Do you feel lucky to be a writer? You might be thinking, "Ugh, I haven't published. I'm not that lucky." Or, "It's so hard, though. I'm not lucky." Or, "I haven't touched my manuscript in months. I'm the furthest thing from lucky!"

Here's the thing, though: You have the itch to write. You value words and stories. You feel compelled to do it. Your interest, your ability--isn't that a kind of luck?

Being a writer isn't an easy thing, but by merit of being here and reading these words I can tell that you value writing. You are fortunate to put your ideas and stories on the page--to struggle with them and refine them and audaciously strive toward the day when others will read them.

I feel lucky to be among you--to think about writing and to practice it, and to work with writers like you on their own courageous projects. Really, what could be better?

Listen.

There can be so much mystery and frustration around publishing a book. It seems like the rules are forever changing. There are new obstacles and new technologies emerging all the time. What's a writer to do?

I really enjoyed listening to Brad Listi and literary publicist Leah Paulos discuss how to get your book in front of the right people. Even if you are just starting on your project and publication is a far off dream, it isn't too soon to think about who your book is for. And the more specific you can be, the better you can write your book and eventually pitch your book to agents, bookstores (for any events you want to do), and, yes, your future readers.

Listen to the "How to Launch a Book" episode of the Otherppl Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube--or wherever you get your podcasts.

Read.

1. ​John Banville, on writing, bereavement, and a memoir underway. "The compulsion [to write] began, he says, when his sister, who was four years older, gave him a copy of James Joyce’s Dubliners when he was 12. 'Here was a book that was not a wild west yarn. Not a detective story. Not about boys in English public schools getting up to japes. It was just about life. I immediately started writing hideous imitations. It’s a cliche, but the Irish are just in love with words. And we have to be very careful, because, you know, words are intoxicating.'"
2. "Memoir is going through a moment right now—of change and being stretched and pulled in exciting directions. I’m here for the experimentation, breaking form, and the current trend of moving away from linear storytelling. But still, I read a lot of pages, and scene-writing will always be an integral part of this genre that you must must must grasp and master."

Write.

This exercise can be used as a revision prompt or as a prompt to excavate new material:

Write past your ending. Using your work in progress, write a scene that takes place after the conclusion of your story. What happens? What are the consequences? This scene probably won't make it into your final work (though it might!)--but it will almost certainly inform it.

You are lucky. I hope you feel it! Keep writing ✨

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