How to hold on to your Writing Optimism 

How to hold on to your writing optimism 

Alison Wells

When I got the news that my debut short story collection Random Acts of Optimism would be published, it was a moment of joy, and relief. After many years of writing alongside raising four young children, life challenges and, sadly, family tragedies, as well as the usual writer’s self-doubt, an independent publisher (Wordsonthestreet in Galway, Ireland) had agreed to publish the book. What followed – incredible feedback from established authors and interviews for radio and a national newspaper – was hard to take in after years of not knowing whether my writing would ever reach readers. 

Every writer’s dream is to see a printed copy of their book on the shelf – for me, having gone back to work as a public librarian once the children were older – the desire to see my book join all the stock in the book stacks of the libraries I worked in – an exquisite cultural centre with breathtaking sea views and a gorgeous bijou Carnegie library was strong. It was a long time coming, now age 53, I’ve had to keep persisting with my hope of publication alongside many near misses and obstacles. However, now this dream is about to become a reality. 

Head above Water – writing with verve and persistence in busy lives – what works

For many years I wrote alongside some pretty severe challenges including the sudden loss of family members and school difficulties related to my son’s Aspergers diagnosis. For all of us, for example during the recent pandemic, and especially as people age, we all face difficulties and losses. But life can just be busy, we are juggling family and jobs – I returned to work full time and am now doing a Masters in Library and Information Management by Distance Learning by night! In 2009 I started a blog called Head above Water . It aimed to help people find ways to keep writing alongside busy and complicated lives. I encouraged useful techniques and tricks that worked. These included: drawing on the camaraderie and mutual accountability with other writers; writing challenges to encourage wordcount; writing prompts to inspire words on the page; and procrastination busters like writing routines (including a 5am writeclub) and creating writing spaces. 

Writing resilience 

Having studied Psychology in college, I’ve recently become very interested in the topic of writing resilience and the psychology of persistence and self-belief. Neuroscientist Rick Hanson has a lot to offer in suggesting ways we can ‘take in the good’, remembering and ‘installing’ our achievements and strengths so that it becomes easier to keep writing in the vacuum of recognition or publishing success. We must also firmly establish why we want to write, what is important to us. The reasons we might identify for writing could include more intangible elements like making a difference to people, hoping our writing resonates and helps readers, communicating a topic well – as well as a writer’s dream of making it onto the shelf or wanting to establish an autonomous portfolio career. During the pandemic I had the privilege of seeing the difference books and writing made to library patrons as I sent out book deliveries from the almost empty and closed public library I worked in. Speaking with patrons on the phone, they enthusiastically recounted how books kept them going, entertained them and transported them to other situations and places. Knowing that your writing has resonated with others gives a powerful sense of purpose, so submitting to and getting published in journals and magazines along the way is a great way of inviting feedback and connection. 

How to keep the faith in writing

The title of my debut short story collection is Random Acts of Optimism. I recently realised that this phrase can also be applied to our writing endeavours. We keep trying, hoping our words will make sense, that our books will take shape, that our writing will resonate with people and that one day, we will make it to publication. We need to be realistic, to create consistently, to be intrinsically motivated by the word itself as much as possible, aim for publication but don’t let it become a talisman of failure if it hasn’t yet come your way. Even while the extrinsic recognition hasn’t come, it’s so important to keep making those forays into storytelling and documenting humanity, understanding it for the noble, curious and life-affirming endeavour it is. 

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The Author – Alison Wells

Alison Wells was born in London, raised in Kerry and lives in Bray, near Dublin, Ireland with her husband and four children. A graduate of Communication Studies and Psychology, she is now an enthusiastic public librarian. Her literary short fiction has been Pushcart prize nominated and shortlisted for Hennessy New Irish Writing, Bridport, BBC Opening Lines and Bray Literary Festival. Writing has appeared in The Stinging Fly, The Lonely Crowd, Crannóg, UK National Flash Fiction anthologies Jawbreakers and Scraps and New Island/RTÉ Arena’s New Planet Cabaret. Eat! was highly commended in the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2019. In 2020 she was a finalist with The Exhibit of Held Breaths. Her Head Above Water blog explores creativity and resilience.

Twitter @alisonwells Instagram alisonbwells

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Website and Blog:  https://alison-wells.com/

RANDOM ACTS OF OPTIMISM

Random Acts of Optimism consists of 15 stories, ranging from poignant to surreal to laugh out loud, revolving around the protagonist’s acts of optimism. A librarian and an elderly person form
a bond during lockdown. There are ghosts. There are problems with plumbers. There are dinosaurs on the Isle of Wight. There is a story written from the point of view of a letter. There are stars, meringues, memories in jars, a spaceman. Most of all, there are people, trying to cope with life and all its travails. At times tender and thought-provoking, by turns humorous and bleak, this cornucopia of tales is truly a pleasure to read.

Buy the book here 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing