! I must say, the acting was phenomenal. I believe he won the Japanese Oscars for Best Actor, and I could see why. It’s about a transgender women who finds life so unfair that she was born into a body that she doesn’t want to be in, and she somehow ends up taking care of her cousins daughter, who never grew up in a loving householdーessentially these two tries to find what being cared for means, and they found it within each other. It’s beautiful really, but why…why was the transgender actor not played by a transgender person? In a country where same sex marriage is illegal and homophobia is deep rooted into our society, wasn’t there a little bit of responsibility to also tell that story as well? My god, the film is so bleak, but it is a good watch.
Some extra hot tips x
I listened to this 20 minute commencement speech by David Foster Wallace, This Is Water It was actually such good advice that it wanted me to go back to school a bit. haha For some reason, I came across two articles by Another Magazine, and I’m super into everything they post. Can I just confess, I know I’m very late to the game I’m assuming, but Thrillist website is so cute and I love how everything is placed. I’m eyeing for some new dish ware, and I’m loving this place, this, and Ivo Angel?? Is this where Alison Roman is getting all her cute little bowls and stuff?! I’ve wanting linen pants for the summer, (why am I buying so much? It’s so bad!!!!) and this Etsy shop recommended by
seems like just the right thing. oh yea! one last bit, DOAC pod! Editor of Vogue, Edward Enninful was such a good listen, recommended by the Shameless podcast girls. What a life, really.Thank YOU for always reading, I appreciate you <3 Thank you to those who also read my Polyester article :) 'till next time, bisou Megumi x