After landing a job as a staff writer at the local newspaper, in my mother’s eyes, I’ve “made it” because I work for people’s stories. I’ve felt guilty for thinking I’m not quite there yet because this is just the beginning. But for my mother, to finally have me working at a desk after her long hours at the factory hog farm while numbing the pain of her hand deformity with medication to pay off my college out-of-pocket, I’ve definitely made it.
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This is Are-Lit.
Are-Lit is a literary blog.
I write because I love to read. I read to learn to write.
Writing is therapeutic but…
…messy. The process makes me wonder if I’m indeed cut out to be a writer: the voice, character development, world building, dialogue, structure, sensory details, and edit after edit after edit.
I used to think, “The first time I get published will be the day all my writing doubts will disappear.” I’ve seen my stories in print three times, and I still read through them picking at what I should’ve done better.
The reader deserves the best experience.
When someone takes a few seconds to comment on how a piece taught them a new stylistic choice, made them remember a unique time in their lives, or feel something new, it makes all those hours spent drinking coffee, rewriting, and reading out loud, a million times more purposeful.
The struggle behind-the-scenes contributes to what your final piece becomes. This process has inspired me to create this blog where I can share my own process, teach the craft, talk about fiction/nonfiction books and experiences that keep me wanting and writing more, and, most of all, welcome a community of hardworking writers.
Arely Anaya 