Open Letter to my Sangha

Open Letter to My Sangha:
Beginning the New Year as a Community of Writers

H. Ní Aódagaín

Like many folk, I spent the New Year's weekend among friends, raising toasts and stating resolutions. As I listened to the writers in the crowd, a common theme emerged: we each, in our own way, were setting new goals concerning our writing and making a renewed commitment to the writing life. These conversations led me to compare the community of writers I belong to with another community, which exists in the Buddhist tradition, the sangha.

The sangha is the community of individuals who gather together to meditate. By taking refuge in the sangha (one of the underlying precepts of Buddhism) a practitioner is better able to "stay on the path." Being part of the sangha strengthens one's resolve, as all are committed to a common goal and support one another in reaching that goal.

My sangha, the community of writers I belong to, is a vital part of my writing life. By taking refuge there, I have become a better writer, more able to meet my writing goals, and more willing to "get to the cushion," in this case, the desk. I want to share the specific ways in which I participate in the sangha as a way to say thank you, and to encourage other writers to become active participants.

Join a Writers' Group or Create Your Own

I've belonged to the same writers' group for the past 30 years. The rules are simple: be on time, have something to read if you can, or listen if you don't. Ask for the kind of criticism you want. This soft critique approach is what I believe has kept us going for so long, as it allows each writer to receive the kind of criticism they're ready for.

Having others listen to a first draft, to offer suggestions, to say what worked and what didn't is invaluable to me as a writer. To be an active listener helps me hear the rhythm and cadence of language. To fight over commas and semi-colons makes for great discussions of "right and wrong," while forging long-lasting friendships that provide encouragement, and solace, when those rejection letters pile up.  

The ongoing support and camaraderie of a physical group can't be overstated, but for the first time in history, perhaps, we writers are not restricted by geography in our effort to find our people. The Ex-pats of Paris had their cafés; we have the Internet.

Be an Active Member of the On-Line Community

In the past few years, the Internet has exploded with resources for writers to the point that you could spend all of your writing time just reading the posts of those websites you subscribe to. But how wonderful to have so much information at your fingertips, literally. Many of these sites are free; most that offer classes have some fee attached, but to browse the site can connect you with various other resources.

Because I am in the phase of my writing life where publishing is a major focus, my major go-to websites offer the most current calls for submissions, from which I can glean what is most appropriate for me. Submishmash Weekly is an amazing compilation of national and regional calls for submissions for writers, poets and visual artists. The Review Review is a "must have" to track what's currently happening in the literary journal world, and the editor's closing, "and that, my..." is wickedly witty and always inspiring.

For those writers who seek support in their writing process, One Story offers online classes that are taught by notable authors on such subjects as Building a Plot and Character Development. Writer's Digest University offers a plethora of classes, connecting writers to editors, agents, and authors, all of whom will help you to hone your craft, polish that query letter, and offer important critique of your work.

To stay abreast of what's new in literature and to read contemporary works, I follow two sites: Electric Lit and New Millennium Writings. Both of these sites have their own call for submissions. And where would any of us be without Medium? I have felt so empowered to submit stories and essays to this website that gives me the opportunity of an instant audience.

Each writer will have their own favorite websites, and truly there are hundreds to choose from. But as I mentioned, you could spend your entire writing day browsing the Internet. So I have limited myself to having these particular ones come into my Inbox, and as you'll see, they contain plenty of information to educate and enlighten.

Books, Books and more Books

Shouldn't we all admit, that writers are, first and foremost, readers?  In addition to   tackling the classics, perusing the hot new bestsellers, and keeping up on what's trending in your specific genre, there are some phenomenal books on living the writer's life, and becoming the best writer you can be. 

My current inspiration for all things writing is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (Riverhead Books, 2015) by Elizabeth Gilbert. By breaking down the myths we all encounter as creative people, she exhorts us to show up, do the work, and let the universe do the rest. Having read it cover to cover, I now use it as daily inspiration to get me to the desk in the morning.

Then there is my other heroine, Ursula Le Guin, who just released her newest collection of essays, No Time to Spare: Thinking about what Matters (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017) at 88 years of age. You go, girl! If she can keep doing it, so can I. Her book on writing, Steering the Craft, A 21st Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story (First Mariner Books, 2015) is a very useful book full of exercises you can work with alone or as part of a group. It's like having Le Guin as your private teacher.

Of course, I could list many more guides to writing, and branch out to my favorite novels of the past few years, but who's got the time, which brings me to my final point.

To Be a Writer You Have to Write

To sit in front of a blank page or screen is often the most difficult part of writing. In those first moments, when paying bills or cleaning the refrigerator all of a sudden seem to be major priorities, I remember that I am part of a sangha and that my community is with me, with each paragraph I create, each page I fill with words. Often I conjure up the image of all the writers who are also at the desk, in front of a computer, or putting pen to paper, as I do.  It gives me courage.

I am part of my writing sangha when I show up to write. When I first begin, I sometimes feel like I am standing on the edge of a diving board, afraid of the plunge. But once I've taken it, I love the sensation of being immersed in water and delight in splashing, swimming and diving deeper. And when I surface, a poem, a story, a new chapter has been created.

Yes, writing can be a lonely vocation. But it can be less so, knowing that you are part of a larger community filled with individuals who are just as excited by the search for the right word, the perfect metaphor, the unexpected ending. I look to my sangha to commiserate and to celebrate with me, but most of all, to sustain me in this path I've chosen, this practice called writing. I invite you to be a part of it too.