Hi friends,

I often wonder if writing stories is worth the time and energy I put into it. Should I be writing articles with click-baity titles that people will actually read? Should I be protesting more, staying active on social media, or organizing? Something more than just sitting behind a keyboard and typing?

That voice comes from the same place as all the other voices of doubt. The ones that try to convince me I’m not good enough. After all, English is my second language— how do you spell "conscious," again? (I wrote it as "concious," but spell-check saved me.)

Then I think about the books I’ve read that changed the way I understand and see the world. Books like:

There are so many more that would turn this into a laundry list. These books carry personal stories that are deeply emotional and entertaining. (Well, except for Orientalism—there’s nothing entertaining about Said’s writing. To get through a few pages, you need a full night’s sleep and a strong cup of coffee, or you’ll drown in his genius and run out of breath.)

Your stories—the ones you can’t quite figure out how to tell, but that linger in your mind—deserve to be given life. The money, the awards, the physical existence of your stories in print? That’s business, and it’s largely out of your control.

Our job is to write.

And so, writing we shall.

💎 New From Me

This week’s video is about making the most of your evenings. If you work 9-5 and find yourself spending most of your evening scrolling on your phone or caught up in random tasks, this might help you take back that time.

🔖 Quote I’m pondering

“Though we do not wholly believe it yet, the interior life is a real life, and the intangible dreams of people have a tangible effect on the world.”

— James Baldwin

Source: Nobody Knows My Name

📸 Through My Lens

Please give me feedback on the newsletter by replying to this email. Do you find it worth your time? What do you want more or less of? Or other suggestions?

Thank you for reading!

Mohamed

Is This Writing Thing Worth It?