To Wear or Not to Wear Red Velvet: Advice for New Writers

What would you say to your writerly self? On a bad day or a (typical) month of writers' block? On a good day?

e. e. cummings rejection letter to rejection letters

In a short piece for Luna Luna Magazine, Sophie Elizabeth Moss writes an open letter to her writerly self--23 pieces of advice, tough love, and encouragement relevant for all writers.

One of her most important pieces of advice, I think, is to take yourself seriously:

11. And while you’re at it, call yourself a writer. 

I always get the most interesting reactions when I tell people I'm a poet. Sometimes people are positive and excited. More common, however, is a double-take (not sure how to read that one), or friendly advice about how I should make my career writing the articles that people read on planes. It would be awesome if my (soon to be written) books of poetry were slipped into all the seat-backs on JetBlue flights...

OH, REALLY?

But it's important to stay strong. Even Vivian Shipley, whose ninth book of poetry, All of Your Messages Have Been Erased, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, admitted during a recent reading that family members still offer her alternative career advice. At least we're in good company.

And another service announcement (to the self):

15. Drop the writer mystique. It is all bullshit. If you want to write in moonlight, wear red velvet and smoke long cigarettes, by all means: do so. Own it. But just don’t be a phoney – it is cheap and transparent.

To read Sophie's other 21 pearls of wisdom, check out the full article here.
To learn about writers who did wear red velvet and write in the moonlight--visit CNN?!

Feel free to leave some messages to your writerly self in the comments below. See you tomorrow for our first emerging artist interview!