#11: Wassup MTV, Welcome to My Newsletter
Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks + the best of Black Twitter + more
Hey you!
Welcome to Issue #11 of Oh, Write! Hope the past few weeks have been treating you well.
As for me, I’m so excited it’s almost spring. Those winter blues are just not cute on me. The sunshine and warm weather has got me fired up. I’m ready to glo’up everything, starting with Oh, Write.
In this issue, I’m debuting two new segments:
Writer’s Log: A mini-article giving a behind-the-scenes look on my creative process/life as a professional writer
X Things I Consumed/Created: A roundup of my favorite pieces of content that I consumed/made
I also will be publishing Oh, Write bimonthly (twice a month) instead of weekly to focus more energy on my writing career.
Thank you a million for reading Oh, Write! Enjoy love!
Writer’s Log #1:
I recently started working on a short story inspired by the late 90s/early 2000s teen show Dawson’s Creek. The drama of Dawson’s Creek is focused on a cliché that I’ve always been obsessed with: best friends who are secretly in love with each other. Bonus points if it’s your neighbor. Double bonus points if they visit you by climbing in your window.
Fueled by childhood nostalgia, I decided to write a flash fiction piece. At least, that’s what it started as.
It began as a story about a guy visiting his female best friend through her window, like he does every night. Then, a sequence of events would lead to them confessing their feelings for each other. Simple.
As I started writing, the backstory of this couple became more complex. I wanted the piece to stay short y’all. I swear I did. But, I didn’t know how to portray the gravity of this event without turning these two characters into newscasters for the Exposition News Network.
My idea had grown into a short story but I kept trying to force it into a flash fiction piece. Fighting the muse is a battle you’ll never win.
I gave in. The flash fiction piece Mighty-Morphed into a short story composed of five scenes. Finally, my muse stopped screaming, “Where’s the beef?”, like that old lady from the Wendy’s commercials.
I’m currently in the middle of zero drafting it. I’m about ⅔ of the way through. If I had to guess, this story will end up being 3000 to 4000 words. I’m giving myself a two-week timeline to get it done. Once it’s pristine and ready-to-go, I’ll publish it on my new fiction publication on Medium and Wattpad.
Here’s a super-secret exclusive excerpt from its current draft:
“Erick, my best friend since the fourth grade, was waiting for me at the airport's curbside pickup. It had been four years since I last saw him in person. He was taller than I remembered—more confident. If he had told me that, somehow, he was Barack Obama’s illegitimate son I would have believed him. ”
8 Things I Consumed
Bryson Tiller’s music video for the track “Always Forever”
Love Jones (the best Black romance movie ever)
This genius tweet:
A hilarious throwback Instagram clip from writer, comedian, and actor Ramy Youssef
SZA’s music video for “Good Days”
The New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears” on Hulu
Silk Sonic’s (a.k.a Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak) music video for “Leave the Door Open”
Reason #18282018018 why Black Twitter is the best and worst place on the internet:
4 Things I Created
The first chapter of my new serial fiction series, Playing Nice. It’s about a group of friends who get snowed in together--and the terrifying secrets that threaten to break their bond apart.
An article about why I truly believe listening to female rappers instead of male rappers is an act of self-care
As Nia Thee Movie Reviewer (super fancy name right?), I introduced a new segment on Medium where I chat about my favorite movies, Mini Movie Reviews
A Medium publication to house my fiction, coiled, which will strictly focus on stories about Black women. Here’s the article where I announced the exciting news!
Writing Prompts:
Your character is one of four members going on the first all-civilian space mission to the moon. Once your character and the other members arrive, they look out the window and realize they aren’t alone.
Imagine a world where feelings (happiness, sadness, anger, etc.) are living creatures everyone can see. While on a hike, your character runs into “anger”. What happens next? What would anger look like to you?
A family of witches moves into a quiet, suburban neighborhood. Write a piece about the family’s youngest sibling’s first day in town.
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!
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