Hey you!

Welcome Black to Oh, Write! How’s your life? I hope things are going well in your world.

As for me, the sun’s been giving me a lil’ extra serotonin boost. I’m out here taking walks for fun and drinking up alllll that sunlight.

But, on the day I’m writing this intro it’s currently 23 degrees outside. Didn’t the calendar say that spring started like last week? Somebody lied.

Anyway—I hope you enjoy issue #32 boo! Nia out!

Writer’s Log #19

The first journal I remember having was palm-sized, its cover plastered with a black and white kitten in a myriad of adorable poses. Its most appealing feature was a silver lock and key that kept it closed and away from prying eyes. Privacy, even the illusion of it, excited me at 8 years old.

Back then, my journal entries were a drama-free documentation of my daily life: video games I rented from Blockbuster, TV shows I watched on Nickelodeon, adventures I had with my childhood best friend. I’d often address my journal as if it were a close friend, ending my entries with “See ya!”.

As I started middle school and my emotions matured, my relationship with my journal did the same. We talked less about video games and more about how I felt—about everything: being bullied, growing apart from my childhood friends, crushes.

The words I wrote in my journal were words I told no one. I had grown more reserved with age, unclear of how to deal with puberty and the changes that came with it. I dealt with it all by writing: in my journal and online. It always felt good to get it out, whatever it was at that moment.

Almost twenty years later, journaling has served a deeper purpose than documentation—often being a lifeline. But, I long to bring the practice back to its low-stakes roots.

My current journal has a leather cover, bordered with a gold trim. It’s discolored, giving an appearance of age that stems far beyond my years. I bought it in March 2021. It was a replacement for a similar journal I received as a gift at 12-years-old. I wrote in it for 13 years, on and off.

While as a child I wrote in my journal daily, now I only write a few times a month—during a good month. I journal when my emotions are at their peak, writing whatever’s on my mind, crudity be damned.

The words I write in my journal are words I tell no one. But, I’m far more comfortable with expressing myself than I was when I was a kid.

I’ll establish boundaries with a quickness. I’ll cut people off. I’ll cuss a motherfucker out. But, there are still parts of my life I want to discuss without having to tell them to an actual human being. So, I turn to the OG: my journal.

My thoughts often feel like a constantly growing knot, with each thought piling onto another, until the knot is so big that I can’t even remember where it all began. Journaling is unraveling the knot.

I feel lighter afterwards. Freer. Less likely to smack someone across the mouth. But, I don’t want my relationship with my journal to just be one where I’m constantly screaming expletives in its face.

I want journaling to be a daily practice, like it was when I was a child. I want to divulge every detail, even details I don’t think are interesting. It may not be interesting now, at 26, but it’ll probably blow my mind at 36, 46, and 56.

I see the effects now, reading the entries I wrote at 8 years old and smiling from ear to ear. I fall into a sea of gratitude, happy that I was able to make it to 26 and have the ability to reminisce.

Turning Red is One of the Best Pixar Movies of All Time, Don’t Argue With Me, Argue With Yo’ Momma

Ya girl has recently completed her 100 Albums in 2022 challenge! Can I get a whoop whoop! My 100th album was Latto’s 777—bangers on bangers on bangers.

I been needed some new baddie music y’all. Latto delivered.

Also, I recently watched Turning Red on Disney +. It was such a fantastic movie. As a girl of the 2000s, the movie was lowkey made for me. I felt connected with its main character, Mei, in so many ways. I’ve never related to any movie like I related to Turning Red.

Turning Red is the movie I wish I had when I was coming up. I completely balled at the ending, like cuddling my pillow, screaming, tears on my T-shirt kind of crying. That’s when you know it’s real.

But, it is a Pixar movie, and I don’t think there’s a Pixar movie I watched where I didn’t cry at some point—maybe Cars 2?

I’m also obsessed with the movie’s music, including the tracks from its fictional 2000s boy band 4*TOWN. The music is so quintessentially 2000s bubblegum pop. I love it.

Back in My Bag, And It’s a Cute Ass Bag

I’ve written about 12 poems since I decided to get back into poetry the last issue. It feels good to get back into my poet bag—my deep, deep, black velvet poet bag. *readjusts beret*

I did come across a possible idea for Camp NaNoWriMo next month…

…that I’ve been workshopping a bit, but I’m also open to just doing whatever else comes to me.

But, it’s cool what dope stuff’ll spring up in your mind when you just give yourself space to create, without fear or deadline.

Here’s a Question For You

I’m a big champion of documenting your life. I’ve always loved to journal, as I mentioned in this issue’s writer’s log. But, there are many different ways of immortalizing your memories, like photography or scrapbooking.

How do you document your life? Share your fave activities with your girl! If you don’t often do it, what way of documenting are you most interested in? Some fun examples I’ve seen are bullet journaling, art journaling, the 1 Second Everyday app, and the 365 Project.

Leave me a comment below OR send me an email at our fancy, schmancy new digital mailbox: ohwrite1@gmail.com.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Did you enjoy this issue? Be sure to share it with your favorite people! We almost at 100 subscribers and, ya know, maybe I’ll do something special when we get there—like a giveaway. (remind me I said this when we hit 100 lmao)

Share Oh, Write

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

What’s poppin’ homies? How’ve y’all been? It’s been a hot minute since we’ve kicked it.

BTW, sorry for the delay on this issue. Life out here lifin’. The universe’s trying to jump me, and y’all know I can’t fight.

But yet, we keep going, keep thriving, keep being pretty. You feel me?

This transition from winter to spring has come with a lot of wild changes, even in my creative life. Y’all will hear more about that, and more, in this issue’s writer’s log.

Enjoy issue #31 babes! Thank y’all for the continued support!

Writer’s Log #18

After spending two months straight working on a book, burnout had your girl in a headlock. I started to hate my story. I woke up royally annoyed that I “had” to work on it every day. My heart was screaming in my ear that I needed space from this project. So, I decided to take a break from working on it.

I love creating book-length pieces, putting together the building blocks of the story, the exciting exploration that comes with writing a first draft. It’s like binge-watching the best TV show on the planet (is this a flex?), where you truly have no idea what’ll happen next.

One of the best parts of actively writing is witnessing random ideas pop into your head that, somehow, fit perfectly into the story you’re creating.

But, editing a book-length piece is a lot of work. If you really want to write a book, you’ve got to be completely dedicated to that idea. You’ve got to be in love with it.

You’ve got to be willing to give a lot of creative energy, nearly every day, to that one idea. And when, the prospect of being “done” seems so far off, the whole process of bringing a book from start to finish can get frustrating really quickly.

I might have to shift gears on how I’m going to execute this project. I’m more interested in bringing smaller projects to fruition. Maybe I can break it apart?

But, for now, I’m going to take a break from that behemoth of a story.

Lately, I’ve been writing poetry, which has been a truly nostalgic experience.

When I first started writing in childhood, I wrote poems and songs. I had this blue, sparkly, spiral notebook that I’d write everything in. At the end of the school year, the notebook was filled to the brim, its pages curling and greyed with pencil lead.

In adulthood, poems intimidated me. I’d get in my own head about it, on the trek for the “right” word or the “right” metaphor. I set these blurry, yet ridiculously high standards for my work. But, I had a meeting last week with a local writing group that reminded me that there are no rules to poetry. It’s whatever I want it to be.

I’ve been reading a lot more poetry too, especially over at The Poetry Foundation. They’ve got an extensive, free archive of poems over there. Here’s a link to a poem that’s currently stuck in my head from the late poet Lucille Clifton, homage to my hips.

I want to turn stepping out of my own way and writing what’s on my heart into a daily practice. I think poetry’ll give me a great space to do just that.

My Rock Band Is Uber Popular, NBD

I’ve been completely obsessed with Rock Band recently, specifically Rock Band 3. My sister pulled the Rock Band guitar out of a dark corner of our parents’ house, and we’ve been obsessed ever since. My band BITNB (Black is the New Black) currently has over 150 million fans—thank you very much.

It’s gotten me more into rock music, and I’ve been listening to a few different rock albums over the past few weeks.

Since I’m a Black millennial of course I had to listen to Paramore. I listened to their 2009 album Brand New Eyes—which I didn’t know I listened to ages ago and was already obsessed with?

Following the all-knowing guidance of TikTok, I also listened WILLOW’s lately I feel EVERYTHING and enjoyed it a hell of a lot. And the fact that she has a song with Avril Lavigne? I’m jelly.

I’m a Poet and I Didn’t Even Know It (Okay, That’s a Lie I Kinda Did)

Here’s a poem that hasn’t seen the light of day—yet. Since y’all are the homies, I guess I can give y’all a sneak peek.

the sky always says
i should come home more often

There is peace in Mother Nature’s womb,
sweet scent of flowers, freshly bloomed,
ocean waves crashing onto shore, 
a golden hour evermore. 

My face droops low, 
covered in Aloe, 
body at rest, 
deep within oblivion. 

She embraces me with warm winds.
They dance with a power I’ll always respect
but never understand. 

Here’s a Question For You

I’m on the hunt to read more poetry, in all its forms. Do you have a favorite poem? What about a song you can’t get enough of, or a specific lyric? Share your faves with ya girl!

Leave me a comment below OR send me an email at our fancy, schmancy new digital mailbox: ohwrite1@gmail.com.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Did you enjoy this issue? Be sure to share it with your favorite people! We almost at 100 subscribers and, ya know, maybe I’ll do something special when we get there—like a giveaway. (remind me I said this when we hit 100 lmao)

Share Oh, Write

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

The weather is warming up and I’m equal parts confused and excited. It feels like winter just started. But, the reality is that our good sis spring will be here very, very soon.

I’m a big fan of spring cleaning, but I usually declutter my physical surroundings a few times throughout the year. What needs more decluttering is my mind. Hella thoughts over here and most are in this big ol’ noggin causing trouble.

Lately, I’ve been trying to combat my natural tendency to overthink—and it’s been working. *gasp* In this issue’s writer’s log, I’ll be sharing my journey with y’all.

Also, happy 30th issue! Dirty thirty y’all! It’s giving consistency. Enjoy the issue!

Writer’s Log #17

I am a chronic overthinker, especially when it comes to my writing. I lose sleep over deciding inconsequential details like the name of my main character’s cousin’s mom’s girlfriend, or the love interest’s favorite breakfast cereal.

Overthinking puts my self-doubt into overdrive, slows down my creative process, and just isn’t cute—at all.

Recently, I’ve been trying different methods to minimize my overthinking.

My life changed when I found this first method, no cap

The first step is being aware of the problem and what triggers it. The main method I’ve used to gain internal awareness is meditation.

I cannot sing the praises of meditation loud enough. Even if I hit Jennifer Hudson levels, it still wouldn’t be loud enough.

I was first introduced to it through Sarah Wilson’s book First, We Make the Beast Beautiful as a way of dealing with anxiety. I think I read the book in early 2020. I started meditating using the free app Insight Timer and soon fell in love.

Meditation feels like I’m visiting my true self, the one that lives deep, deep, deep down in my soul. I’m trying to learn more about her through each passing day.

With each visit, I have an easier time understanding how my brain works and giving myself my grace when things don’t work out the way I hoped they would.

Understanding your own mind is hard as heck. It takes consistent practice. But I’ve learned that when I put in the work, my daily life gets better.

This is for all my easily distracted baddies

Along with being an overthinker, I’m easily distracted. All it takes is a glimpse of something else that’s vaguely interesting to take me away from whatever project I’m working on.

I’m the type of person that’ll hop on YouTube to research houses from a particular time period, to add some razzle-dazzle to my descriptions, and end up still on YouTube hours later watching compilations of home reveals from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

You can’t control every opportunity to get distracted, but you can control some—like your notifications.

If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and get easily distracted by notifications, I recommend that you use their Focus feature. I’ve had Apple products for years on years but only in the past few months have I used Focus.

Here’s a description of Focus from Apple’s official support page:

Focus lets you stay in the moment when you need to concentrate or step away from your device. You can customize Focus settings and choose when you want to receive alerts and notifications, while letting other people and apps know when you’re busy.

You can even customize different modes for different parts of your day, like when you’re working or going to sleep.

We pay too much money for these dang devices for them to be running us, dragging our attention a thousand different ways with notifications that are 99% of the time not important.

We got things to do, like tap into our beautiful creative minds.

If you’re trying to get over overthinking, don’t overthink it. Make a plan with yourself to learn more about why you be thinking so dang much, whether that’s through meditation, therapy, journaling, etc. Then, analyze your findings, be honest with yourself about what you need, and take action.

It’s obviously way harder than A + B = C. It takes time, effort, and a heck of a lot of tenacity. I still backtrack all the time. But, that just comes with being a human being.

Sometimes it’s hard to give myself grace, but I try my dang-est to treat myself with a certain softness. Give yourself grace during this process too. You deserve it.

My Brain is Basically 90% Music

As of writing this issue, I just finished listening to album #62 for my 100 New Albums in 2022 challenge—gasp. It was Vic Mensa’s new EP Vino Valentino. I’ve had such a crush on him since I heard his mixtape INNANETAPE back in 2014.

His previous project, 2021’s V Tape, was the best project I’ve heard from him in a while. Vino Valentino was dope too. It’s nice to hear him in his romance bag. My favorite song was “Can I Call U Baby”. I love how groovy the beat is.

Sometimes I Create, Sometimes I Don’t

Recently, I’ve been in more of a consuming mood. But, I have been putting in some minor book work, and I also finished a random little flash fiction story on Medium—here’s a free link to check it out!

A Question For You

Spring is a season of renewal—so it’s a perfect time to get your Marie Kondo on. What kinds of spring cleaning are you doing this year? Are you taking on your clothes? Your thoughts? Your relationships? Your collection of Seventeen magazines from the 2000s? Let me know!

Leave me a comment below OR send me an email at our fancy, schmancy new digital mailbox: ohwrite1@gmail.com.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Did you enjoy this issue? Be sure to share it with your favorite people! We almost at 100 subscribers and, ya know, maybe I’ll do something special when we get there—like a giveaway. (remind me I said this when we hit 100 lmao)

Share Oh, Write

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

It’s a new month: February! In case you didn’t know it, it is Black History Month! …The shortest month of the year.

(Leave me a comment if you know what 2000s show that quote is from!)

This Black History Month, I’m trying to dive into the history of Black women writers that have come before me. I’ll discuss it more in my writer’s log!

Let’s cruise right into issue #29 folks. Sending y’all love, light, and peace wherever you are.

Writer’s Log #16

When I was in school, Black History Month felt so unimportant. Every year, they’d spin the same over-simplified, pre-approved narratives about Black leaders. 

Occasionally, the school would put up a themed bulletin board in a high-traffic area of the school with a long list of “forgotten Black heroes” or “fast facts”. Maybe. 

When we were done staring at the bulletin board for five seconds, recognizing that the school acknowledged the existence of Black History Month, we’d go back to our state-sanctioned curriculums that glorified slave owners. 

But now, at my big age of 26, I’m long removed from public school and have the additional brain cells, and overall context, to understand the problem with my past education and seek out information about Black history on my own accord.

The streets say we’re in the informational age — right? It’s time to gain some more information. 

The #1 thing that I’ve realized, while learning about Black history on my own, is that American history is Black history. Black people have had a hand in so many different aspects of American history. But, I never learned anything about that in school.

What else is being hidden about American history? 

Recently, I watched Netflix’s High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. It blew my mind. Everyone should check it out. Kids should be watching documentaries like these in school. 

America has so much pride in its cuisine. We should know the history behind it. But, we don’t? Why? Because it’s Black as hell.

The fact that I, and many others, don’t know the history behind the foods we eat isn’t by coincidence. Some people are scared, terrified even, of Black people understanding their power and influence, fully. 

Maybe that’s why the humanity of Black people is always a discussion topic. I find it funny how it’s usually debated by two old white guys, like during the presidential debates, as if either would be an expert on the topic. 

I don’t want to put this month, and the teaching of Black history as a whole, in the hands of a society that never intended to tell it, and especially not the whole truth.

I’m going to figure it out for myself. 

How I began my journey to learn more about my Black history

Last night, I started to watch the 2019 documentary film Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. Within minutes of watching the film, I started crying.

Morrison was talking about the power of words. Her eyes were looking directly at the camera. I felt seen like she was speaking directly to me.

I felt Toni Morrison’s sincerity and passion from moment one. And, to see that she was a writer like me?

Tears. So many tears.

I wondered how being introduced to Toni Morrison would have hit me at 12. At that age, I had just started writing in my spare time. I was writing remixes to popular songs and love poems to guys in my grade. 

I often wrote behind closed, locked doors or in the wee hours of the night. But, in those hours, deep in the creative confines of my mind, I’d never felt more alive. I’d also never felt more alone.

I was the only writer I knew. Most people I knew only wrote for school assignments. They treated the act as a chore. I felt alien, afraid to proclaim my love for the written word. 

As I learned about Toni Morrison’s story, I was no longer an outlier. I was a part of a long-standing history of Black female writers that stretched longer and farther than my mind could ever imagine. 

Being provided with positive representation should be a birthright. Seeing someone who looks like you doing what you want to do is a game-changer. It gives you the confidence to try it for yourself and dare to dream of success.

I hope Black kids, these days, have an easier time finding positive representation than I did. When I was a kid, I wasn’t even aware that Black women wrote. But, I figure it’s better late than never. 

I’m going to dive into the long history of Black women writers throughout February, and into forever. It feels so good to be seen, heard, and feel less alone — finally. 

How Much Content Did You Consume? A Lot *21 Savage Voice*

I’m deep into my 100 albums in 2022 Challenge. At the point of writing this, I just finished listening to my 44th album. Yes, I know it’s only February.

One of the albums I enjoyed listening to recently was Baby Tate’s After the Rain: Deluxe. I loved the overall message of prioritizing self-love.

I’m also, finally, getting back into reading. I recently downloaded the Bookly app on my phone to see if gamifying reading could get me back on my reading kick. It may have worked! I’ve read every day for the past four days.

I just started reading Zadie Smith’s Swing Time and it’s really good (although, I keep wanting to call her Zazie Beetz, the actress from Atlanta and The Harder They Fall, but I have to keep reminding myself that’s not her dang name!!)

I love Smith’s descriptions. They really paint a picture.

Ya Girl Be Creating Or Whatever

Novel Update: Ya girl is in the middle of developmental editing. I’m about halfway through trying to re-map out the plot of v.2 of the book. I did finish the previous version of this draft, but I realized that the plot of the first half was boring as hell and needed to scrap it. Gotta be able to kill your darlings—right? *sobs in writer*

I’ve also written a few Medium articles, including this one for one of my fave publications, The Brain is a Noodle, about what I’d do with an extra $500, “This Post is Me Trying to Manifest a Windfall". (This is a free link to the article!)

Today’s Question For You

Valentine’s Day is usually marketed as a day only for celebrating romantic love. But, it’s really about love in all its forms, including self-love!

Take the time to show yourself some love this Valentine’s Day.

How are you planning to treat yourself this Valentine’s Day? What are some of your favorite self-love practices that you utilize throughout your day-to-day life? Leave me a comment below OR send me an email with your thoughts at our fancy, schmancy new digital mailbox: ohwrite1@gmail.com.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Did you enjoy this issue? Be sure to share it with your favorite people! We almost at 100 subscribers and, ya know, maybe I’ll do something special when we get there—like a giveaway. (remind me I said this when we hit 100 lmao)

Share Oh, Write

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

Welcome to the future! It’s 2022. How you livin’? Are you still going strong on your New Year’s resolutions or have you already given up?

Either way—same. Some resolutions I’ve been kicking butt at, like my resolution to listen to 100 albums in 2022. But others, like my resolution to meditate every day, have been a complete and utter failure.

Having January 1st as a “fresh start” is cool—but it’s also just an arbitrary date. Cultures around the world celebrate the new year at a variety of different times (here’s an Insider article with a list of a few).

Your day 1 can come whenever you’re ready for it.

As I mentioned in previous issues, this year I’m doing a bit of tidying and redesigning to Oh, Write, to spice things up a bit—like our fancy new banner and logo!

*pauses for inevitable oohs and ahs*

Want to see what else has changed and what’ll come in the future? Keep reading!

Enjoy issue #28 my beautiful and creative internet homies!

Writer’s Log #15: 

So—if you follow me on Medium, you probably already know what I’m about to gush about: writing the first novel that I plan to release publicly.

I first started working on this story for Camp NaNoWriMo in July 2020, which was about a year and a half ago.

A few months ago, I started thinking over the idea of releasing a novel serially. My first instinct was to release the book for paid Substack subscribers only. But, now, I think I’m going to release it on Medium and Substack simultaneously—for free.

When all the chapters are out, I plan to self-publish the whole thing in an e-book (or physical book? or both?) on Amazon.

Out of all the drafts collecting dust on my computer, I chose my Camp NaNoWriMo to work with—because who doesn’t love a little rom-com razzle-dazzle in a world that gets increasingly more depressing as the days go by?

I revamped the story’s plot and characters throughout the month of December.

Here are a few resources that I used during my prep that really helped me better organize the elements of my story:

1. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel – Jessica Brody [My general knowledge of this beat sheet helped me create a realistic, yet eventful plot. But, I really cracked this bad boy open to flesh out my character backstories. Her section on creating a hero really helped me out. Here’s a free mini-resource, from the official Save the Cat website, about creating a dope hero.]

2. ServiceScape’s “8 Ways a Scene List Can Make Writing Your Novel Easier” [This quality article heavily influenced how I formatted my scene list.]

3. Well-Storied’s Blog Archive [Well-Storied is probably one of my favorite websites on writing–period. Shout out to the author, Kristen Kieffer, for creating a quality website with so many great, free resources. I personally used the Characterization section a ton, especially character roles. But, I ain’t gonna hold you, all of her articles are fan-freakin’-tastic] 

With a redesigned story and characters, I started writing the first draft on January 1st of this year. As of right now (I’m writing this log on Monday, January 17th) I’m at just over 26,000 words.

The question you may have lingering on your mind is: “Nia, when are you going to release it?”

I’m not sure. I’ve never published a book before so I don’t know how my timeline’ll look. But, what I do know, is that I’m working on it (nearly) every day to get it where it needs to be: actually good.

I want this story to be the best I can possibly make it. So, I can’t rush the process. I’ve got to just put the time in.

My ideal goal would be to release it at the end of spring/beginning of summer. But, will that actually happen? That’s anyone’s guess. But I’m going to try.

Cheers to trying, and especially trying in public, because that in particular, is scary as hell.

The Many Things I Consumed Over the Past Month-Ish

As a fun 2022 resolution, I declared that I was going to listen to 100 new (to me) albums in 2022. At the point of writing this newsletter, I’ve listened to 22.

That’s wild. I know.

I’ve listened to over a fifth of the albums I’d like to listen to this entire year, and January’s not even over yet.

I guess I just really like music, or whatever.

I’m currently documenting my challenge on my Medium account, with the publication The Riff. They’re a great music-focused pub on Medium; be sure to check them out!

Here are the links to the articles that I’ve already written about the challenge. (These are all friend links—so they’re free to read at any time without a monthly subscription to Medium.)

Introductory Article: “I’m Going to Listen to 100 New Albums in 2022”

Albums I’ve Written About:

1. “Why Y’all Ain’t Tell Me That Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” Was So Good”

2. “Lucky Daye’s Saved Me a Seat at His “Table for Two” And I’m Here For It”

3. Tems’ “If Orange Was a Place” Passes The Vibe Check With Flying Colors

4. Erykah Badu’s “Mama’s Gun” Is the Blueprint For Today’s R&B Girls

5. “Kokoroko’s Self-Titled EP Reminded Me That Jazz is My Love Language”

Also, I don’t know if y’all have noticed—but we’re living in a golden age of Black television. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen as many Black television shows on at the same time. The ones that I’m watching, right now, are Euphoria, Abbott Elementary (give Quinta Brunson her flowers y’all she is kicking ASS), and Grand Crew.

But there are so many that are currently on air. Please go support these shows! Here are the other ones I can remember off the top of my head: Our Kind of People, Queens, Power Book II: Ghost, and Naomi.

I Created a Lot of Stuff Y’all

So, as for my creations, I’ve been putting most of my creative energy into this book. But, I’ve also gotten into the groove of creating public diary entries on Medium, which I’ve enjoyed.

Y’all know I love oversharing on the internet. It’s kind of my thing.

Here’s a free link to the latest one I wrote: “I Had an Existential Crisis After Watching Netflix’s Don’t Look Up”.

Today’s Question For You

One of my ideas, for the future of Oh, Write, is creating some sort of free coworking space. There are tons of places that would work well, whether it’s a Discord server, a Twitch live stream that people can watch and chat with each other in, a weekly/monthly Skype/Google Spaces/whatever call.

I’ve found a lot of value in online coworking spaces. I attended a ton of write-ins during NaNoWriMo, where we do writing sprints together. And, I like attending live writing sprint events that YouTubers hold.

Would you be interested in a coworking space? What would be your preferred platform be? Leave me a comment below OR send me an email with your thoughts at our fancy, schmancy new digital mailbox: ohwrite1@gmail.com.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Did you enjoy this issue? Be sure to share it with your homies and homiettes!

Share Oh, Write

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

Surprise! It’s me! I just wanted to hop into your inboxes for a hot second and give y’all a quick update on Oh, Write’s fabulous 2022 *throws glitter* rebrand *throws glitter*. As I mentioned in a previous issue, I plan on creating additional Substack content for paid subscribers.

There may be a slight shift in that initial plan. I may, instead, produce paid content on Patreon through a pay-what-you-can model, with tiers at $3, $5, or $10 a month.

Before I start producing, I need your input: What would you be interested in paying for?

Below are ideas I’ve had, but the possibilities are truly endless:

• A diverse book club w/monthly meetings

• A behind-the-scenes podcast or video series on being a content creator, independent author, whatever

• Weekly coworking sessions on Zoom/Discord/etc.

• Digital versions of future zines

• An interview series with creatives from Medium & beyond

• A serial fiction series updated weekly (this is actually coming!!)

• Life updates (I’d probably spill some more tea than usual LOL)

• Some fun community-building things: movie nights, game nights, live-streams, powerpoint parties LOL, some kind of fun event you can attend that’ll happen live.

If you have any comments, concerns, or ideas about paid content you’re interested in, please leave me a comment or send me a DM on Twitter or Instagram.

Leave a comment

Let me know what’s on your mind! I want to make sure that Oh, Write in 2022 levels up in as many ways as possible: production, value, etc.

Thank you x 10000 for all your support in 2021! This has been a beautiful year and I’m so happy with our growth!

Thank you for reading my words; even the ones that aren’t so edited and pristine like these lmao! Thank you for all the likes, comments, and shares! Let’s continue kicking butt in 2022!

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Did you enjoy this issue? Be sure to share it with your homies and homiettes!

Share Oh, Write

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

Y’all enjoying this holiday season? In the great state of Virginia, where I am, it’s been chaotically warm. I’m writing this the week before Christmas, and it’s currently 64 degrees outside—like huh???

Whether you’re diving headfirst into holiday traditions or counting down the days until 2022, I hope it’s all treating you well. 

Over here at Oh, Write, we’re going to take a holiday break to rest, recharge, and come back with a vengeance in 2022. I’m cooking up some fabulous new stuff for y’all and I’m excited for you guys to see it. 

The first new Oh, Write issue of 2022 will come out on January 18th. 

Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, or just happy almost making it through one of the weirdest years in recent memory. See y’all cool kids in 2022. 

Enjoy issue #27! 

Writer’s Log #14

I’m currently working on a short fiction zine that I plan to release in early 2022. I’ve been heavily into zines since I came across Kate Bingaman-Burt’s Skillshare class “Making Your First Zine: From Idea to Illustration”.

Print publication is a goal I’ve always glorified, even though I’ve accomplished print publication multiple times before. 

A few of my poems were published in the first volume of art released by Rum//mage, a publication based out of Richmond, Virginia, in the fall of 2019. 

I also had my work published in my university’s literary and art journal back in 2016. I typically brush off those accomplishments. 

In my subconscious mind, I glorify being published by magazines and newspapers or getting some fancy book deal by one of the big five publishing houses. 

Those are status-stabilizing bylines, proving that I’ve made it. 

But, I hate that my guidelines for “making it” are largely out of my hands. This is why I gravitate so strongly towards projects that are within my creative control, like zines. 

The University of Texas Libraries describes zines as, “…a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published unique work of minority interest, usually reproduced via photocopier.” 

The University of Texas Libraries also provides a mini-history on zines: 

“The word “zine” is a shortened form of the term fanzine, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Fanzines emerged as early as the 1930s among fans of science fiction. Zines also have roots in the informal, underground publications that focused on social and political activism in the ’60s. By the ’70s, zines were popular on the punk rock circuit. In the ’90s, the feminist punk scene propelled the medium and included such artists as Kathleen Hanna, who produced riot grrrl out of Olympia, Washington.”

Throughout the years I’ve spent in journalism, I’ve noticed that there are a lot of gatekeepers in the industry.

The standards of those gatekeepers are very elitist and don’t necessarily equate to better quality work. Those “standards” just end up shutting people out, whether it’s because of their education level, their gender, language, race, socioeconomic status (we’re looking at you unpaid internships), etc. 

Even if you get past those elitist-ass standards and actually get the job, there’s a good chance that you’ll be overworked and underpaid. There’s a good chance that your message will be morphed and edited to the point where it’s nearly unrecognizable. 

I’ve seen a lot over the past eleventy-hundred years (actually it’s deadass been 10 whole years!!!) I’ve been working in media and I wanna try something new — you feel me?

This flash fiction zine is essentially a trial run, so I can feel out how it’ll be to produce a zine and whether I’ll like it or not. I’m hoping to include five 100–200 word stories (fingers crossed).

There’s this vibrant zine community on Etsy that I just discovered, so I’ll try selling them on there. I love seeing everyone’s gorgeous pieces of art, and I want to try and develop one for myself. 

It’s also a family affair — my sister is helping me design it. She’s way, way more skilled at graphic design than I’ll ever be. 

I’m shooting for a February 2022 release. However this project manifests itself next year, I hope y’all enjoy this lil’ piece of my heart. 

Word to the wise: With the internet, you have more power over your own destiny as an artist than ever before. Don’t let the BS that gatekeepers push make you think that you’re not ready. This is your sign to start putting things out there. 

I shall leave you with this gem; one of my favorite TikToks from the account thejits_. I haven’t figured out how to embed TikToks on Substack (LMAO), but please check it out!

3 Things I Consumed

1. I just did my own crochet braids so I watched loads of movies during that process, including one of my favorite rom-coms: Crazy, Stupid, Love on HBO MAX

2. My favorite tweet about the hysteria surrounding Jack Harlow:

3. I replayed inFAMOUS Second Son on the PS4, and it low-key made me sad that there aren't any more major inFAMOUS games after this

3 Things I Created

1. About 15 flash fiction stories!! WOOO!

2. Hella character development & plot work on the novel I’m working on

3. This NEWSLETTER!! Hey hooooo!

Writing Prompts

1. This quote is giving quirky holiday rom-com vibes, from Reedsy’s “Best Holiday Writing Prompts”: Write about someone scrambling to finish a goal in the last few hours of the year.

2. Ever wanted to start an art journal? Art Journalist has some great ideas to document your holiday season in their post “30 Christmas & Holiday Themed Journal Prompts”

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

♪ Do you know what today is? It’s our anniversary. ♪

It’s Oh, Write’s birthday y’all! I wrote my first Oh, Write post on November 30, 2020—which means that it’s been over a dang year since I started Oh, Write.

It’s been a wild year of uplifting marginalized voices, sharing the roller coaster ride of my writing journey, and dishing out smokin’ hot takes on pop culture topics that literally no one asked for.

Me when I woke up the morning of November 30th:

From the bottom of my heart, I want to wish all of you a huge, ginormous thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. I grew up being obsessed with magazines and always wanted to make one of my own. This newsletter is the closest I’ve ever gotten—so it’s my lil’ baby.

I so appreciate that you’re taking time out of your day to read my words. Having someone find value, whether entertainment, information or something else entirely, in my words is something that I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid.

So, literally, you reading Oh, Write is making my dream come true. Thank you.

I have plans to further develop Oh, Write in 2022, including expanding to other online platforms and creating additional Substack content for paid subscribers.

Despite whatever changes in the future, this bimonthly newsletter will always be free.

Jam out with me to this classic by Tony! Toni! Toné! as we celebrate Oh, Write’s 1st birthday:

If you’re interested in gaining access to a backlog of my Medium articles, poems, and short stories, 190 pieces and counting, consider becoming a Medium member by using my referral link.

I get a part of your membership fee every month, so it’s a great way to support Oh, Write and my other creative endeavors.

If you’d rather just donate, whether it’s once, twice, or a billion times (if you’re, ya know, Mackenzie Bezos or something) I’m here for it! I have a Ko-fi; where you can easily buy me a coffee—it could be a lil’ birthday present or whatever. *smirk*

Writer’s Log #13

I recently won NaNoWriMo plus extra, writing over 72K words throughout November. As I massage my sore fingers, questioning the odd warmth that December has brought to my state, I wonder, “What the heck am I going to do now?”

Writing a novel in a month was beautifully bizarre. I spent most of the month in a blurry writing-induced trance. I only thought of the story that I wrote in that moment. I didn’t worry about the words that came before.

It’s what comes after that scares me: editing, rewrites, formatting, feedback, feedback, more feedback.

That’s why I’ve never taken a novel-length draft past its second draft. There’s so much work that takes it from the mound of clay you scavenge for during the drafting process and the vase that you present to the world.

What I can promise myself is that I’m going to try to make my NaNoWriMo 2021 project better. I see so much potential.

Every large goal seems so massive until you start. Each day, you accomplish small pieces of the project. Soon enough, after a blur of consistent, incremental progress, it’s done. Getting into that rhythm of productivity, like most things in life, is easier said than done. But, by golly, I’m going to try to make this project better.

Right now, in the month of holidays galore, I’m toying with the idea of serializing a different novel. I’d be able to bring one of the other NaNoWriMo projects that have been collecting dust on my Google Drive to life.

I’m in the super early stages of that process. I’m doing my first reread on one of the novels I’m considering serializing, and I’m realizing that this joint is awful. I’m low-key crying on the inside—but I’ll be iight.

But, there are elements in the story that I love, characters that have interesting backstories, dialogue that makes me giggle. If I mold it, it could be great. But, also, it could fail.

It’s difficult to understand that failure is a part of success. This process of working through my old WIPs is me trying to get over that fear of failure.

Because, what’s fear providing for me? Spontaneous breakouts and anxious spiraling? Ew.

2 Things I Consumed

1. A wild amount of reality TV:

Since my storytelling brain has been swept in my NaNoWriMo story, I’ve been occupying myself with reality TV. It doesn’t require too much analytical thought and I’m here for that. I’ve been swept up in 90 Day Journey, one of 90 Day Fiancé’s 103929 spinoffs.

I’ve seen most seasons of TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé. I’ve tried to rewatch certain seasons, but I typically spend my time fast-forwarding to my favorite couples anyway.

Since 90 Day Journey focuses on the journey of one couple at a time, it makes a ton more sense to me—and I can easily get my messy reality TV fix. (i.e. I’ve been recently watching Nicole and Azan’s journey. Their scenes are so entertaining.)

I also just finished the recent season of Lifetime’s Married at First Sight: Dallas. That’s messy reality TV at its finest.

2. The entire @Sidetalknyc TikTok account:

Described as “New York’s one-minute street show”, this account captures the most hilarious interviews I’ve ever seen in my life.

A few of their TikToks went viral, which led me to binge practically every TikTok they’ve got. Time well spent, I’d say.

BING BONG.

2 Things I Created

1. I created a whole book sis. *does a victory pose* Here’s a free link to my week 3/week 4/final nano update!

2. I’m currently exploring micro-fiction (100 words or less). I’m trying to write a piece of micro-fiction a day. I was introduced to micro-fiction by Ran Walker, an author that I found through a pep talk he wrote for last year’s Camp NaNoWriMo. He’s got this novel composed of 100-word stories, A Burst of Gray, which is probably one of the coolest ideas for a novel I’ve ever seen. I had to take a crack at the form and see what’s up!

Writing Prompts

1. I really love this prompt from “25 SCIFI AND FANTASY HOLIDAY WRITING PROMPTS” by writer, actor, and director Justin McLachan, “While hiking in the woods, a man and his partner come across a reindeer that seems to desperately want to be followed.”

2. This journaling prompt is from Lifestyle Anytime’s “52 Easy Journaling Prompts for Beginners”: “Where do I see myself in 1 year from now….”

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you! 

Anybody out there feeling depleted of energy? Me too, sis. The combination of Daylight Savings Time ending, the beginning of the holiday season, and the realization that 2022 is less than two months away has me a bit tied.

If you’re feeling like you’re being pulled a thousand different ways, I feel you. I hope you’re getting some me time, and you’ll continue to prioritize me time within the blur of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years that’ll send the next few weeks into overdrive.

If you’re interested in gaining access to a backlog of my Medium articles, poems, and short stories, 190 pieces and counting, consider becoming a Medium member by using my referral link.

I get a part of your membership fee every month, so it’s a great way to support Oh, Write and my other creative endeavors.

If you’d rather just donate, whether it’s once, twice, or a billion times (if you’re, ya know, Mackenzie Bezos or something) I’m here for it! I have a Ko-fi; where you can easily buy me a coffee.

Writer’s Log #12.5

Sis, I’ve got to keep it 100 with you. I didn’t have the time to write a separate writer’s log for my Substack homies.

With work and NaNoWriMo, it’s been a lot. But, I’ve been doing weekly updates about NaNoWriMo on Medium—which are basically writer’s logs.

Here are free links to Week 1 and Week 2 of my NaNoWriMo 2021 weekly updates. With these links, you don’t need a subscription and you can read them as much as you want. So, it’s technically it’s a two-in-one special. We love a deal!

3 Things I Consumed

1. Netflix’s The Harder They Fall (a very fun watch! I’ve never been a western kind of girl; but they put the right people in this one to make even me a believer. Everybody did well up in this piece; i was so here for it. And that soundtrack? Chile that was splendid.) 

2. Hallease’s video podcast Tryna Be Somebody episode with Jade Fox (ooh, i watched this while i had my morning tea and it was so good. Like, i love a great conversation and this was a great conversation. Content creators especially will get a lot of quality info from this) 

3. Episodes 2, 3, and 4 of the new season of HBO’s Insecure (dog, this show is so good. it’s one of my favorite shows i’ve ever seen. and, when it ends, i’ll have to pour one out for insecure, a real one.)

2 Things I Created

1. It’s NaNo season baby! I’ve been spending the majority of my free time putting in work on this big, beautiful, messy AF rough draft. At the point of writing this, I’m at 22,540 words. We’re almost at the halfway point, so there’s no turning back now. (Nia from the future strikes again! 40,089 words!)

2. Because I’m me, I took a few minutes to gush on The Dream’s timeless 2008 anthem “I Luv Your Girl”.

Writing Prompts

1. I saw this picture when I’d first pulled up Pinterest—and in my soul I know there could be an awesome story behind it. Who is this woman? What era did she live in? What event is she dressed up for, and does she even want to be there? 

2. Write a story taking entirely on Black Friday, but try it in a new genre, like horror, science fiction, or romance. Here are a few random ideas I have: Do aliens have their own take on Black Friday? Do time travelers move in and out of different Black Fridays to secure their own deals? What about a ghost that only haunts a local department store on Black Friday?

3. This journaling prompt is from The Bliss Bean’s “75 Journaling Prompts for Your Best Life”: “How would you describe your relationship with your phone/other technology in your life?”

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

Happy November, National Novel Writing Month and Month Where We Eat Lots of Food and Say Thanks for Stuff! Today’s also Election Day!

There are important elections taking place throughout the US today. This is your reminder to go out and vote today if there’s an election taking place near you. Make your voice heard!

Big news! I’m the brand spankin’ new Social Media Specialist for Age of Empathy, a wonderful creative nonfiction-focused publication on Medium ran by the amazing, talented AF, and ridiculously inspiring Aimée Gramblin . We’re currently looking for new writers—here’s a link to the submission guidelines.

In the guidelines, Aimée writes, “At Age of Empathy, we are seeking high-quality creative nonfiction and personal essays. Hit us in the feels.”

If you’re into writing lyric essays or creative nonfiction, please submit to Age of Empathy. Be sure to spread the word to any of your homies you’d think would be interested.

Also—follow Age of Empathy on Twitter to keep up with any future updates!

If you’re interested in gaining access to a backlog of my Medium articles, poems, and short stories, 190 pieces and counting, consider becoming a Medium member by using my referral link.

I get a part of your membership fee every month, so it’s a great way to support Oh, Write and my other creative endeavors.

If you’d rather just donate, whether it’s once, twice, or a billion times (if you’re, ya know, Mackenzie Bezos or something) I’m here for it! I have a Ko-fi; where you can easily buy me a coffee.

Here’s Issue #24—a gift from me to you!

Writer’s Log #12

Last week, I pre-ordered my NaNoWriMo 2021 winner T-shirt—even though the NaNo preparation I had completed at that point was minimal at best. Throughout the 14 years I’ve spent writing on the internet, I’ve learned that getting through an artistic project, especially one completed throughout an extended period of time, requires some semblance of blind faith initially. 

The prospect of a long-term project sprouts one thousand doubtful unanswered questions: “Can I manage this project with the responsibilities of my everyday life? Will my inspiration last for this long? Do I even like the idea I’ve chosen?”

Pre-ordering the NaNoWriMo 2021 winner T-shirt brought new thoughts into my mind: “What if I succeed? What if I create a project that’s beyond my expectations? What if this project is the beginning of something amazing?”

As a life-long anxious person, negativity has naturally grown within my mind. Positivity has to be planted. But, being intentional about planting positive thoughts sprouts more of them over time. Soon, the positive outweighs the negative. 

To maintain a positive mindset, I practice a few daily habits, including repeating affirmations. It can feel weird at first, especially if you don’t believe what you’re saying. But, there’s some Fairly Oddparent-level magic in saying positive affirmations out loud that, over time, make it real. 

Artist Miranda Balough has a great list of 21 positive affirmations specifically made for artists and creatives. My favorite is, “I seek progress over perfection and community over competition.” Chile, if that ain’t a word I don’t know what is! 

The first step of completing an artistic project is believing you can. Have faith in your ability and ideas. Be your rowdiest fan and spunkiest cheerleader. Don’t be afraid to visualize success—because you’re capable of achieving it.

I recommend bringing something tangible into your workspace that’ll remind you, constantly, of the real possibility that you could succeed.

For you, it may not be a T-shirt branding you as a winner. It could be crafting a fake New York Times bestseller list with your name at the number one spot and pasting it on the wall of your office. Maybe it’s DIY’ing a nameplate personalized with the job title you’re striving for.

Your environment influences your mindset. Make yours one that you’ll love coming back to, that’ll breed love, positivity and creativity.

My NaNoWriMo 2021 winner T-shirt symbolizes pom poms or a foam finger stating “We’re #1”. It’ll be an encouraging reminder, as my fingers type each word, that I, above all, believe in myself. 

But, even if I don’t reach 50,000 words before December 1st, I’m still going to wear the shirt. Who gon’ check me, boo?

4 Things I Consumed

1. Netflix’s You (Season 3): (i’ve been watching you since it first aired on lifetime back in the day, and I always thought that it was a damn good show. this season was a little bit all over the place with its storytelling, but it was certainly entertaining. also, everyone loves penn badgely. if you don’t love penn badgley you’re probably lying to yourself.)

2. Netflix’s Next in Fashion (here’s a random fact about me: I'm a bit of a project runway superfan and i’ve seen every season of the american show. i’m a sucker for a good show about fashion; and this show was pretty dang good. it was sadly canceled last summer but if you haven’t watched the show, and you’re into fashion, you should try it out)

3. The podcast Why Won’t You Date Me? With Nicole Byer (the only podcast that I listen to every single week without fail—new episodes drop on fridays. nicole byer is one of the funniest comedians out right now and her interviews are always fantastic. I can’t explain how much I love her in this little bitty blurb but GO LISTEN; but, be forewarned that the episodes are NSFW)

4. The music video for Jack Harlow’s “Luv is Dro” (all i’m going to say is jack harlow doesn’t miss)

3 Things I Created

1. After I bought my NaNoWriMo winner shirt on a whim, I put in work on this NaNo prep: character backstories and plotting galore. I’m writing this before NaNo starts, but hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, I’m at or above 3,337 words in my NaNo novel! (This is Nia from the future! As of November 2nd, I’m currently at 4,481 words!)

2. The piece “How Curating Playlists Enhances My Creative Writing Process” for the Medium publication The Riff

3. On Frank Ocean’s birthday, I dug my line in the sand with the post “Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange Is The Best Album Ever Made”

Writing Prompts

1. This prompt is from Journal Buddies’ post “30 Fall Writing Prompts for Kids”: “Imagine that you’ve been invited to judge a local pie contest. What qualities would you look for in the winning pie? How would you declare a winner?”

2. Love this ominous, simplistic writing prompt from Reddit

3. Journaling prompt from Daring to Live Fully’s “119 Journal Prompts for Your Journal Jar” : If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be?

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you! 

Reporting live from spooky season! How y’all livin’? How many scary movies have you watched? Carved a pumpkin yet? Did you dance to the spooky scary skeleton remix at least a few dozen times?

Me? I get enough horror in my life when I’m editing an article! *slaps knee* But, for real, I’ve made an effort to watch more horror and thriller content — which I’ll get more into in the issue!

If you’re interested in gaining access to a backlog of my Medium articles, poems, and short stories, 183 pieces and counting, consider becoming a Medium member by using my referral link.

I get a part of your membership fee every month, so it’s a great way to support Oh, Write and my other creative endeavors.

If you’d rather just donate, whether it’s once, twice, or a billion times (if you’re, ya know, Mackenzie Bezos or something) I’m here for it! I have a Ko-fi; where you can easily buy me a coffee.

Anyway, enjoy issue #23 babes!

Writer’s Log #11

When I learned about the Save the Cat beat sheet last year, I felt like Neo after he took the red pill in The Matrix. I gained awareness of the kinds of stories we’re drawn to as human beings and how similar storytelling elements are reflected in nearly every story ever told. 

Before STC, my storytelling know-how was confined to the parameters of the American public school system. Like every other bright-eyed JcPenney’s-rockin’ middle schooler, I learned about Freytag’s Pyramid way back when. You may be like, “Nia, what the heckin’ heck is Freytag’s Pyramid?” Let me jog your memory. 

STC takes Freytag’s Pyramid and personalizes it for one of my favorite storytelling mediums: movies. The same story elements from Freytag’s Pyramid exist in STC (at the end of the day, this basic story structure is universal). STC is just more detailed.

I already saw the stories I wrote as movies in my head, so using the STC beat sheet to outline my stories made perfect sense. I wrote three novels using this method. It worked seamlessly. Then, I started working on my NaNoWriMo story for 2021 and hit a roadblock. 

The idea for my NaNo story started off differently than other stories I’ve done recently. I usually start off with a premise, as I mentioned in a previous Writer’s Log. But, with this story, I started off with a setting. Then, one by one, I began to craft characters to populate the setting. Plot-wise, I was stumped. 

I couldn’t use the beat sheet because I hadn’t decided on the basic premise of my story. Also, with the ideas I did have, I imagined the story starting from Act 2 or STC’s “Break Into Two”, essentially the “middle” of the story.

Since I was so married to the beat sheet and its distinct structure, it was hard for me to imagine a full story that didn’t copy the STC beats word for word and bar for bar, as Soulja Boy would say. (Soulja Boy clip is NSFW)

I was lost in the sauce and it won’t even Sweet Baby Ray’s. I was having an existential crisis, staring out of a window and questioning my storytelling abilities like I was a sad R&B singer mourning a lost love. 

While I was having my mini-All Is Lost moment, I decided to explore NaNoWriMo’s god-tier online resource for NaNo Prep. It walks you through a six-week-long workshop to create a story that’ll take you to 50,000 words and beyond in November. It hits story elements (character, worldbuilding, etc.) as well as tips on productivity and organization.

I ain’t gonna lie to y’all; I haven’t been following the workshop to a T. But, I refer to it whenever I need some guidance from the novel-writing gawds. And, obviously, I needed H-E-L-P. 

I clicked on Week 3’s resource: Construct a Detailed Plot or Online. It featured a list of plotting methods. The first one, “Jot, Bin, and Pants” caught my eye. So, I clicked. 

The Jot, Bin, Pants resource worksheet was inspired by a 2018 NaNoWriMo blog post written by writer Cassandra Lee Yieng. 

Although simple in theory, practicing this method allowed me to explore my ideas, despite how odd they may be, without feeling pressured to find the right one now. (Where all my fellow easily decision-fatigued baddies at???)

Here’s a super-simple description of the method: 

Jot: brainstorm possible scenes for the entire story, exploring every plotline that comes to mind. write down each scene in as few words as possible. the worksheet recommends getting 50-100 scenes; I ended up getting about 80. 

Bin: sort each scene into beginning, middle, and end piles (or lists, folders, notecards, whatever). whittle down the scenes to what’ll actually happen in the story and put them in order. do what makes sense; and if things don’t fit or are missing — add them. (this step was when the story really started to come together)

Pants: write that story using your new outline boo

As a writer, I loved how effective and seemingly fool-proof the STC beat sheet was. But, lost in the haziness of that love, I was blind to the fact that seeing STC as the end-all-be-all of storytelling was confining my creativity. 

I needed to step outside of that structure and brainstorm, trusting my own intuition as a storyteller. I needed to play. Having that space without such a heavy structure helped me push through my creative block and keep on keepin’ on with my NaNo story.

Now, using some of the storytelling elements I learned from STC, I can create a story with a strong foundation that makes sense, while keeping my interest throughout November. 

Word to the wise: don’t be married to your creative process. Just like you grow and change with each day, your process will as well.

Maintaining some semblance of structure may be important as a creative, but play is too. Tweaking your creative process, and trying something new, every once in a while may help you find your perfect balance between the two. 

Things I Consumed

1. Lessons From the Screenplay’s “Whiplash vs. Black Swan — The Anatomy of the Obsessed Artist”  (spoilers for movies Whiplash and Black Swan ahead) (I love movie deep dives on YouTube and this one is quality; highly recommend the channel too) 

2. Squid Game on Netflix (what a fantastic show and gives such timeless social commentary. if you haven’t watched it yet, the hype is well deserved. go peep.)

3. Funhouse on Hulu (as I mentioned, I’ve watched a lot of horror content recently. funhouse is the best horror movie that I’ve watched so far this month. it started off so bad it’s good; but then I started rooting for the characters and seeing some decent character development; so maybe it’s just regular good? I also like how it involved social media; as it very much seems like something that could happen in real life.)

4. American Horror Story: Red Tide on FX/Hulu (american horror story is one of my favorite shows ever; but it’s also been pretty decisive as of recent; because its quality has taken a bit of a nose dive. (i.e. american horror stories. this year the season’s called “double feature”; which splits the season in half into two mini-series-ses. red tide is the first half of the series. i enjoyed it a lot and thought the premise was really unique. it’s definitely the best that i’ve seen from the american horror story brand in a while. the ending is a bit meh; but hey we can’t win them all LOL)

3 Things I Created

1. A lot of behind-the-scenes tinkering, toying, and planning for my NaNo story

2. This interview for my homie’s Medium publication The Brain is a Noodle

3. This newsletter!! Hey hooooo! (LMAO, will I put this in every newsletter—the world may never know)

Writing Prompts

Today, we getting spooky with these writing prompts y’all. Horror and thriller writing prompts for everyone!

1. Y’all know I be feelin’ kids writing prompts: here’s another good one from Life With Love Bugs, “Create an advertisement to sell a haunted house”

2. This low-key psychological horror type prompt from Reddit is everything

3. This one is from a writing prompt list by Masterclass: “A fortune teller reveals that you are evil.”

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you! 

Hope you’re having a fantabulous Tuesday. I’m sending you this lil’ newsletter wrapped in love and light in hope that it’ll *throws glitter* inspire *throws more glitter* you no matter where you are.

If you’re interested in gaining access to a backlog of my Medium articles, poems, and short stories, 183 pieces and counting, consider becoming a Medium member by using my referral link.

I get a part of your membership fee every month, so it’s a great way to support Oh, Write and my other creative endeavors.

If you’d rather just donate, whether it’s once, twice, or a billion times (if you’re, ya know, Mackenzie Bezos or something) I’m here for it! I have a Ko-fi; where you can easily buy me a coffee.

Enjoy issue #22 babes!

Writer’s Log #10

After winning the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology series or Movie, I May Destroy You creator, writer, co-director, and executive producer (as well as one of my fave people and career crushes) Michaela Coel used her speech to give advice to fellow writers. Her tips spoke to my soul.

When she spoke on visibility, it was like she was speaking directly to me. Coel says,

“In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to, in turn, feel the need to be constantly visible, for visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear, from it, from us, for a while, and see what comes to you in the silence.”

For the past year, I’ve been making strides towards becoming less visible, less accessible to the outside world. Turning off my phone notifications, aside from my text messages, was a big step.

But yet, to remedy the pesky anxious feeling that I’m missing out on something, I still check social media on my own accord from time to time. I try to scroll with intention, but sometimes I get lost in the Jack Harlow memes, cute cats, and natural hair tutoria—and it’s been three hours.

I long to disconnect and disappear. I admire creative people who whisk themselves away to a secluded location to write that book/write that screenplay/paint that painting.

One of my favorite stories about exploring creativity through seclusion is the memoir Bleaker House, written by author Nell Stevens.

The book’s about Stevens winning a fellowship to research and write a book anywhere in the world, all-expenses-paid. She chooses to spend her fellowship in one of the most desolate parts of the world: Bleaker Island, a snowy penguin-filled island off the coast of Argentina.

If I had to choose any place to write a book, I’d love to be in an overwater beach bungalow in the Maldives or a cabin in Black Mountain, NC—a beautiful small town I’ve been researching for a future project. (It may, or may not, be the story for NaNoWriMo *smirk*)

I’d downgrade my cellphone so I don’t have the internet in the palm of my hand, downsize my closet to a capsule wardrobe, relocate, and write. Sometimes I wonder about writing entire novels by hand, filling up composition books like I used to do in middle school. Paper made my words tangible, the act of writing more real.

Typing’s cool, or whatever, and ya girl’s pretty fast with her phalanges, but sometimes it’s difficult to gauge how much you’re writing when you can’t feel it. Seeing 0 of 195 pages on the side of your Google Doc and physically flipping through 195 pages are two different sensations.

When I’m not creating, I want to be out, living, getting some first-hand experiences under my belt—some of that new new. A big part of writing is observing because there truly isn’t a greater storyteller than life itself. I’m reminded of that fact often, like when I catch an old episode of Maury on TV.

One day I’ll make my big disappearing act—one that’ll get David Blaine shaking in his boots. For now, I’ll disappear in small ways, planning my act and practicing my craft until the time’s right and…poof.

5 Things I Consumed

1. Really Love on Netflix (it’s the black love for me sis!! love that!!)

2. Clickbait on Netflix (this one is fire y’all I was tapped in)

3. LuLaRich on Prime Video (y’all probably don’t know this; but one of the things i’m passionately against but endlessly fascinated by is mlms. lularoe is one of the most bizarre i’ve seen and this docuseries is a wild ride from beginning to end) 

4. Lil Nas X’s album Montero (lil nas x is one of my favorite people from the tiktok generation; what a pop star, what a vibrant personality) 

5. This ugly-cry inducing tweet: (if my roaddog Steve told me he’s proud of me then y’all can’t tell me NATTATHING)

Things I Created

1. I’ve been doing a lot of NaNo prep recently—especially as September and my *find an idea before October* goal comes to an ending. But things are up in the air, still.

2. A flash-in-the-pan fiction story about bullies; which was kind of awesome lol

3. This newsletter! Hey hooooo!!

   

Writing Prompts

1. Your character recently renovated a school bus into a mobile home and now they’re traveling full time. Where are they going? Where the heck did they get a school bus from? Who are they traveling with? 

2. This spooky prompt comes from this list of horror writing prompts: “You’re watching TV on Halloween night when your show is interrupted by a faintly familiar someone declaring their love for you and saying they’ve watched you all your life.”

3. Write a descriptive paragraph about an item within arm’s reach. Go into every detail of its appearance, invent a wild back story, or whatever else comes to mind.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

We’re mere weeks away from diving into my favorite season: fall. Even though I’m a summer baby, fall is a certified *vibe* and provides so many more opportunities for fun: haunted houses, state fairs, pumpkin picking, turning a gigantic and soft sweater into your temporary residence, etc.

No matter what season you have heart eyes for, I hope you’re able to enjoy the upcoming season in any way you can.

If you’re interested in gaining access to a backlog of my Medium articles, poems, and short stories, 165 pieces and counting, consider becoming a Medium member by using my referral link.

I get a part of your membership fee every month, so it’s a great way to support Oh, Write and my other creative endeavors.

If you’d rather just donate, whether it’s once, twice, or a billion times (if you’re, ya know, Mackenzie Bezos or something) I’m here for it! I have a Ko-fi; where you can easily buy me a coffee.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy issue…uh…what’s 9 + 10?

Writer’s Log #9:

In my September writing goals blog post, I revealed that I wanted to choose an idea for NaNoWriMo during September. NaNoWriMo, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month, challenges writers to pen 50,000 words of a brand new novel during November.

To minimize the stress of picking an idea to pursue, I gave myself an entire month to choose. Once October 1st hits, I can hit the ground running with novel planning. Last Saturday, I spent a few hours rattling my brain for ideas, just to see what would spit out.

A shortlist of wild ideas from my brainstorm: 

anthology series set in small-town
i just got a new apartment
it’s a front for drugs though
maybe there’s a cult?
maybe something about dreams; the key is in dreams
stranded on an island? that’s interesting
a retreat in the woods that ends in murder

Once my idea bank went dry, I started to create loglines of possible books along with fake titles. I used the logline template from one of my favorite books on writing, Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: 

“On the verge of a stasis = death moment, a flawed hero Breaks Into 2; but when the Midpoint happens, they must learn the Theme Stated before the All Is Lost.” 

The logline template uses terms from the Save the Cat beat sheet, like “breaks into 2” and “theme stated”. Writer Savannah Gilbo explains the beat sheet in her blog post “How to Outline Your Novel with Save the Cat!”. I’d highly recommend checking it out if you aren’t familiar with the Save the Cat beat sheet. 

Her blog post helped me tremendously through last year’s NaNoWriMo, especially her point of dividing the target novel-length word count into scenes and acts. That point forever changed the way I outline novels.

An example of a fake logline and title: 

Possible title: Lucky You

Logline: On the verge of succumbing to depression, a socially anxious, out-of-work felon wins a multi-million dollar lottery, skips town, and decides to live out her childhood dream: living a fabulous life in a luxurious Miami hotel. But, when a dark figure from her criminal past reemerges while she embraces her new lifestyle, she must confront her inner demons before she puts herself, and the people she loves, in grave danger. 

Once I had a list of a few titles and loglines, my brain was tired. And, yet, I had an urge to keep developing my stories. Guess that comes with being a naturally gifted *throws glitter* storyteller *throws glitter again*. 

But seriously, I had this feeling that maybe, just maybe, one of my ideas would become “the one” I’d pursue in November.

Because of that, I began one of my favorite low-stress story development methods: creating a virtual moodboard on Pinterest.

I usually make my story moodboards secret Pinterest boards but I’ll keep Lucky You’s board public just in case you want to check it out as I fill it out. Also, be sure to follow a real one on Pinterest.

I’m not putting any pressure on Lucky You being “the one”. I’m just focusing on the fun of creating a story. If I end up choosing Lucky You as my NaNo story, great! But, if I don’t, great!

Are any of y’all planning on doing NaNoWriMo? Let me know with a comment down below! We could totally do some super fun story planning stuff together, like the Powerpuff Girls but if the Powerpuff Girls were novelists.

3 Things I Consumed

1. TikTok star Addison Rae’s Netflix movie He’s All That along with YouTuber Nick DiRamio’s review of it [nick is, by far, one of my favorite people on YouTube and he is freakin hilarious; everyone should watch him tbh]

2. Sweet Life: Los Angeles on HBO Max (Episode 1 and Episode 2 are on YouTube!!) (very Baldwin Hills-ish, which I like. and it’s equal parts ratchet and inspirational which is pretty much my personal brand)

3. This tweet that drove me into an existential crisis lmfao:

1 Thing I Created

I’ve been doing a lot of consuming lately and less creating. But, I legit just made this whole newsletter so…*high fives myself*.

Writing Prompts

1. Do some research about Greece, here’s a random place to start, and set a 1000-word piece of flash fiction in this gorgeous city

2. This prompt comes from this writing prompt generator from Scholastic: “Write a two sentence message to a yellow clown who plays in a dark forest.” (sounds like It vibes to me)

3. Why do I kinda love this extremely simple writing prompt from Reddit?

4. A list of very cheesy but also very cute romance writing prompts from Tumblr (the superior social network tbh)

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

Happy 20th issue baby boo! We love to see it! As always, I’m wishing y’all love, light, and an endless amount of your favorite Doritos (I love spicy sweet chili a.k.a. the purple bag).

Also—if you’re interested in gaining access to a backlog of my Medium articles, poems, and short stories, 165 pieces and counting, consider becoming a Medium member by using my referral link. I get a part of your membership fee every month, so it’s a great way to support Oh, Write and my other creative endeavors.

If you’d rather just donate, whether it’s once, twice, or a billion times (if you’re, ya know, Mackenzie Bezos or something) I’m here for it! I have a Ko-fi; where you can easily buy me a coffee.

Thank you a million times for your continued support of the newsletter! Enjoy issue 20!

Writer’s Log #8

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I checked out the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ “The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse” exhibition.

Curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver, the exhibition is described as “aesthetic impulses of early 20th-century Black culture that have proved ubiquitous to the southern region of the United States.”

As I walked through the hallways of the exhibit, I was often stifling tears—for various reasons.

Stifling is an action that I know like the wrinkles in my skin. In my mostly white town, Blackness isn’t acknowledged, let alone celebrated. There are no Black Lives Matter posters. There are no Black community groups. There are barely any Black-owned businesses. 

I am always stifling, never playing my favorite music out loud in my backyard, covering up my body to keep peering eyes from staring at it, code-switching to the grocery store cashier. 

I’m not used to expressing my Blackness in public. Seeing VMFA’s “The Dirty South” exhibit left me feeling exposed, filled with equal parts of validity and uneasiness. 

The exhibit was stunning. It showcased southern Black culture from a lot of different perspectives: religion, landscape, music, etc. As someone who spent the majority of their life in the south, I found myself within a majority of the pieces. 

A few times throughout the exhibit, I felt myself on the verge of tears. The most emotional moment was watching a short film by video artist and cinematographer Arthur Jafa entitled “Love Is the Message, The Message is Death”. The description at the exhibit states the film “presents a portrait of Black life in fragments set to a soundtrack of Kanye West’s Ultralight Beam”.

Jafa’s film reminded me that being Black in America is an endless juxtaposition, trying to find joy in often horrifying, traumatic situations. In the Black community, we are all so different, whether through gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, etc. But, still, the constant deciphering of how to live a joyful life on land that boasts the brutalization of our ancestors, bonds us together.

Watching that film, I met that trauma head-on while accepting the beauty of being able to see an art exhibit curated by a Black woman. My inner child soon smiled with a mouth riddled in baby teeth, finally feeling seen, after years of being dragged to museums in childhood that glorified slave owners.

I couldn’t feel all those emotions fully. I wish I could have. But, I couldn’t, because I was surrounded by white people. 

I had a few weird moments while seeing the exhibit. I remember seeing a group of white people discussing the meaning of a particular painting showcasing a Black church. I chuckled, realized my chuckle had grown into laughter, and silenced myself. 

During another video in the exhibit, a white woman heard me discussing the piece with my boyfriend and asked me a question about a uniquely Black part of it. I almost immediately explained it.

I felt very odd afterward, like I had symbolically held this middle-aged white woman’s hand through an exhibit about Black culture when no one—absolutely no one—had held my hand through living in this white-ass world. 

The exchange only lasted for a few seconds. But, the effect lingered and I couldn’t shake it. 

This isn’t the exhibit’s fault. This isn’t even the white woman’s fault. The problems are systemic, built into rules that determine how we move and who gets to breathe deeply.

The exhibit was never advertised to be a safe space for Black people. But, I think I had hope that I’d feel a little less alien than I feel in my everyday life. That’s my bad, having hope.

Although “The Dirty South” left me with a lovely sense of pride for my people, having to experience it within a crowd of mostly white people left me unable to connect with the pieces as deeply as I wanted to.

Still, I’m so thankful and privileged that I was able to see the exhibit and get introduced to artists that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. A few of my favorites featured in “The Dirty South” are Arthur Jafa, Emma Amos, Minnie Evans, RaMell Ross, Fahamu Pecou, Samella Lewis, and William Edmondson.

I’d love it if you checked out their work and shared your favorites with your friends and family.  Help me increase the visibility of Black art!

3 Things I Consumed

1. X episodes of Wife Swap, I wasn’t counting (The whole series is on Hulu and I’m screaming. I watched the series a ton as a child and rewatching it has been like revisiting an old friend.) 

2. Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu (The series started off a bit boring; but man did things get riled up in the end and now I’m hooked) 

3. Vacation Friends on Hulu (This movie was a lot Blacker than I thought it would be, and I’m here for it. It was pretty funny and a fun watch!) 

2 Things I Created

1. This lowkey hilarious Medium series where I turn my tweets into Rupi Kaur-style poetry

2. This easy-peasy spaghetti carbonara dish from Spend With Pennies

Writing Prompts

1. Thriller/vampire-ish prompt

2. Cinderella, but, make her the main character

3. There are a lot of stories within a hotel bar but do they want to be told? 

4. This is my favorite prompt from this generator, intended for kids from 3rd-5th grade: “What if someone gave you a box with pieces of paper that had important things that would happen in the future written on them?”

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium.

Want to join Medium? Consider using my referral link! (I get a portion of your monthly fee!) And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

It’s been a minute besties; how are y’all doing? Y’all been gettin’ your rest and drinkin’ your water? Hope so! As for me, ya girl been on vacation because, last week, it was a baddie’s birthday!! I’m 26!! Woo!

To celebrate the festivities, this issue’s gonna be a long one. Think of it as Oh, Write+ (lmao.) Anyway, enjoy!

Writer’s Log #7

For my 26th birthday, I gifted myself a solo weekend getaway across town. It was the first time I had been alone, overnight, in over a year. Ten minutes in, I was in love—and I understood why Maya Angelou chose to rent a hotel room just for writing in. 

I enjoyed each part of the room: the king-sized bed enveloped in white sheets, a complimentary Bluetooth speaker shaped like a cube, a window that peeked into the city streets, where the sun kissed my forehead good morning and the moon tucked me in at night. 

The two days I spent in a hotel room reminded me how in love I am with my own company. I’ve always valued my alone time, ever since I was a kid. Maybe this comfort with being alone stems from having hobbies that no one cared to discuss (i.e. writing).

As a result, I spent a lot of time entertaining myself, alone. There, I can let my true self run free without fear of judgment from others—a fear that used to horrify me into paralysis. 

I did everything I’d been wanting to do for months during my getaway. I ate two delicious bowls of overpriced ramen. I spent a day exploring the city on foot with only Google Maps as my guide, racking up 20,000 steps. I sang karaoke. 

I barely wrote. I had so many other activities I wanted to pack into these two days, that I mostly forgot about the craft. But, the next time I go on another solo getaway, I want to dedicate some time to explore my creativity. 

In our C.R.E.A.M (cash rules everything around me), capitalist hellscape of a society, I’ve found it difficult to freely express myself through my art as an adult. As a child, I wrote with only joy (and my adoration for whatever male pop star I was obsessed with) as my North star. In adulthood, pressures weigh heavily on my shoulders, whether from: 

• the possibility of making a profit

• trying to go viral (yuck)

• appeasing certain people (could be my “audience”, could be my family, could be my friends, it really just depends)

I’ve been searching for a comfortable, safe space to create for a while, a place where those pressures, and many others, are far, far away from my mind. 

In his book Keep Going, author Austin Kleon provides a suggestion from professor Joseph Campbell, who said that everyone should build a “bliss station”,

“You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you.”

Campbell continues,

“This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.” 

Kleon explains the important, yet difficult nature of doing so in today’s technologically-driven society, “Silence and solitude are crucial. Our modern world of push notifications, 24/7 news cycles, and constant contact is almost inhospitable to the kind of retreat artists must make in order to focus deeply on their work.” 

Even though I haven’t subconsciously delegated this time as my “bliss station”, I’d say mine is the morning—hands down. Every element calms me: watching the sunrise, making breakfast, drinking a cup of steaming green tea.

But, mostly, what centers me is being alone. That’s what sheds the stress from my shoulders and gets me ready to create. Being in a hotel room stretches that calmness like putty until I’m just slathered in it, smiling from ear to ear.

Somehow, I’m going to make a routine out of this long-term alone time, whether it’s in a hotel room, Airbnb, or a reserved room at the library. Someway, I’ll cancel out all the noise, so it’ll be just me and the words. Just like it used to be. 

6 Things I Consumed

1. Space Jam: A New Legacy (i ain’t even gonna hold you; this movie was kinda bomb)

2. American Horror Stories (lowkey disappointing, which sucks, but sometimes I dream that AHS will one day let me in the writers’ room ;)

3. The Choe Show (one of the best shows I’ve watched all year, definitely one of the best talk show/interview shows)

4. The Suicide Squad (as someone who does not watch a lot of superhero movies, I thought this one was really dope; funny as hell and had some quality characters. i just wish i could have seen it in theaters; because it probably makes for a quality theater experience)

5. The Girl on the Train by author Paula Hawkins (so lit I even wrote a review on the joint)

6. Lizzo and Cardi B’s new song “Rumors” (QUALITY)

2 Things I Created

So, on the nonfiction side, I’ve been going hard, posting tons of articles on my Medium account. But, on the fiction side, I’ve got a bunch of drafts that are in various stages of editing. It’s been a long time since I’ve finished something.

Here are a few super-secret, random passages from stories I’ve worked on recently, but haven’t finished:

1. Loft-warming: “So, who all gon’ be there?” Jill said, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She coated her hands in thick, syrupy castor oil and continued taking out her plaits.

   “Do I look like a bouncer to you? I don’t know girl!” Bianca sat on a wooden dining room chair she pulled into the bathroom, “But, you know Nat, she kicks it with a lot of people. Anybody from the spiritual types in her yoga class to the hood niggas from the bar she works at could be at this ‘loft-warming’ party.” She used air quotes, rolling her eyes.

   “Anybody?” Jill shuttered, “I don’t like the sound of that.”

   “You promised me you’d be my plus one! So, don’t hit me with that, “I don’t like the sound of that.” Bianca imitated Jill’s nervous voice, shaky and shrill. “Besides, when’s the last time you chatted with a human being? And—those older chicks you play Call of Duty with don’t count.”

   “I talk to you all the time. Isn’t that enough?”

   “No!” Bianca chuckled, “We’ve got to at least show our faces. We all spent two years of college getting our Living Single on in that dusty apartment downtown. Plus—we won’t be there for long, and we’ll get a good Insta photo out of it.”

   “You right. Being scared is too much effort. If I see him there...then I just see him there.” Jill unraveled her final braid and fluffed it out, shook her hair out, and smiled at herself in the mirror.

   “It’s only weird if you make it weird. And besides, with you looking like the third Knowles sister and all that, that nigga’ll have to stand in a long line to talk to you.” Bianca left the bathroom to find something to wear tonight, probably something glittery, skintight, and from Fashion Nova.

2. Urban Legend: Two neighborhood kids, Gregory and Hakeem, started to call me Medusa because of my long, flowy box braids. As I walked down the city sidewalk, they’d trail me and let out long hisses, stifling giggles. From the bodega to the community center to the train station, their hisses would follow me like a shadow.

   For years I kept this from Ma. I didn’t want her to get all scary and take away my outdoor privileges, just like she did to my older sister back in the day. But, one afternoon, Gregory and Hakeem took their teasing to another level—and I didn’t know who else to turn to. 

Writing Prompts:

1. This subtle, yet creepy post from r/TwoSentenceHorror

2. Science fiction prompt

3. This ominous picture from Pinterest that gives me 2015 Tumblr vibes

4. Simple, yet impactful writing prompt

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium. And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

Y’all doing alright in those dog days of summer? This Virginia heat got me swea-ting. But, I’m still out here tryna thrive. Be safe y’all and protect yourself—we may be outside but COVID is too!!

Writer’s Log #8

I’m turning 26 in a couple of weeks--which means that I’ve been posting my writing on the internet for almost 14 years. Wowzers! It seems like just yesterday I was penning Y/N fanfiction on the sky blue B5 fan forum Breeding5.com. 

I’ve moved from online platform to online platform since then; blogs and social media sites galore. Now, I’m on a site called Medium.

It’s been my writing home since October 2020. If you’d like to check out my work--here’s a link to my profile! The main difference between Medium and other online platforms is that you can make money from it, similar to YouTube’s Partner Program.

Like with any job/side hustle/gig, it’s important to prioritize your mental health just as much as you prioritize that bag. It can be hard to because the algorithms of social media platforms praise consistency at all costs. That leaves little room for grace. That leaves little room for rest.

I’ve been trying not to forget what matters most, even in the pursuit of “success” or “going viral” (ew): my well-being. Mental health is so invaluable—and it’s worth a bazillion viral articles.

Things I’ve Consumed

1. Space Jam: A New Legacy (tbh i really liked it)

2. FX on Hulu’s The Choe Show (what a fantastic talk show i’m just a little sad that there are only four episodes available)

3. Fear Street: 1994 (to be honest, this was some mid. i’m tight it was so boring because I’m in need of a new horror movie to watch; y’all got any suggestions? hit a homie up!)

Things I’ve Created

1. I’ve been creating a lot of short-form content on Medium lately. Here are a few that I’ve written recently:

   1. “If I Was in Wu-Tang Clan, This Would Be My Super Cool Rap Name”

   2. “What Songs Will I Play for My Children?”

   3. “The Boring But Still Kinda Lit Story Behind My First Tattoo”

Writing Prompts

1. Science fiction prompt

2. Science fiction/romance prompt

3. Format prompt?? I kinda love this??

Issa Conclusion or Whatever

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium. And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you!

What it do y’all! Oh, Write is back. Missed y’all. I wish love, peace and light to everyone reading these words. Hope you’re doing well, staying hydrated, and getting fresh air. Enjoy issue #17 babes.

Writer’s Log #7

Lately, ya girl has been going through a creative drought. It’s difficult to decide on new projects to pursue. The process of completing new ones has been rough at best. Instead of giving myself the rest and care that a bad bitty like me deserves, I’ve been getting down on myself about it.

I almost feel like a bad writer. That inner pressure stems from the tons of bad writing advice I’ve consumed online over the years.

The number one trash piece of advice I’ve seen is, “If you don’t write every day, you’re not a real writer.” 

My creativity ebbs and flows. Sometimes I fill pages and pages with words. Sometimes I struggle to write past the word “the” like SpongeBob writing that boating school essay. My shifting writing schedule doesn’t change the fact that I am and will always be a “real” writer. 

I’m a part of this writing thing for life, like Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys, Bad Boys 2, Bad Boys For Life, and the inevitable fourth Bad Boys movie. 

Everyone’s creative process is different. You may have bad days, weeks, months, or years because you’re a damn human being. You’re not Jenny from the short-lived but beloved Nickelodeon cartoon My Life as a Teenage Robot.

Don’t get mad at yourself for not fitting other people’s expectations of what a [insert title here] should be. You’re your beautiful, amazing, lovely, creative self—and that’ll always be enough. 

If your creativity’s in a slump, like me, give yourself the gift of rest. I like keeping my mind busy in other ways, whether by doing word search puzzles or playing video games. But, like creative processes, everyone’s rest will look different. Just give yourself time away. Your creativity’ll swing back around before you know it. 

And—take everyone’s advice about your craft with a grain of salt, even if they’re “successful” or “talented”. (And yes, that includes muah) If you don’t agree with what someone says, just continue doing what’s working for you. It’ll all work out fine—promise. 

Things I’ve Consumed 

1. The recent season of This Is Us (wowzers. no spoilers obvi but i watched the whole show in 2021 and what a fantastic show. great character studies happening up in hurr)

2. Tyler, the Creator’s new album Call Me If You Get Lost (i honestly can’t believe i’ve been a tyler fan for 10 years now. but he’s truly steph curry with the shot—don’t miss!!! we love to see it.)

3. Juvenile’s pro-vaccination anthem “Vax That Thang Up” (Black culture wins for the millionth time)

4. Netflix’s docu-series High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America (everyone and they momma needs to watch this e-ver-y-one. quality.)

Things I’ve Created

1. Sis, ain’t you read the writer’s log? I ain’t been creating much of anything LMAO; but I have been writing some short posts on Medium so there’s that

Writing Prompts (these prompts are from all over the interwebs)

1. Science-fiction writing prompt

2. Romance prompt

3. Honestly-it’s-hard-to-give-this-a-genre prompt

Issa Conclusion or Whatever

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium. And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you! 

I’ve got some exciting news to share with you beautiful people--oh, write is on TikTok! Go and follow a real one! It’s been fun to explore, and I’m excited to create more awkward 15-second videos. Enjoy the 16th issue folks!

Writer’s Log #6

Fanfiction is, initially, what ushered me into this writing-on-the-internet game. It makes sense that, eventually, I’d find my way back. 

A few days ago, I found myself watching Lizzie McGuire on Disney+. Drowning in nostalgia, I became so angry that the Lizzie McGuire reboot was axed. 

I live tweeted my angst, per usual: 

Because I’m a woman of my word, and that’s on period, I started to write my vision of a Lizzie McGuire reboot. What began as a fun lil’ exercise led me to plan out three entire episodes. It reminded me of how fun writing fanfiction was, and how I missed it. 

I love playing in a familiar world with characters I already love. Worldbuilding and character development are already done for you. You can just write. 

If you never wrote fanfiction, or you’ve been out of the game for a while like me, try it out.

Pick a fictional world from your favorite TV show, movie, video game, book, etc. Write 500 words building a story within its fictional world. For example, maybe there’s a recent episode or chapter that didn’t end the way you’d like it to. Fix it in your own words!

And, on the small chance that someone connected with the Lizzie reboot is reading this—holla at cha girl.

4 Things I Consumed

1. J Cole’s new album The Off Season

2. Christopher Nolan’s movie Tenet (legit the most confusing movie I’ve ever seen)

3. HBOMax’s true crime docuseries about scamming, Generation Hustle

4. Julie Chibbaro and JM Superville Novak’s book Into the Dangerous World

3 Things I Created

1. 9 whole TikToks!!! *pats self on back*

2. An article talking about J Cole’s struggles with self doubt

3. A piece of microfiction inspired by Isaiah Rashad’s new track “Lay Wit Ya”

Writing Prompts

1. This post from r/TwoSentenceHorror

2. Romance/science fiction prompt

3. Science fiction prompt

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium. And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you! 

Happy May! If you haven’t seen this obligatory “It’s Gonna Be May” meme, let me slide that over to you.

Interested in supporting my career as a writer? Consider buying me a coffee. Every contribution you make, big or small, helps me dedicate more time to creating online content (i.e. Medium stories and this wonderful lil’ newsletter you’re reading.)

Also—here’s a reminder that if you have access to the COVID-19 vaccine, please get vaccinated. For my U.S. homies, the CDC has a VaccineFinder where you can find the closest vaccination spot to you.

Writer’s Log #5

I’ve been posting stories online for over a decade. One of the worst parts about writing on the internet is that if that platform goes down your stories go with it. For example, I posted fanfiction on the website Polyvore for about three years. In that time, I posted dozens of fanfiction chapters and one-shots. In 2018 the site shut down, and my stories were lost forever. 

My true history lies in physical notebooks. I have ten of them, the earliest stemming from middle school (the late 2000s). There are so many memories within those pages, whether it was a one-off idea I ran with for a day or a story I dove into for an entire summer. 

There’s also something special about physically seeing your writing. Seeing the Google doc say “200 pages” is one thing. But, flipping through those 200 pages one by one is completely different. 

One of my favorite childhood stories was structured like a TV show. It was about a group of kids in a psychiatric ward (I think I saw It’s Kind of a Funny Story and just ran with it). In that story, I had written where I’d want voice-overs and commercial breaks to be. 

It’s awesome to see that even as a kid I’ve always had this vision for how I wanted to tell stories. My biggest dream is to bring one of my stories to fruition in film or television. And, you know what? I think it’ll happen one day. 

I still love (most of) my ideas like I wrote them yesterday. I wish I could high-five my younger self, tell her she’s moving in the right direction. It was all building the foundation of who I am. 

Today, I still make time to write in notebooks. 35-year-old Nia would get her life from the things I’m writing about now. And—who knows how long these platforms will last? But now, I save everything. I email everything to myself. I always keep a paper trail, just in case everything explodes tomorrow. 

5 Things I Consumed

1. Noisey/Viceland’s docu-series about BROCKHAMPTON, American Boyband [the entire series is on YouTube, btw] 

2. Played 3/4ths of The Simpsons: Hit & Run on Gamecube

3. The dramedy short film The Morning After

4. Casey Aonso’s YouTube video deconstructing the history of content houses

5. This classic, hilarious episode of Kenny Beats’ The Cave w/ Vince Staples

3 Things I Created

1. I turned a list of my natural hair products into poetry, because why not?

2. My first collaborative article series with fellow Medium writer Maria Garcia!

3. This failed re-design of my Medium logo, using this nostalgic Word Art generator:

Writing Prompts

One of my favorite places to find writing prompts is Reddit. So, today, I’m giving y’all some surprise links to the coolest Reddit writing prompts I find. Check them out below! 

1. Romance/drama prompt

2. Science fiction/fantasy prompt

3. Science fiction/drama prompt

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium. And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia

Hey you! 

I’m wishing y’all peace, love, and light—especially to my fellow Black folk. The current events have been maddening. And, honestly, it’s hard to talk about. 

I recently found these mental health resources catering to Black people on NAMI’s website and wanted to share them with you. I love you and I hope you’re prioritizing your mental health/self-care during all of this, as much as you can. 

I want to try to bring some joy to y’all with this newsletter. So, enjoy the writing inspo and funny videos! Sending you all my love!

Writer’s Log #4

Lately, I haven’t been feeling right. I think it has to do with the B-word: burnout. 

I think the burnout was caused by a mixture of pandemic-induced stress, personal life drama, and a lack of a work/life balance. 

Making writing, something I’ve loved since childhood, my job has made the lines between work and play blurry.

If I’m working on a potential novel idea, is that work? Is researching a topic I love and want to write about work? Is brainstorming/idea generation work? 

A quote I’ve always heard is, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” That’s BS. When you turn what you love into a job, everything changes. Just the mindset of calling an activity “work” can change my perspective on it. 

It’s one thing to have a hobby. It’s another thing to depend on that hobby for your livelihood. 

Establishing a clear work/life balance is a problem I’ve had since I started freelance writing in 2017. I also work from home, which makes the distinction between work and play even blurrier. Detaching after a long day is hard AF. 

But, I’m going to work towards making a clear distinction between what’s work and what’s rest/play. 

It’s hard but necessary work. And, especially in these pandemic times when a lot of people are working from home, I wish the same for you. Rest and play are necessary. Take care of yourself. I will too. 

I enjoyed reading this guide on beating burnout that Trello published. Their points of “practicing the art of doing nothing” and “learning how to mentally detach from work” are speaking to my soul right now. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

8 Things I Consumed

1. The Netflix original film Concrete Cowboy

2. BROCKHAMPTON’s album ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE

3. This SNL skit featuring Kid Cudi, Pete Davidson, and Chris Redd

4. Daniel Kaluuya’s SNL monologue

5. Finished the first half of the first season of HBO Max’s Generation (the streets say the second half comes out later this year)

6. BROCKHAMPTON’s music video for “Count on Me” 

7. Dreamy Sound a.k.a my favorite YouTube channel ever. Their 3D atmospheres and ASMR are so comforting. Sometimes I listen to their videos while I sleep, sometimes I listen to them while I work (like, while I’m writing this newsletter LOL). 

8. Of course, this incredible Zhane song that inspired my title

4 Things I Created 

1. The flash fiction story: “The Day the Mall Became a Battleground”

2. Yet another flash fiction story: “The Beauty Supply Shop”

3. A love letter to the boy band ballads I’ve loved throughout my life

4. An alternate graphic for “The Beauty Supply Shop” inspired by retro movie title stills: 

   

Writing Prompts

1. Write a story including this piece of dialogue: “Even though you’re an idiot, you’re all I’ve got.” 

2. For some reason, your character ends up on stage, during a sold-out concert, with their favorite musician. Write about the backstory leading up to that moment. 

3. Your character has the opportunity to time travel to any point in time for fifteen minutes. Where would they go? Who would they talk to?

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading Oh, Write!
For more Oh, Write content, check out the Medium publication.

Have any questions, comments, or concerns? Hit ya girl up!

Leave a comment

Subscribe if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in supporting the publication/newsletter, consider buying me a coffee. Follow me on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Medium. And, above all, keep creating! 

Love, 

Nia