I am *thiiiiis* close to finishing my sociology degree and have atleast 20 pieces on the go or which are 1/2 written including an accidental 8k word threaded personal essay that is maybe 90% finished.
I adore your writing and in particular your words here about "Don’t worry about the things you can’t control," "Write with integrity" (I WISH more people did this!) and "Decide whom to piss off—and piss them off" 😁🤣💪
Yes!!! Just the other day I had the thought... What if for 1 week women *just didn't*, if we just stopped being "nice", going above and beyond, giving that *extra* love that we so rarely receive in return.
I saw an amazing quote yesterday (unsure who wrote it initially) "We don't respect emotional labour but we know when it's not there." - - - doesn't this say it all!
I took kids on a 5 day road trip. No laundry for put away or cleaning done. Litterboxes overflowing. He did landscaping and some work on the kids treehouse but never gave thought to the work left for me when we got home. And we had zero groceries. I realize more and more how much hand holding I do to keep things going. Left exhausted. Returned exhausted. Never once a speck of gratitude.
Hahaha every time I wonder if I should do/risk something I ask myself: What would a mediocre white man do in my situation? And let me tell you, it works like a charm.
Thank you for this, I really needed to read this. I think about work like this, I trust myself, but when it comes to writing, the doubt comes in waves. I had just finished reading "The Heart-Work: Writing About Trauma as a Subversive Act"/ "In praise of navel gazing" by Melissa Febos, and then I saw the email with your article. There's this quote in her author's note of Body Work that I read frequently: "Writing is a form of freedom more accessible than many and there are forces at work that would like to withhold it from those whose stories most threaten the regimes that govern this society. Fuck them. Write your life."
So damn good. Writing advice is usually sooooo boring and covers the least important aspects of it. One of my favorite Substack writers - very successful too - wrote 5 tips on writing recently and none of it reflected why she was successful. She writes things no one has had the guts to say, she is refreshingly direct, totally unique. A lot like Zawn lol. (I have a type.) None of her writing tips mattered compared to this yet perhaps she was too humble to share why she was really successful. But what a glaring omission. Zawn knows why she is successful and says it! Secondly, YES to soooooo much expensive yet empty content out there. So many phonies making a killing on next to nothing.
Yes I struggle with this. I have a small SS following, I have mixed feelings about it. I'm proud yet wanting it to be bigger yet afraid for it to grow. I feel it less when people unsubscribe but I still feel it. I love writing but I don't want to be trapped or anchored to it for the sake of an audience. I publish a post but then worry if it's too heretical lol.
So much to say, so many feelings, not enough time or energy to get it all out there.
I laughed at your section about the utter garbage people will charge for.
I had a realisation the other day: up until paying for this Substack, I’d only ever paid for white men’s writing. I was horrified. I started paying closer attention and - other than the ingrained bias that I clearly need to work on - I also noticed that the women I subscribe to are less likely to ask for paid subscriptions. Many men it feels like they’re almost guilting you for reading their work for free and ask quite explicitly “if you can pay for this then why aren’t you?”
YEEESS please Zawn!!
I am *thiiiiis* close to finishing my sociology degree and have atleast 20 pieces on the go or which are 1/2 written including an accidental 8k word threaded personal essay that is maybe 90% finished.
I adore your writing and in particular your words here about "Don’t worry about the things you can’t control," "Write with integrity" (I WISH more people did this!) and "Decide whom to piss off—and piss them off" 😁🤣💪
Your writing has given me the gift of sanity.
Helped me to declutter my mind and my soul of my old conditioned way of living.
I read somewhere recently how so many women fear they are constantly on the verge of losing it, going crazy. Why?
Because we are holding together so much shit that doesn’t feel authentic to us. It isn’t honest, it’s not how we want to live anymore.
Never stop writing.
Your work is changing my life.
Yes!!! Just the other day I had the thought... What if for 1 week women *just didn't*, if we just stopped being "nice", going above and beyond, giving that *extra* love that we so rarely receive in return.
I saw an amazing quote yesterday (unsure who wrote it initially) "We don't respect emotional labour but we know when it's not there." - - - doesn't this say it all!
I took kids on a 5 day road trip. No laundry for put away or cleaning done. Litterboxes overflowing. He did landscaping and some work on the kids treehouse but never gave thought to the work left for me when we got home. And we had zero groceries. I realize more and more how much hand holding I do to keep things going. Left exhausted. Returned exhausted. Never once a speck of gratitude.
Hahaha every time I wonder if I should do/risk something I ask myself: What would a mediocre white man do in my situation? And let me tell you, it works like a charm.
Thank you for this, I really needed to read this. I think about work like this, I trust myself, but when it comes to writing, the doubt comes in waves. I had just finished reading "The Heart-Work: Writing About Trauma as a Subversive Act"/ "In praise of navel gazing" by Melissa Febos, and then I saw the email with your article. There's this quote in her author's note of Body Work that I read frequently: "Writing is a form of freedom more accessible than many and there are forces at work that would like to withhold it from those whose stories most threaten the regimes that govern this society. Fuck them. Write your life."
So damn good. Writing advice is usually sooooo boring and covers the least important aspects of it. One of my favorite Substack writers - very successful too - wrote 5 tips on writing recently and none of it reflected why she was successful. She writes things no one has had the guts to say, she is refreshingly direct, totally unique. A lot like Zawn lol. (I have a type.) None of her writing tips mattered compared to this yet perhaps she was too humble to share why she was really successful. But what a glaring omission. Zawn knows why she is successful and says it! Secondly, YES to soooooo much expensive yet empty content out there. So many phonies making a killing on next to nothing.
Yes I struggle with this. I have a small SS following, I have mixed feelings about it. I'm proud yet wanting it to be bigger yet afraid for it to grow. I feel it less when people unsubscribe but I still feel it. I love writing but I don't want to be trapped or anchored to it for the sake of an audience. I publish a post but then worry if it's too heretical lol.
So much to say, so many feelings, not enough time or energy to get it all out there.
I laughed at your section about the utter garbage people will charge for.
I had a realisation the other day: up until paying for this Substack, I’d only ever paid for white men’s writing. I was horrified. I started paying closer attention and - other than the ingrained bias that I clearly need to work on - I also noticed that the women I subscribe to are less likely to ask for paid subscriptions. Many men it feels like they’re almost guilting you for reading their work for free and ask quite explicitly “if you can pay for this then why aren’t you?”
Thank you! I am going to give writing a try, I appreciate this so much.
Thank you. I’ve been terrified by the thought of moving my writing from my blog over here. You’ve inched me a little closer to actually doing it.