Naush and Suna’s Talk – Tips or Tricks
Rejection and coping with it well, is one of the great tips and tools needed for a writer. They reminded us that it’s important to “welcome rejection.” It may seem like an obvious pro tip, but as writers, when we get so invested in our work it’s the simplest of things we may forget in our writing journey. Rejection is a piece of the experience and not the final picture. Which is important to remember. Those rejections make us better writers in the sense that we explore deeper, where we can really touch the roots of writing.
Time is also significant. Managing your schedule gives you the independence of you will need to acquire as a full time writer in the future. “Carving out time” for yourself as a writer also caters to your writing mood which is beneficial to pay attention to. Especially because a writer is constantly evolving. Writers need to be able to take the time to see the different dimensions of themselves they have put into their work. They will grow with the evolution of their characters over their time.
Submission windows are the classic example of motivation for a writer. It’s a “great motivation factor” because a writer is working towards something consistently. Working on good writing is about consistency. In addition to that, having deadlines are a great preparation technique for those less flexible days. It’s a way for a writer to combat any writing fears they may have as those deadlines may push them to go for it. Self discipline is at a strong point when you feel good under pressure. You feel confident enough to meet the deadline in your own time, on time.
Find a community that will take your work seriously is one of the best pieces of advice these ladies offered us. It’s vital to seek that society of people who are genuine in responding to your work. Critical feedback is essential in progressing your writing. It’s what gives the writer more fuel to win their own race. The feedback that may be the hardest to take in, might be the most helpful advice they have been given to accelerate their narrative. Being critical can be “really fruitful” for making a writer see beyond what they think they can achieve. The possibilities grow when you take the true words of the true critics seriously.
Developing your craft comes from what gets one excited and intrigued as a writer. The passion is a key ingredient in enjoying the experience of writing. Writing about something that keeps your eyes wide open will make you want to build a better engine your story can work from. Reading equally stems from passion. They spoke of how reading poetry magazines can give you a taste of “contemporary poetry.” That kind of reading also keeps a writer up to date on the kind of writing circulating our world today. A writer doesn’t have to change themselves to fit the writing trend, but they should try to understand them. General reading is a necessity. Books bring the writer to life, and give them new words to extract. This an empowering contribution for self development in writing. To create “better readers” and produce more “informed writers.”
The “bubble of motherhood” is an interesting one to talk about. They spoke about how being a mother can be very time consuming on the schedule. This justifies further why a writing community is useful because it gives writers a place to gather and share similar problems. Assuring yourself your not alone matters, particularly during the Covid era that is about to get spooky this October.
Written by Nisha Patel
WRITE WESTMINSTER BLOG 
I loved this Nisha! Thank you for outlining some of the most important things both Suna and Naush spoke to us about in the speaker event. Especially the idea of the “bubble of motherhood” as most of us in that class will someday, maybe, have children of our own and as writers will no doubt experience what they were talking about with managing schedules and home life alongside writing. It’s definitely something not spoken about enough in terms of creative roles which seem to be ‘freeing’ compared to a traditional 9-5 however, it still has its cons in terms of having a personal and social life away from your work. Suna and Naush brought this topic to my attention and I like how you have reiterated it here as well as the idea of welcoming rejection which is also a very important lesson I learnt from their talk.
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I thought this talk was super interesting, they gave good tips and I liked how they started their own poetry journal! So inspiring!
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The structure of this piece is well thought out and summarises Naush and Suna’s talk well. I like how it is separated into main topics as this adds clarity and makes it easy to follow. I especially like the reflection on rejection here, I think many people take rejection poorly across all aspects of life because we are in a society that enforces perfection and strong competition which puts pressure on people and their performance. I also agree that “welcoming rejection” is important and is definitely “a piece of the experience.” There are challenges among every journey which can help us grow and learn the most. Also, if there weren’t ‘lows,’ there wouldn’t be ‘highs’ either. Having both is inevitable and makes the journey much more interesting. It would be too easy and boring if everyone loved our writing and we wouldn’t learn as much. In retrospect, perhaps we could feel grateful for the challenges and rejections. I also like the point on becoming more “informed writers” by reading and learning more. Books are the source of knowledge and understanding more as well as getting more inspiration from a variety of writers can greatly improve our own writing.
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It was amazing to have Naush and Suna come in and speak to us. Being able to listen to their problems and struggles as well as the achievements and the upsides in their life was refreshing and useful to hear. Before this talk, I didn’t really know much about literary magazines, zines or journals and I didn’t have an interest in them before this talk with Naush and Suna either. The idea that there is a hub of people who can come together, make what they love and then share that with the world and with people who also share a love for poetry is inspirational. All the tips they shared with us will be invaluable for those who wish to enter the world of writing.
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I absolutely loved Naush and Suna’s talk. They were so honest about the writing process and the challenges we as young writers will face. It really resonated with me how important it is to carve out time for your writing and find that balance between work life and being able to support yourself, while at the same time still being able to enjoy writing and finding time to do so.
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Absolutely useful information, so grateful for coming and sharing all with us.
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