Ask the Author: Francesca Serritella
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Francesca Serritella
I paint my nails. Should I have thought of a more impressive answer? But it's the truth! I think it works because it requires a certain degree of attention but is not mentally taxing, so my mind can wander and untangle while I do it. Perhaps most importantly, it works because it occupies my fingers and prevents typing or my phone, so it keeps me away from enemy number one to writers: the Internet. Social media is an ever-tempting distraction, but it takes your head out of your work and eats up way more time than it deserves. Pick something that keeps you present, but sets your mind free to work out the snags. Other things I do that work similarly: walk the dog, workout, take a shower, watercolor.
Francesca Serritella
The best advice I've ever received was from my college creative writing professor, he said: "Give yourself permission to take yourself seriously." As writers, especially those just starting out, so much of our work is done alone, without external validation or encouragement along the way. It takes a lot to stay self-motivated through the inevitable obstacles and self-doubt, and you have to give yourself permission to make--and protect--the time for yourself to write and revise. So give yourself more credit! Don't let anyone, or your own anxiety, undermine your pursuit of your writing goals. You deserve to take yourself seriously before you publish a word, in fact, you must. Every author you admire today was once an aspiring writer, secretly working on a first novel during early mornings and late nights, or struggling to explain the book's premise at a dinner party (I'm still that person). Let the next writer you respect and admire be yourself.
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