I came across an insightful post by Meredith Talusan on Substack titled “Publication Is Not the Point of Writing,” and I found it to be incredibly interesting and a relatable reminder of my own writing journey.
How so, you may ask? Well, sit back and let me break down the post, answer the question, and offer why both of our experiences is important for you all to hear.
THE ARTICLE
I would like to say that when I started reading this, I was instantly hooked by the author starting off by saying that she was learning how to play chess. I myself have been chess infrequently for several years.
So you will be shocked to learn that I didn’t know chess apparently has a rating! I only just read the first paragraph of this post, and already I’m learning new information!
She connects her chess rating experience by stating that it reminded her a lot about how she viewed publication, as something to constantly worry about. But a chess article that she read made her realize that there’s no point in worrying about her chess rating or publication for this reason:
“[P]ublication is just a shadow of your skills as a writer. Therefore, all you need to focus on are sharpening your skills, and the publication will follow” (Talusan).
Another thing she said in the article was, “So sure, of course we want to send our work out to journals and magazines, agents and publishers, but there’s no point in worrying once we’ve done our best, because that distracts us from working on our craft, getting better and better so that, whether or not our work gets accepted, we continue learning and growing as writers” (Talusan).
MY EXPERIENCE
And this is where I share why what she said was such a powerful reminder for me.
In my first-ever blog post, I mentioned that my dad stopped the publication preparation process of the D.C. Double Dilemma, what was going to be the sequel to October Johnson and the Secret of the Old Factory.
What I didn’t mention is during that year in 2022, around 2 to 3 months after he made that decision, my passion for writing essentially died. I’d worked so hard, only to have the brakes slammed just before the finish line. Because I was like, “If I can’t publish the D.C. Double Dilemma, or anything at all, then what the clob is the point, then? Why the clob should I bother?”
It took me almost a year, up to early 2023, for me to realize that my dad stopping the publication was a good thing because not just because I was more well-rounded, but also because in the previous few years I had spent revising the D.C. Double Dilemma, I was half-blinded by the idea of wanting the book to be out as fast as possible, causing major issues to still be present even while I was revising, like the execution of the premise, as well as underdeveloped characters and plot points.
If my dad hadn’t stopped the publication process, a more inferior version of the D.C. Double Dilemma than the new version that I’m planning would be released.
Another missed opportunity.
CONCLUSION/CALL TO ACTION
In the second post that I posted exactly one week ago, I said that taking on a writing project required patience, discipline, and passion.
Truth be told, that piece of advice is a smaller piece of a much bigger idea: Writing for me and for serious writers is not just a hobby, clob, it’s not even just a passion, it’s a LIFESTYLE.
And any lifestyle requires growth and improvement and learning. About how to be better. And I lost sight of that almost two years ago, causing me to almost give up on this lifestyle of mine.
So, I ask all of you who aspire to be writers, don’t make the mistake that I did. Don’t lose focus on what’s important. Keep that candle of passion burning, don’t let the rains of life drown it out.
Just like chess, writing is a game where the goal isn’t to win right away, but to improve, strategize, and learn with each move. Publication is the shadow of your craft, not the goal. So, whether you’re submitting stories or revising drafts, remember—keep your focus on growing as a writer. Your skill will be your legacy, and publication will follow naturally.
I’d love to hear your thoughts—do you agree with Meredith’s take on writing? How do you balance the pursuit of publication with your dedication to the craft?
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