In our last article, we explored the challenges we’ve faced during our time as a group: on an individual level, primarily imposter syndrome; on the individual and group levels, lack of discipline. That last one was painful to look at: having to accept that the downside to our group’s easy-going nature was sometimes letting each other slide. Accountability is one of the functions of our group, but our affection and kindness toward each other have precluded enough “tough love.”   

Since that article, we’ve looked at how we can do better. Brenda created a writing-goals questionnaire as a self-reflection and planning tool. Then in a four-hour meeting, we went over each of our goals for the next twelve months; reviewed all of our current, near-future, and “dream” projects, and talked about what holds each of us back. We defined the steps needed to move from our most realistic goals to our more ambitious goals. We also stated what we need from the group to help us stay on track. Answers ranged from gentle encouragement to “a swift kick in the pants”; all fell under the heading of “nagging.” 

In that meeting, we took a close look at each other’s goals and helped break them down into bite-sized pieces. We explored each person’s feelings about her capacity to achieve her goals. Arguably, that was the most important part: clarifying the blocks and limiting beliefs each of us holds about her own writing. Overall, it was a powerful session that further convinced us of the magic of our group.  

We’re still working out how best to hold each other accountable. Some steps we’ve taken:

• We posted our lengthy answers to the goals questionnaire as a shared Google doc, so we can make changes to our own answers and peep on each other’s to implement nagging as needed. 
• We created a shared Google calendar to keep tabs on each other’s deadlines. 
• At each of our weekly meetings, we now do a specific goals check-in where we must report some progress since the last meeting.
• One of us suggested a rewards system, which we’ve yet to explore. 

In what may end up being our most significant action as a critique group, we’ve begun to do deep dives into each other’s current novels. We want to read and process the manuscripts as a whole, rather than chapter by chapter, to be better engaged with the work as we help the writer with it. Brenda volunteered to go first. She will send her best-to-date draft for us to read and work on in November. (As of this writing that hasn’t happened yet.) It will be such a relief to read a book in its entirety, to have the full picture and a better understanding before responding to it. We’re excited to see how this new approach turns out. We believe it will allow each of us to receive better-informed feedback and provide a new ability for us to ask the group more meaningful questions about our stories. That concentrated level of attention also feels like a new dimension of accountability.   

Meanwhile, as a way to recommit to our individual writing goals, each of us decided to invest money and time in the next level of what we need to achieve them. 

• Liz and Soleah enrolled in a year-long program to go down the path of self-discovery and give more strength to their stories and more emotional depth to their characters. Liz says, “The program has made me look at myself differently as a writer. It’s helped me see at a deeper level how the recurring themes, my passions, and my strengths have not only shaped me but are also very much intertwined throughout my writing.”
• Brenda has engaged Gabriela Pereira for six months of individual coaching to help refocus/strengthen her current novel – one of the scariest things she has done but worth the anxiety. 
• Janet did a virtual retreat, not knowing what to expect but finding exactly what she needed: a place for digging deep into truth through writing. She joined the online community and is using the space to force herself to be public as a writer…a huge push against her imposter syndrome.  

Letting the Magic Happen

In this series we’ve talked about several benefits our group has brought us. Inspiration and close, new friendships are two. Another we’d like to revisit for final emphasis is cementing our writer identities. We’re raising this again to encourage you to embrace your identity as a writer, if you have not yet fully done so. It’s a way to push back against imposter syndrome.  

Claiming our writer identities strikes us as an iterative process. At some point it dawns on a person that she’s a writer. At some other point she says it out loud. At still another point she believes it enough that the concept doesn’t blow away in a strong wind. 

A good critique group helps cement that identity by continually mirroring it. A few ways our group helps us keep our writer’s identities:

• Encouraging each other to complete and polish short stories so we have more immediate gratification and validation than with an often years-long novel project.
• Encouraging each other to submit to writers’ contests or publications so we have work actively trying to find a home in the world. It gives us validation that we can compete with other writers.
• Encouraging each other to go to new workshops for and by authors and writers. We meet established authors and relate to them.  

But we know the errant winds of a writer’s life still can shake that identity, sometimes quite severely: a rejection, a bad review, utter confusion over a project, the exigencies of life draining away all energy, etc. That’s when it’s easy for imposter syndrome to present its “Oh, no, you’re not!” face.  

If that happens to you, tell it to get lost. In stronger language if you like. 

If you’re already in a community of writers – especially if you’re shy – take a deep breath and speak up. Ask for help. If you don’t already have a community, seek out a good-natured and kind one. DIYMFA.com is one place to start. The best way to find their community is by joining their free newsletter. Community can make all the difference in steadfastly believing in yourself as a writer. 

A Discovery of Writers believes the biggest magic of our group is love…
Of writing
Of reading
Of teaching
Of creating
And of course, each other.

We hope our series of articles has inspired you to seek your own critique group or to try a new approach with your existing one. We’d also love to hear what has worked for you. Feel free to connect with any/all of us on Facebook through Soleah’s group. It is a good first start toward finding a small, supportive writing community.

A Discovery of Writers is made up of four DIY MFA Small-Group Book Coaching graduates who were partnered in the program in 2020, stayed together after our terms ended, and have turned into a tight, very effective writing support group. We love how we work together and would like to explore/share our experience with the Word Nerd community. For more about us individually you can find us here.

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Writers are often set up with an improper balance of light. For those of us with a day job, we use borrowed space on public transportation or a spare bedroom to squeeze in writing time. For those who write full-time, it is easy to lose track of the hours while churning out a chapter. Reading is sometimes crammed in before bed, either with an e-reader or by lamplight. My compact fluorescent bulb is woefully underpowered for reading.

Improper lighting not only affects your eyes, it also directly impacts your overall health.

Writers would benefit greatly in learning to synchronize with the sun like a cat. My cat maps out her day according to the sun. She knows exactly which spot gets the best sunlight throughout the day. Your circadian rhythm synchronizes your body with the external world relative to light. This rhythm is a 24-hour cycle of each organ’s optimum time to function.

Photoreceptor cells in your eyes that are sensitive to blue light relay environmental light levels to your brain. This process sets your central circadian clock, which then synchronizes the local clocks in the rest of your body. Think of the clock tower in the village square, and how clocks in the village shops synchronize to this one clock for the entire village.

Cortisol levels are also controlled by the circadian rhythm in a 24-hour cycle. They rise in the early morning, then increase toward waking time. The brain gradually wakes up, a process that can take up to four hours. This sleep inertia varies from person to person. I know I am not able to eat breakfast until I have been awake for two hours.

Circadian rhythm, cortisol, and melatonin all directly impact your quality of sleep. Chronic sleep disorders elevate the risk of diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, hypertension, and stroke.

Lighting During the Day

A healthy lighting plan starts at waking time. If possible, go outside first thing in the morning for 15 minutes. Natural daylight is needed to process vitamin D, set your internal clock, and cue melatonin. Melatonin is the biochemical signal of darkness that tells the brain it is night time. Seeing daylight early in the morning sets your melatonin clock for sleep later.

It is important to work in a brightly-lit space during the day. If your work environment is poorly lit during the day, you are more sensitive to light exposure at night. Take sunlight breaks. Use one 15-minute block from the Pomodoro technique to get some natural light. It is also important to keep computers 14” from your face and use a lower brightness setting with your screen to reduce melatonin disruption.

Lighting After Dusk

Light after dusk resets your circadian clock, suppresses melatonin, elevates heart rate and body temperature, and directly stimulates your brain. The blue light from computers, phones, and tablets tells your brain it is daylight. This disrupts your circadian rhythm and with it, your sleep cycle. In the evening, gradually dim and redden the light.

Apps such as f.lux warm up the color temperature of your screen in sync with the sunset for your location, time of year, and when you wake up. It will also coordinate with your home smart lighting system. Windows has a nightlight setting that adjusts the monitor to warmer colors after dusk. You can also try blue light-blocking reading glasses. Start shutting down your computer at least 30 minutes before bed. If you prefer a bedside alarm clock, pick one with red digital numbers, not blue or green.

Lighting for Your Writing Space

Not sure how to light your space? I have put together a guide to proper lighting for your workspace which you can access here. In it you will find an explanation of lighting terms and recommendations for lighting levels. Print it to take with you to the lighting store or for reference when shopping online.

With the right lighting you will have a healthy and productive writing life.

Ambre Dawn Leffler is a Tai Chi instructor, gardener, and weather geek who writes about vegetables, seasons, communing with nature, and the interconnections of mind/body. She loves trees and cherishes time in their presence. Learn more about her tree time, garden residents, and wellness practices at her website ambredawnleffler.com and seasonal inspiration from her newsletter Sky Earth Water. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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One of my favorites is attributed to the 30th President of the U.S., Calvin Coolidge. The gist of it is that nothing in the world can take the place of persistence—not talent, not genius, not education. The quote ends with: “Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” 

His words may have been written in the early 20th century, more than one hundred years ago, but are still valid, especially for writers. 

The tips I outline below grew out of Coolidge’s philosophy.

1. Welcome rejection. 

I’ve read about “clubs” among writers in which they challenge colleagues to aim for 100 rejections from publications during a single calendar year. 

Although I don’t officially belong to any of these groups, I also strive for 100 rejections. 

This isn’t to say that I submit haphazardly to any and all publications, throw pasta on the wall to see what sticks. I do my research and determine which journals and/or publications might be a good fit for my essays, stories, essay collections, or book chapters, and then act accordingly. And of course, I thoroughly review and edit my writing before I submit it. 

But I don’t let the fear of rejection hold me back when deciding when/where/how many pieces to submit. 

I take risks. 

I believe that if you only submit a dozen or so times a year, each rejection is that much more painful, and carries that much more weight. That’s not to say that I look forward to rejections, but I’m not devastated when one arrives in my email queue (or via snail mail) because I have other pieces out in the world that I’m equally proud of. 

Following a rejection, I then make a note of the journal in question, as well as the submission that was rejected. If an editor had any constructive comments, I make note of those also, and thank him or her. I may review my submission yet again at that point to make sure I didn’t miss any inconsistencies or errors. 

My point, though, is that it’s not the end of the world when I receive a rejection since I’ve sent out a healthy number; that way each submission isn’t quite so precious.

2. Ignore unkind comments. 

Once in a long long while, I’ll receive a rejection that seems personal, even though submissions are anonymous. Maybe they’re tired of reading about COVID, or dysfunctional families, or the plight of single parents, etc. Something strikes a discordant note, and a journal staffer might have harsh words for me, the writer. 

Again, this is very rare, but when it happens I try to take it in stride and, ideally, tell myself that the editor or reader was just having a bad day when she wrote that “any idiot knows such and such” about one of the sentences in my piece. Or maybe he/she was just sick of whatever the topic of my essay or story was. 

Lastly, maybe there was a kernel of truth in the criticism, once I excavate it from the sender’s harshness; I look for that kernel.

3. Don’t be in a hurry. 

I once submitted an essay to a publication and they accepted it a year after I submitted it. I don’t know if it was lost in the slush pile and then rescued by a new editor, or if they reevaluated its merit. I didn’t ask, and was just happy they wanted to publish it. 

In all the cases I’m familiar with, journals are run by hard-working volunteer staff and, even if they are paid, it’s not much, so I try to adopt an attitude of gratitude and patience while waiting to hear back about my submissions.

4. Don’t obsess about your age (especially if you’re a certain age). 

I’m a Baby Boomer and some (thankfully, not all) people erroneously think that those of us past a certain age should be otherwise engaged: sitting in rocking chairs, knitting booties, watching television nonstop, having lunch out with friends regularly, frittering away our days on mindless activities. 

Fortunately, it’s a rare attitude, but it does happen. 

Regardless, that’s not me. That will never be me. I have a husband, children, and grandchildren I adore, and hobbies I enjoy, but I also am a full-time writer. 

A corollary to this rule is that those who think you need decades under your belt to reach a certain level in a career—say, writing—are mistaken. Do what you want with your life while you can; spend your time doing what you enjoy. 

For me, writing is one of those things. In my case, I had a fulfilling and long career as a translator and linguist, working with more than a dozen languages, and traveling all over the world, but I always wanted to be a writer, too, and did it unofficially for decades. But, when the time was right, writing became my principal vocation. 

My point is that only you know your background, and only you can decide what you want to do with the rest of your life.

5. Don’t automatically expect your work to be received with constant or far-reaching accolades, but always work towards that goal. 

Your hard work, waiting, and persistence might not yield the Pulitzer Prize or the National Book Award, but hopefully, that’s not the reason you write. 

Another of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson sums it up: “The reward of a job well done is to have done it.” 

Usually, that’s enough impetus for me. I have essays I’ve worked on for hours, days, months, and they’re languishing in my drawer (or on my computer), not yet picked up by anyone for publication. But I know in my heart they’re good. I view them as my foster children; they have so many wonderful traits and I just have to keep trying to find the right home for them. In the meantime, they haven’t lost their luster just because the New York Times isn’t knocking down my door to publish them.

The bottom line for me continues to be: “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Or, to quote the rallying cry adopted by feminists in 2017 after Mitch McConnell used it to describe Senator Elizabeth Warren’s unwillingness to be silenced: “Nevertheless, she persisted.” I know I wouldn’t have accomplished half of what I’ve achieved—in writing and with other lifetime endeavors—if I hadn’t been persistent.

Tell us in the comments: What words of encouragement help you?

Linda Murphy Marshall is a multi-linguist and writer with a PhD in Hispanic languages and literature, a master’s in Spanish, and an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in The Los Angeles Review, Maryland Literary Review, the Ocotillo Review, Chestnut Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, Bacopa Literary Review, PopMatters, Storgy [UK], The Bark Magazine, Catamaran Literary Reader, and Critical Read. She was featured in American Writers Review, where she was an Honorable Mention for the 2019 Fiction Contest. She was long-listed in Strands Publishers’s 2021 International Flash Fiction Contest, and was a finalist in the 2020 Annual Adelaide Literary Contest for one of her essays. In addition, she is currently a reader for Fourth Genre and a translation editor for the Los Angeles Review. Her sketches and paintings have been featured in art shows and galleries. She lives in Columbia, MD.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook.

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