39 Comments
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Jody L. Collins's avatar

Shawn, I am 72 and started writing online at 60, diving into poetry as the place I wanted to be when I was 66. I think the older we get the more clear we become about what really matters to us when we write--with the days God has given us; what will we say that honors Him?

48 seems a perfect age to begin doing what you r e a l l y want to do :-)

((and Seth. sheesh.... always right on with his advice.))

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Melisa Capistrant's avatar

Now I can't get past the grease in the donuts thing. Will I ever be able to enjoy my Sunday donut again?

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Ha!

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Melisa Capistrant's avatar

Nah... not giving up my Sunday donut.

"The real work of the artist

is a way of being in the world." - Rick Rubin

This portion that you've quoted above does remind me a bit of Anton Chekhov's, "If you want to work on your art, work on your life." (This quote is on Heather King's website, and she's just written a wonderful book called Consumed: The Joys, Sorrows and Debacles of a Life Ordered to Art.) It reminds me that there's an inextricable connection between who we are and what we create. The more we aim to become who we are created to be, the greater our art. Art flows from and speaks of who we are.

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Tony Jones's avatar

As a 56-yo writer, I co-sign everything hereabove. I’m enjoying writing more than I ever have, and am arguably less “successful” than I’ve ever been.

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

I've been tracking you on this journey, Tony. Thanks.

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Joel J Miller's avatar

Great reminder.

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Thanks for reading, Joel. Eager for your book to come out!

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Jessica Hanke's avatar

A very encouraging read this morning. Thank you!

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Thanks, Jessica.

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Karen Anderson's avatar

This is very encouraging. I get caught up in the details of writing that I'm sure I don't know, like grammar, syntax, story arc requirements. When I put those to the side, I have fun with my writing. The critics, me being the first in line, may cringe here and there, wishing we could mark the screen with a red pen. Okay, you've convinced me to get back to it for the joy of the process.

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Meagan's avatar

I love all of this!!! Thank you!

When I started delving into Substack (and even now), I saw so much messaging about finding your ideal reader and all that jazz ... that's all well and good, but frankly, my ideal reader is me, lol. I just want to write what I want to write, and if it ends up going anywhere, awesome.

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Julie's avatar

Thank you Shawn!

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Kaitlin Curtice's avatar

You know I’m going to read this now right

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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Kaitlin Curtice's avatar

🙈🙈🫣🫣😂😂

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Michael D. Warden's avatar

Like water to my writer's soul.

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melony's avatar

The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There are among our classic favorites, representative to my (now college age) kids and I of that sweet, yet short lived, time when they still enjoyed a good read aloud before bed (just don't tell their school friends) and the oldest would stay up later reading ahead to herself. I've given them their own copies to take with while off at school, so their college friends have access to these stories too. They are just so good. I'm glad you pushed thru and wrote them while working at your own version of Freightliner. and, sigh, I miss my kids.

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

That's really kind of you, Melony. I love that you sent them off to school with those! Actually, you heard it here first, but I'm getting the rights back to those books and then writing book three, hopefully next year.

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melony's avatar

well this is delightful news!!

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Cyndi Kilter's avatar

This post made the decision to subscribe, plus the special deal, easy. The very thing I have been struggling with for the last year. For one thing, I don't want to do all the marketing for publishing houses. For another thing, as Katherine Paterson says, we write to answer questions (or something like that). And I am writing to work through some stuff - having to do with raising children with special needs. And I know a lot of parents who were/are in my situation want to explore those things, too. I also want them/me to enjoy the process.

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Well, that's very kind of you, Cyndi. That's a certainly a timely subject you're writing about.

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Andrea Stoeckel's avatar

Shawn, I am very glad to have "found" you again. Even after all these years I still recommend your work, especially "The Day the Angels Fell"

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Thanks for your long-time readership, Andrea!

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Teyani Whitman's avatar

Wonderful thoughts.

If we aren’t enjoying the process of creating, why would we be doing it?

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Thanks for reading, Teyani.

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Josh Brake's avatar

Love this piece, Shawn. What good words. Thank you.

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Thanks, Josh. I appreciate the work you do.

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Yolanda E. S. Miller's avatar

This is EXACTLY what I needed to hear--thanks!

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Shawn Smucker's avatar

Thanks, Yolanda. Keep going!

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