Thanks but No Thanks
Time to start saying no again.
Hello!
Thinking back on this time last year is kinda weird.
It was around March-April 2020 when we’d gone into lockdown and began to understand what living in isolation, working from home, home-schooling, and much more, really meant.
What’s the positive takeaway from that period in terms of writing? Simple answer; it was the most productive and available we’d ever been for writing.
With little else to do — no social events and the only time out of the house being for work and gathering basic essentials — concentrating on the things we’d rather be doing, those same things we often put third or fourth on the list of things to do, was a no-brainer.
Now that COVID-19 cases have dramatically declined, restrictions have eased, and vaccination programs are rolling out, it seems every person and their dog is carpe diem-ing the sh*t out of life, organising BBQs/parties/dinners. Catching up on all the missed opportunities from the past twelve months. No complaints here, social connections are a crucial part of being human.
What we’re remembering from the past twelve months is how good it was to get on top of writing, and using the pandemic as a reason to stay in was somewhat easy to articulate. But you know what? It’s okay to say no, to leave a function early, to pick and choose which social events we commit to.
We still have to take care of ourselves, slow down and smell the roses, and keep finding moments to write.
But saying no thanks for some can feel awkward, even an unnatural response when asked to come to a gathering or to do a favour. Ahhh, how we’re socialised and conditioned to people-please.
So, here’s some other ways of saying no without actually saying the word no.
- Thanks for the invite but I’m/we’re staying in this weekend/tonight/today/tomorrow. Need some downtime. Don’t even provide an explanation.
- I’d love to catch up soon, can’t make it to <insert appropriate date/day>, but let’s rain-check. Again, no explanation necessary.
- (When it’s a favour asked) I’ll see what I can do, it’ll likely take a week (or more) to get back to you with <insert task>. This will stop askers from putting you on the spot with tight deadlines in the future.
- And when it’s something you really don’t want to do and you don’t have the energy to give more time to a conversation, use humour. Oftentimes an appropriately placed David Rose from Schitt’s Creek gif will suffice over a long, guilt-filled response rejecting someone’s offer.
‘I plan on popping a pill, crying a bit, and falling asleep early’ — David Rose from Schitt’s Creek
Most times, all of us are in the same boat and understand. Another great get-out-of-social-events free card is ‘I’m currently writing a book and need to do more of that this weekend.’ People who know you and support you will encourage this over another social gathering.
So, write on fellow creatives!
Check Out Some of the Latest Stories
‘I’m Publishing Sub-Par Writing & So Should You’ by Erica Marta Ball. This piece will resonate and provide sound reasoning and advice for writers in a similar position to Erica.
‘How to Use a Style Sheet to Ensure Consistency in Your Writing’ by Melissa-Jane Nguyen.
A Style Sheet is a valuable tool for all kinds of writers. It’s all about keeping your decisions on track and making it easy for you to polish your work during the editing process.
This Here by Dayle Fogarty. This piece of creative fiction was inspired by the physiological responses our bodies endure, especially from acts of sexism and misogyny, that has stacked up, one on top of the other, over time.
What’s On
2021 Newcastle Short Story Award (AUS)| This Hunter Writers Centre competition is open for entries (see T&C on their website), with up to $7,500 in prizes. Closes 8pm (AEDT) — April 14, 2021.
EN World Voices Festival of International Literature (USA) | Aligned with PEN, a social justice organisation giving voice to writers around the world who have been silenced, this impressively diverse festival is one of the most important on the global literary calendar. Each year World Voices features an impressive selection of challenging and thought-provoking events across New York City to inspire discussion, reflection, and debate.— April to May, 2021.
Sydney Writers’ Festival (AUS) | ‘The Festival plays a vital role in Australia’s literary landscape. It provides a highly visible platform for the work of local authors, encourages broad public engagement in books, and increases audiences for both Australian and international literature.’ — April 26 — May 2, 2021.
Twitter Pitch Parties
There are lots of upcoming Twitter pitch parties and all follow a few basic rules: pitch your manuscript within a tweet and use the appropriate hashtags. Agents and/or editors either ‘like’ or retweet a pitch to show interest — what that basically means is that it’s an invitation to send a query to that agent or editor and you (usually) get to jump the queue in their submissions pile. Check info for each event because there are some variations on rules and requirements.
LGBTNPit | Pitch party for queer, trans, and non-binary authors. Use the hashtag #lgbtnpit and read the rules here — April 15, 2021, 8am — 8pm EST.
WMPitch | For writers of children’s fiction from picture books to YA. Use the hashtag #WMPitch and check the link for accompanying hashtags and rules— May 1, 2021, 8am — 8pm BST.
APIPit |For self-identifying writers/illustrators of Asian/Pacific Islander descent. Use the hashtag #APIPit and check out the rules for more info — May 4, 2021.
KissPitch | For writers of romance and women’s fiction. Use the hashtag #KissPitch and be sure to use accompanying hashtags for sub-genres and categories — May 6, 2021, 9am — 9pm EST.
PitDark |For writers of ‘dark’ literature, which can include: horror, dark fantasy, murder mysteries, psychological horror stories, paranormal, non-fiction works about darker subjects, and more. Check the link for a more extensive list. Use the hashtag #PitDark — May 20, 2021, 8am — 8pm EST
Writing Resources
‘No Write Way’ YouTube series — This series of author interviews was created by prolific author V.E. Schwab. The aim of each interview is to explore each author’s writing process and highlight the idea that there is no right way to write. Lots of valuable writing tidbits to discover and plenty to learn from a bunch of well-known authors.
‘Amie Kaufman on Writing’ Podcast — Hosted by internationally bestselling author Amie Kaufman who’s well known for her own work as well as collaborations with fellow authors (Jay Kristoff and the Illuminae Files series among the most popular). ‘Each episode is less than ten minutes long, and tackles a different craft question. It’s for readers and writers — anyone who loves to think about how stories are told.’
Where Else Can You Find SBR?
Pop by to say hello on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
‘Determination could easily become obsession.’
― N.K. Jemisin
