‘How Do I Make More Time to Write?’
You have to accept that you can and you have to.
The Reading
The Reading is a newsletter by Yanyi dedicated to the inner life of the writer.
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‘How Do You Begin Again?’
It's not how you begin, but how you continue.
‘How Do I Give Myself a Residency?’
It's about coming home to your art.
‘How Did You Decide to Return to Your Day Job?’
I got to know my brain.
‘You Are More Than Your Writing.’
On July 31, 2022, The Reading will go on a long hiatus.
‘I’m So, So Tired of Having to Justify My Writing.’
Is it really terrible to be wrong?
‘Can I Still Write My Memoir If It Exhausts Me?’
This book is a ghost of memoirs past.
‘How Do I Find Joy in Big Writing Projects?’
You're juggling two minds, but you only need one.
‘Lately, All My Stories Fall Short.’
It’s time to look at everything everywhere all at once.
‘What Are Friendships to a Writer’s Life?’
Few and far between. But that's not a bad thing.
‘What Does Better Writing Feedback Look Like?’
A good workshop is hard to come by (but here are some that have).
‘Is an MFA Worth It?’
What does it represent to you?
‘How Do I Let a Draft be a Draft?’
Invite the necessary uncertainty.
‘Why Do You Write?’
It is who I am.
‘Am I Just Too Lazy to Be a Writer?’
Shame may get you a result, but it will never give you freedom.
‘How Do I Dream Bigger for My Writing?’
You feel split because you are.
‘Why Do I Want to Amount to Something So Much?’
There’s no practical backup for when you fail to perform as the person you’re supposed to be.
‘I Haven’t Had a New Idea in a Year. How Do I Think Again?’
It’s not “again” but “anew.”
‘Does My Poetry Have to Be Difficult to Be Real?’
You can have what you want, and should.
‘How Do I Write If I Never Finish Anything?’
'You''ve got to interrupt the "plan first, work later" mentality.'
‘What If I’m Just Missing…Talent?’
You are missing something, but it's not what you think.
‘Someone Else Published My Idea. Now What?’
This situation reflects your hopes and fears.
‘How Do You Write About Joy?’
It’s about finding presence enough to be here.
‘What’s an “Emerging” Writer and How Do I Become One?’
Is emerging that different from becoming?