Welcome to the Sunday Summary for the week of 13 December 2021-18 December 2021. Did you miss something during the week? Are you looking for a quick overview of all the things that were shared on our website this week? Maybe you just want to revisit a favorite piece for the week. Here’s where you can check in with all of our writers from the week.
Monday
“Who decides what makes someone a real “writer” anyway?“
On Monday Erika shared with us the thrill of having a piece of work accepted for publication and what happens that collides with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. If you like this, you might also want to check out an older piece from Erika about what it means to be a real writer and discover just what she’s learned. You can read the piece Erika was working on when she took that photo of Middle Cat, (who has yet to make a Caturday) appearance here. (CW: sexual assault, no graphic descriptions.)
Tuesday
“So many good ideas develop in the course of the revision process. In other words, a mistake is the larval stage.”
While there may be only two rules of writing, there are many other things that are important guidlines for writers. Writing is not a solitary endeavor, and on Tuesday, Adam talks about the importance of a writing community and how a writing community like this one can support you. If you’re looking for community, join us on Facebook, and look for an announcement when we open the forums on our website, too. Adam has more advice about helpful tools for writers here, where he talks about his journey as an editor.
Wednesday
“Can you at least finish your homework…
“Oh, you don’t like Chinese…
“Then you stop talking to me.”
Our friend Huiwen Shi shared with us a piece inspired by Jamaica Kinkaid’s “Girl” that may bring up familiar feelings for anyone who has lived with young children… or has been one. We’re hoping to bring you work from Wen about once a month, so check back in January to see what she brings us next month.
Thursday
“In the timeless spaces
Between the atoms of your flesh
I see the face of God“
On Thursday, multi-media artist Megan Song brought us her poem “Choosing Love”. Poetry is such an important art form at this time when so many of us are struggling, and we’re glad to bring this first-time piece from Megan. We look forward to bringing you more work from Megan in the future.
Friday
“…what is the difference between an artistic work that is good and an artistic work that I like. What is the difference between a piece I see once and don’t necessarily disapprove of… versus one I take the time to get to know and grow to love?”
As always, on Friday, we brought you the weekly Watch/Listen/Read post. This week features Bob Dylan, Robert Jordan and the latest in the ongoing viola debate, although that’s hardly an exhaustive list. If you’ve never checked out Watch/Listen/Read before, it’s a fun weekly feature. Adam and Erika use the space to talk about what they’ve had their eyes and ears on, to write a little more casually, and to bring you into their space where you can see how they collaborate–as we keep telling you, “writing is not a solitary activity,” but collaboration doesn’t mean devoid of fun.
If you’re looking for more recommendations you can read previous Watch/Listen/Read posts here, and leave us a comment if you want to know more about violas.
Saturday
“Steven King and Neil Gaiman are fans of the fountain pen. John Steinbeck, Truman Capote and Henry David Thoreau all favored pencils. Jane Austen used a quill pen and iron gall ink. Agatha Christie used a typewriter.”
Big Cat and Little Cat are back with their weekly question. They may step on Erika’s keyboard and steal her pens, and Big Cat has also eaten plenty of paper. But they also have questions. See what Big Cat and Little Cat are talking about and answer our question about writing tools here. For the whole Big Cat, Little Cat series, and all of their questions, you can click here.
We’ve got more interesting stories to bring you this week. We’d love to have you tell your story here, too. Whether you’ve just got an idea floating in your head or a (nearly) complete piece, we’re here for you. Take a look at our submission guidelines for more information. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so you can see when new content is posted and to connected with our fantastic writing community.
Make sure you‘re all caught up with your favorite 2 Rules writers and features by checking out all of our Sunday Summary posts.