a website & community for women who write & blog
The best planner for writers is any planner that will help you achieve your writing goals. I always say the magic is in the planning, not the planner. And honestly, the planning is just half the battle. You must follow through to see any progress. But I’m a huge fan of the Day Designer planner because if you put it to use, it can help you not only make time to write but also design a life worth writing about.
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By the time you read this, I probably will have already seen Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé twice. For real. And yes, I went to the actual concert too, but I knew this movie would be much more than recordings of the show.
In short, Renaissance the movie feels magical, yet as the behind-the-scenes looks show us how the magic is made, you suddenly feel as if you’re capable of magic too.
And that right there is exactly why I’m so obsessed with Beyoncé. Honestly, I think that’s what makes her so magnetic to most of us certified members of the Beyhive.
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Editor’s Note: See Jane Write now publishes articles and personal essays by writers who identify as women, non-binary folks, and our allies. Learn more here.
Just as the late, great Toni Morrison told us to write the book we wanted to read, Kibby Araya created the online platform she couldn’t find. Kibby is the creator of She Lit, a book blog about women writers and their work.
Kibby’s love of storytelling began when she was a child. When she was just six years old, Kibby started reading the dictionary after receiving one for Christmas. It’s how she fell in love with weaving words together to create stories. Her fascination with the English language led to a passion for reading and creative writing. Growing up, she was a fan of Judy Blume and Ann M. Martin, but her father’s enthusiasm for the news also captured her. Her family would read the newspaper, and watch local and international news together. Wanting to write other people’s stories led Kibby to pursue a career in journalism. After graduating from journalism school, she realized that her love for creative writing still existed, and she decided to tap back into her creative outlet.
This past spring, Kibby was announced as the winner in the 2022 Young Adult Fiction category of the Black Creative Fund Revisions Workshop, in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Her winning submission is a social justice novel set in the 1990s. In addition to a monetary award, Kibby was able to work with an editor and participate in monthly workshops held by editors and agents to discuss the publishing industry and how to make better revisions.
Today, Kibby is a news editor for an education technology company.
In this conversation, Kibby discusses the founding of She Lit and why it’s important for her to highlight women’s written work.
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Editor’s Note: See Jane Write now publishes articles and personal essays by writers who identify as women, non-binary folks, and our allies. Learn more here.
I remember the drive down the long, winding road to my place of employment, passing all the same restaurants, shopping centers and offices I had gone by almost every day for the past 10 years. After months of thinking, praying and analyzing the situation from all angles, I knew I was doing the right thing. Still, as I got closer to the parking lot, my heart felt like it was going to explode.
I was about to break the news to my manager, supervisors and co-workers that after a decade of being a faithful employee at a major retail chain, I was leaving to pursue my passion for writing full-time.
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Editor’s Note: See Jane Write now publishes articles and personal essays by writers who identify as women, non-binary folks, and our allies. Learn more here.
A few years back, I was a writer who did not write. I even wrote about it on my blog. I had several excuses, including not having the time, or so I claimed. I told myself that life was too busy for the luxury of just writing. Plus, I did not think receiving compensation for my writing could be a reality. The thrill of my first paid byline in college had become a faded memory despite receiving a free product or a gift card here and there over the years in exchange for an honest review on my blog.
Then things changed. A pandemic. A social reckoning. Me. And I thirsted for an outlet to share my voice. Watching the video of George Floyd was the catalyst for my hand to pick up a pen again and write. I began to write everything all the time. Poems. Essays. Children’s books. A 5th-grade chapter book and more. Most of it has been for my eyes only, and those I ask to proofread, but some have made it out into the world and landed on magazines’ virtual and actual pages. And for this, I am genuinely grateful to those who have helped me water these seeds. I am thankful that these seeds have been allowed to bloom within me. And I am pleased that I can now call myself a freelance writer who receives compensation for her writing.
But I must be intentional to sustain my love for writing. So here are my tips for nurturing a passion for writing, even when life gets busy.