Dear World

Please Kill Me,

Greetings my unwieldy conglomerate of co-conspirators (anyone else notice, that the insults are basically turning into inception, #justathought). Anyway – Monday’s over, how was it? Just about as annoying as a new week (And FUCK -a new month), can be expected to be.

That’s right kids it’s August. As the backpackers return from their summer excursions, and the masses re-focus on their goals, we (writers) have been patiently waiting- honing our skills (preparing for the final attack), or ya’ know -just kinda hanging around. For those of you on the former and not the latter – these upcoming months may prove to be the window of opportunity that you’ve been training for all summer.

This particular time period (last quarter of the year) is prime real estate to stake your claim in the literary world, (or at the very least -plant a flag in it). If you’ve been following my advice (or more likely your own gut) – than you’ve spent your summer building upon your skill, amassing a knowledge of various literary works, writing your own (finished or unfinished, still -very good job), and are essentially a walking turret gun (prepared to eviscerate your foes and easily tackle challenges. #Boss).

As for the question of why this is an amazing time to be a (prepared) writer – the last quarter of the year is when publications, journals, and presses (large and small) have a high demand for new /fresh material.  With the coming of the final quarter also comes the predictable turnover of people – this presents a great opportunity for those with adequate qualifications. So if you’ve stayed on top of your writing, this may be your time to shine.

My suggestion: Get your resume in order. Start job hunting and submitting as much of your (completed) work as humanly possible – to EVERYWHERE POSSIBLE ,(freelance or otherwise). There is no such thing as a negative addition to your curriculum vitae. Check out (pw.org) for contests and presses open to the public. Don’t be too shy to go looking for other sites as well.

Now, to address the people that actually enjoyed their summer (i.e. slacked off on their writing) , this isn’t necessarily a death note to your aspirations – though admittedly you’re at quite a disadvantage.

I know, I know – you’ve got tons of writing stored, saved, stashed away. Sure….you can throw a quick a resume together. But, the hard truth is – if you’ve been away too long, you’ve taken a few steps backward. Always remember that the skill of which you write (though quantified by your own natural limitations.), is like any other muscle – if you haven’t been using it, it will fail you when it comes time to do some heavy lifting.

Don’t be too dismayed, though. Unlike a muscle, the time it takes for you to return to the skill level at which you left can be relatively short, depending (of course) on your own mental endurance, and the length of your absence.

I will warn you, however, that the hardest part is forcing your mind to return to that mental gym. Inspiration will avoid you, motivation will be fickle, and you’ll hate yourself the first couple of times you attempt to get back in The Chair. (Oddly enough, getting back into writing, is comparable to quitting cigarettes. And like quitting cigarettes, it requires absolute focus.)

My suggestion: Get back to basics. A good place to start is by editing something that you’ve previously written. Reacquaint yourself with the tediousness of the process . Remember why you loved it and why you returned to it. When you’re ready, start a new project. As I said -you’ll still be behind, but at least you’ll be on your way to catching up.

So there you have it –Access. Now is the time guys. No matter what your circumstances, doubts, or fears – NOW IS THE TIME. The only question is, what are you gonna’ do about it?

Man, this post was kind of serious. Let’s end on a high note!

KABOOM!,

-Antwan Crump.