writing life

Member of the Month: Dondra Goldsby

“You deserve more ease.” Whenever I read those words from Dondra Goldsby – whether they’re in the caption of an Instagram Reel or in her new book – I feel like I’ve been given a permission slip to let go of the weight of overwhelm. Dondra – a writer, coach, and licensed therapist – recently released It’s Lighter Over Here: A Guide for High Achieving Women Who Already Do Enough. Even the title of Dondra’s book makes me feel better, reassuring me that I’m already doing enough and it’s okay to relax, to delegate, to say no.

I’m proud to say that Dondra is not only a member of the See Jane Write Collective but is also an ambassador for the group. She hosts virtual cowriting sessions for the Collective on most Thursdays at noon.

On Thursday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m. CT, Dondra will be leading an online workshop for members of See Jane Write and Alabama Writers’ Cooperative that will show us, writers, that we don’t have to sacrifice our well-being to achieve our goals. Sign up for the workshop, titled The Well-Rested Writer, HERE.

Because of her new book, her upcoming workshop, and all the ways she inspires others to see the best in themselves, Dondra is the See Jane Write Member of the Month. Read on to learn more about Dondra.

(more…)

Write Out Loud: Sharing Your Writing with Others

Sharing your writing with others is one of the best things you can do for your writing life.

Now, if you’ve shared your work with a friend, family member, or teacher who told you you’d be better off keeping your writing to yourself, you might disagree. But I’m going to show you how to turn what was meant for evil into good! More on that later.

First, let’s talk about why I think you should share your writing.

(more…)

You Don’t Have to Write Alone: Why Writers Need a Writing Community

If you’re not making progress on your book, blog or other writing goals, a writing community might be the missing puzzle piece you need.

Writing is often a solitary activity – but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, I believe writers need other writers. Period. That’s the reason See Jane Write exists. Without a community to hold us accountable, work, family, and everyday life can easily push our goals to the back burner.

(more…)

The Reporter’s Re-entry: Reclaiming the ‘I’ in a World of Third-Person Narratives

Editor’s Note: See Jane Write publishes guest articles by writers who identify as women, non-binary folks, and our allies. Learn more here.

By Mary Chiney

The first thing they teach you in a newsroom is how to disappear.

As a journalist, your training is a masterclass in the art of the invisible. You are taught to stand in the back of the room, notebook pressed against a damp palm, recording the vibrations of someone else’s brilliance while your own voice stays tucked safely behind a press pass. For years, I have made a living in the third person. I have dissected the discographies of global icons for The Quietus, mapped the rising trajectories of African trailblazers for The Recording Academy (Grammy.com) and Afrocritik, and translated the raw, sonic vulnerability of artists like Kid Cudi and Amaarae into the polished, intellectual prose required by “reputable publications.”

In the high-stakes world of culture journalism, the “I” is a liability. To say “I felt” is to invite the ghost of “unprofessionalism” into the room. We are taught that the story is the subject, and we are merely the lens, transparent, unbiased, and essentially, silent.

But lately, I’ve been thinking about the cost of that transparency. When you spend all your time building legacies for others, what happens to the architecture of your own soul? I saw the call for submissions for See Jane Write, and it felt like a mirror being held up to a face I hadn’t looked at in years. It asked a question that journalists rarely ask themselves: Are you the author of your own life, or are you just the biographer of everyone else’s?

(more…)