This fortnight was pretty damn slow because I contracted a cheeky bit of covid. Still, after I got better, I performed a story on stage, wrote some video scripts, and read a great book on writing and art.

The War of Art

Last fortnight, I mentioned that my story The Menticider was rejected by a highly prestigious magazine after a revision request. I also mentioned how this news buried me, and it really did. But as always, I began my ascent from that pit — only to be struck down by covid right as I breached the surface.

The combination of these things almost destroyed my creativity. I had never ever entertained the idea of quitting fiction, but during that week I absolutely did. I can’t remember ever being so low in my life.

Thankfully, though, I hadn’t abandoned all hope. I did some research on self-help books targeted at writers, and I found Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art.

The book reminded me that one of the main reasons I write is because I love working hard. It’s meditative for me. It gives me purpose, and refuge from the storm that is life. I had lost sight of that, instead seeking validation in publication and constantly comparing myself to others. I’d also let my writing become my identity, so when I suffered a defeat, it felt like an attack on who I was. It felt personal. This isn’t a sustainable mindset, especially if you’re trying to get your work published. Story rejections are rarely personal.

While I am still wounded, my game plan is to focus on building strong work habits so I can gain validation and happiness from the process of writing itself. I also need to stop comparing myself to others. The easiest way to do this would be to delete Twitter, where the writing community lives, thus cutting it off at the source. But this would also sever me from important writing news, book recommendations, and meaningful friendships. Instead, I’ve got to find a way to celebrate other writers’ victories. I’ve got to find a way to be genuinely happy for them.

There’s more to my current crisis than that, and The War of Art helped me come to terms with a lot of it. If you’re an artist, struggling or not, I highly recommend this short read. It could change your life.

Fiction

The second week of this fortnight was a little brighter.

I’d gotten over covid, for one, and I performed my story Widow of the River, originally published by Crow & Cross Keys, at the event Once Upon a Time in Fremantle, held at Clancy’s. My good friend Alex read the character Isabella’s dialogue and hummed the Widow of the River’s haunting melody. It really tied the performance together, giving it a beautiful Gothic feel.

I’m grateful for Alex, and I’m proud of us both for getting up on stage. It was an amazing night.

I also worked on my little interactive fiction piece Heart of Maddock following some feedback (it’s almost done), copped two rejections, and sent those stories back out.

Anyway, here are this fortnight’s stats:

Pending: 4
Submissions: 3
Rejections: 2
Withdrawn: 1
Acceptances: 0

Copywriting

My copywriting was a little slow this fortnight, but I still managed to write and edit some scripts for The Front, put some words down for the blog articles I plan on publishing in 2023, and chat with an awesome client (the first agency I will have worked with) about a big project that we hope to start either this coming week or early next year. More on this latter development soon.

I also met with my buddy Chad Gerber to discuss a photoshoot in January. My website is sorely lacking in the image department. We’re thinking a video could be cool too.

Thoughts

It’ll be 2023 when you hear from me next. I hope you have a wicked Christmas and New Year, and as always, thanks for reading 🖤

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