Be an Observer of Life

It’s a beautiful way to walk through the world

Wake Up and Write is a regular advice column from Moms Don’t Have Time to Write. Today, we have Alli Frank and Asha Youmans —the debut coauthors of Tiny Imperfections— who shared writing advice on the podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, hosted by Zibby Owens.

“Be open to honest criticism. Be ready for a lot of criticism.”

Asha Youmans: Know that it’s okay. That’s how we grow: to figure out where our flaws are, either in ourselves or our writing or whatever else we do. Take those lessons as an opportunity for you to become that person you’re looking to become.

Alli Frank: I would say my advice is to be an observer. Take two steps back off your own precipice. Wherever you are, when you’re in conversation with other people, if you’re at a gathering, if you’re in a train station, there are a ton of people around, just be an observer of life because that will ultimately give you so much juice for your book.

It’s also a beautiful way to walk through the world. I would just say don’t be fearful of being the quieter person. Don’t be fearful of the observant person because it will make your writing better.

Listen to the episode:

https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/allifrankashayoumans?rq=Alli%20Frank%2C%20Asha%20Youmans

Buy the book:

https://bookshop.org/books/tiny-imperfections/9780593085028?aid=1264