February 1 Newsletter for The Unschool for Writers

Thinking about Writer Friends--what's with that?

Sometimes it does snow in Vancouver!

*If viewing as an email, DO click on the title of the post, and it’ll take you directly to the site—a much improved way to read.

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Might we use this photo as the monthly prompt? I snapped this outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, the city’s original courthouse. I love how the snow in the far trees is aglow, and the woman with the umbrella seems to have paused for the moment. I never quite get umbrellas in snow, but NOMB. (I don’t use them in the rain either.)

Prompt

Inspired by the photo and/or weather (!) write poetry, flash fiction, a snippet of nonfiction or memoir, and post right here. (I’m dispensing with the extra thread—it’s too confusing.) If you’ve never posted to an Unschool prompt before… go ahead!

And post respectful and thoughtful comments on others’ works, please.

There IS a reason we talk about weather. In spite of everything technology, it still affects our lives, our emotions, our being. Sometimes, it’s even powerful. In some way. What way?

I usually love snow. I enjoy walking in it. I love when it’s fresh and adds to silence. Maybe not so much when it’s slush and Vancouver grey. But on the snow day a couple weeks ago, when I took this photo, my son lost hundreds of dollars in singing-gig income, and that made me think of how weather can mean different things for different people.

Post your words by clicking on “leave a comment” and copy/paste.

For first of the month posts, I do a re-cap of the previous month’s posts. I’d like to make this as short as possible. January’s first-of-the-month post was lengthy, and the read numbers were low—was that related?

The first of the month post is always free for all subscribers, with a mix of elements from craft to commentary, review to restorative—a mix of what The Unschool is about.

Here are the posts for January:

January 1, 2024

—a re-cap of my own writing—the work, the marketing, the contract:

My Writing Year - 2023

—in answer to a paid subscriber’s question:

How Do We Grow as Writers?

—and on my mind:

Pets and Animals in Stories

Do you have questions on your mind? Anything you’d like to see addressed here?

Email alison@alisonacheson.com or ask in the comments.

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Results of January POLL - and a note about writerly friendship -

Most months I post a poll about the sources of your writing knowledge and learning. (Take a look at the January first of the month’s post to see.)

Over half of you cited “reading about how to write” as your go-to for learning about writing. (Do share the titles you are reading about writing. And go through the Unschool indexes to find reviews of writing-book titles.)

Almost one-quarter of you cited the Unschool as your go-to. Glad to know!

Further down the list was “formal courses/programs” and a handful of “other newsletters/online sources.”

Last, with absolutely ZERO, was “friend/other writers.”

That was not a response I expected! I don’t know what the story is behind this—numbers never tell stories. But it makes me wonder if you don’t have friends who are writers, or if you write in isolation.

I suspect many writers write in isolation until they take a class or stumble over someone. I didn’t know another writer until I took a night school course. From that, I ended up with one very solid friendship, and we shared our work and had lengthy conversations not only about specific pieces of work and ongoing projects, but about the craft. We would see films and discuss the plot, the dialogue. We exchanged novels and collections of stories and poetry.

There were also a number of acquaintances with whom I later put together a community group.

At this point in my life, at least half of the people I spend substantial time with are writers. While we don’t talk about writing all the time (that would be too much) it is a significant part of what we share. I learn from these connections—and not all affirmative! Friends have told me some hard-to-swallow words about my work. As should be.

On a walk through a forest some months ago, a friend told me to be grateful for rejection, and to read Stephen Marche’s On Writing and Failure. (I shared a review of the book in our August 1 newsletter.) The next time we met, we discussed the book. And I thanked her—she was right.

How do we forge friendships with writers?

As writers we want to support others’ works… so off to launches and readings we go, good places to meet others and to start conversations. Social media now allows us to connect. We can read blogs and other works. Geography doesn’t have to limit us; if you appreciate someone’s work, send them a note. Be friendly, and see where it goes.

If you’re a paid subscriber here, you can take part in the Workshop groups. see what people are working on, and how others respond to your work; connect! (To connect with the Unschool workshop group, click on the title to go to the Substack site, or use this link, and click on underneath the title… right where it says “the Unschool workshop space.” As always, to explore your subscription, click on the upper-right hand icon, to “manage subscriptions,” and click on the workshop.)

How and where have you met others? Are there red flags that you watch for… for what reason?

I’ll admit: there are people who are so tiresomely all about self-promotion that I tune out! When I see that their every social media post is sharing news of a new book, a new contract, and all about me me me, I tune out. I even tire of those who promote others, in order to promote their selves. (You know those when you see them…)

I want to hang out with people who says things like, “I can go for a walk after three in the afternoon.” And for them that is because they are BUSY WRITING before three. Those are the people I want to spend time with. And on social media, I want to see that writers have Other Things going on in their lives besides selling me their work. Then I might buy it.

Maybe a significant question is: do you prefer “isolation”? Would you prefer not to spend time with other writers?

What is the role of jealousy? A little career-envy? Or do you have the type of career that other writers envy, and do you struggle with that?

I remember talking with Dennis Foon, a wonderful screen- and novel-writer, who told me that he made a point of hanging out with writers he thought of as being better and stronger in their work than he was; it pushed him, he thought. But it takes strength to do that. (I have no idea what the writers he spends time with believe of him and his work.)

I think, too, it can be a negatively impacting thing to spend too much time commiserating. Know when enough is enough. Talk about what you’re working on. Talk about craft. Talk about your latest discovery in your own work. Or something that delighted you in a book you read recently. (I have a long-distance friend with whom I share reading journals—we email each other with notes about the books we read.)

Then too, partake of other art forms. Spend time with artists who work in other forms. Take a dance class with a friend. Caroline Adderson and I took tap dance together—a couple of newbs for sure!—and had so much fun.

Take a drawing class. Go to an art gallery. Hear music together. If you don’t hang out with other writers, spend time with other artists; process is process. We learn.

Thoughts?

February Poll

Let’s base this one on the post about “How do we grow as writers.” I’m wondering if you’ve tried to stretch your work with some of the approaches discussed in the post.

I’m under contract to do my novel re-write February 15 to March 15. I’ll keep you posted on this process. I’ve been working ahead on posts to share through that time.

In the meantime, Happy Writing —