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Weekly Say No With Love Newsletter

I don't pressure myself to write in one genre, and here's why

Reader,

Lately, I've been reflecting a lot on the craft of writing and how different genres can inform and enrich each other. I've realized that my personal growth and the way I make decisions about my projects have a profound impact on my writing and publishing process. Everything is so interconnected.

But when I say craft alone will not save you, THIS is what I mean ↓

I went from writing poetry to memoir to fiction to narrative nonfiction to a guided journal and now back to fiction.

Can you imagine what I've picked up a long the way?

Let's slow down together and take a look:

When I was working on my memoir, Dear Current Occupant (2018), I knew I needed to channel the raw, unfiltered perspective of my younger self rather than a reflective, healed voice. That’s what the book demanded. Spending so much time with my younger self—the little girl who longed for more, who was a deep thinker with big ideas—was an intentional choice. And you know what? This approach was crucial in allowing me to later craft Junie (my most successful book to date) with such love and care.

Writing my last book, Let It Go (2024, narrative nonfiction), gave me the space to explore not only my identity as a writer but also my experiences as a Black woman in this world. Engaging in this deep work transformed my writing process, my business, and how I showed up in the world. Heck, the reshaping of my business was birthed from that book too.

Creating these books in a particular order has enhanced my understanding of how different genres can transition and inform each other, if you let them.

Now, I'm working on a new work of fiction (and working on this new book inspired the topic of this newsletter, gotta love how that works). This new project is shaped not only by my craft knowledge but also by my understanding of where I fit in and how learning about myself, my processes, and my motivations can lead to some of my best creative output.

If you're not a writer, that's totally fine. The same ideas apply to any creative field. In fact, here's a reflective question to help guide you:

What information to you pay attention to when finishing one project and moving on to the next?

Chelene

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​ What I'm saying YES to this week ... As we know, with every "no" we are also saying yes to something else that we've now organically created the space for. Each week, I'll share what I'm saying yes to whether it's a book, a project, and event, a food ... the possibilities are endless! ​ Celebrating My Thrive Coaching Clients! I owe much of what I shared in today's newsletter to the Thrive Coaching Program. This program was born out of a deep desire to create a space for writers and all creatives to explore who they are, who they are becoming, and what prevents them from consistently creating in alignment with their true selves. It's intense and big work, but the results are often surprising and transformative. ​Yolande House was the very first person to take the Thrive Program. Documenting her journey months after she completed the program was an emotional and beautiful experience. Please give it a read so you can see what's possible when you show up with an open mind and heart. ​ ​ Check out other client stories! ​

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