Writers find support with virtual one-hour weekly sessions
It is 9 a.m. on a Thursday.
Today I am typing with my left hand while my bandaged right is on ice and propped on a stack of pillows. I am logged onto Zoom with a half dozen other writers, all of us with our cameras off and on mute. This is the third “writing alone in solidarity” meet up for Inlandia’s 100 Rejections Club.
We log on, say hello and a few words of encouragement, then go into dark mode for an hour of dedicated writing time. We might check in at the end with a wrap-up of what we worked on, but might also just say bye until next week. It is a no-pressure way to, at minimum, get in an hour of writing. We are there for each other, silent support, staying on track with our writing goals.
Yesterday I had carpal tunnel release surgery. It would be easy to flake out on this one hour of obligation. Don’t I deserve that? To be honest, if it were just me, I probably would have, the allure of pajamas and Netflix on a weekday morning too great. But I have a commitment to others, so that’s what the pull is today. And what am I doing? Writing.
I love being in community with my writer brethren. Writing itself is a solitary pursuit (unless you are writing collaboratively — a topic for another time) but writing together alone is a time-honored tradition. Anyone who has taken a writing workshop knows the drill: take 10 minutes to write silently, sitting at a desk or around a table. Or with your camera off, on Zoom.
But we’re not here today to share or critique. Just write.
The old adage among serious writers is to aim for 100 rejections every year. I have had two so far this year, but one was a holdover from last year and I’ve only submitted two in total in 2024. With the publication of two poetry collections over the last two years and my renewed focus on my memoir, I really haven’t submitted much at all. However, the years I was shopping the manuscripts around I submitted upwards of 100 times individual poems as well as the manuscripts as a whole (that’s 50-odd poems a pop being rejected every time a manuscript rejection came back).
I was inspired to start 100 Rejections Club by groups like Women Who Submit (WWS), and VIDA, who focus on changing the male-centric gender landscape of publishing by providing support and resources for women and gender-nonconforming/ non-binary writers.
Founded by a writer a year ahead of me in the MFA program at Antioch University Los Angeles, I have been a guest speaker and know many others who rely on WWS as their support system.
Similarly, an Inlandia member-turned-board member liz gonzales of Uptown Word in Long Beach and UCLA Extension writing program was hosting “writing alone, together” sessions during the pandemic. I saw how beneficial this kind of support could be and wanted to bring that to Inlandia. With Inlandia, we’ve also added a group membership to Duotrope, a website with detailed listings for literary journals and small presses alongside a tracker that ticks off the number of days that has a submission has been out versus the average number of days for a response. They claim to also have new features for group members rolling out soon.
The point is, we all need tools and mutual support to keep us motivated and on track.
Maybe not everyone needs this, but I know I do. There is so much focus on the writing but very little support for navigating what comes next. So while we are today using the time to write, I expect that we will also use this time to submit, a la WWS’S submission parties.
So what can you do on your own? Spreadsheets or even a simple list on paper helps. You will want to keep track of what you’ve submitted where, when, so you don’t waste time and energy trying to remember later. Research prospective venues on what they look for, and what you can expect. And seek out some support by way of likeminded peers.
And now it’s 10 a.m. I have managed to peck out all 700+ words of this column with my left hand. The 100 Rejections Club write-in has signed off.
Until we meet again next week.
Cati Porter is a poet, essayist and executive director of Inlandia Institute. Learn more about her writing at www. catiporter.com and her work with Inlandia at www.inlandiainstitute. org.