by Ali Shaw, Executive Editor

Image courtesy of Unsplash

“Keep writing.”

How many times have you heard that? From teachers, friends, family members, maybe editors, possibly even publishers and agents. Five times? A dozen? Hundreds?

I hope they still mean something to you when you hear them. For some of you, though, I know they’ve started to fall flat. Maybe some of you even did the opposite. You stopped writing. Maybe because there was too much pressure. Maybe because it’s so easy to let that voice that says, “What’s the point?” take over.

But I hope you can hear it from me now, genuinely: Keep writing. Your words matter.

In the chaos that is taking the world by storm now…
In the destruction of progress…
In the midst of widespread censorship…
In the silencing of too many voices…

Please, keep writing.

If you’re a writer who shares your work—in books, stories, Substack, or any other medium—keep writing. You have stories to tell and experiences to share that are likely valuable to other people. Especially if you come from any community that is marginalized, historically excluded, underrepresented, or currently experiencing a loss of rights, your experiences are so important. Letting others read your story—whether it’s memoir or it’s fiction that is shaped by your experiences—helps people with similar experiences feel less alone, and it helps others with vastly different experiences understand and build empathy.

If you’re someone who is private about your work, keep writing. Taking at little as five minutes a day to write can help you be more present in your day. It can untangle thoughts and emotions that swirl far too rapidly these days. It can bring you peace enough to notice the small joys around you—the brilliance of a rainbow cast by the sun through a crack in a window, the beat of a Native drum session around the corner from your favorite coffee shop, the joy you feel when a shy toddler decides to smile at you.

And joy is a form of resistance.
Speaking up is a form of resistance.
Writing is a form of resistance.

Keep writing.

Ali Shaw founded Indigo: Editing, Design, and More in 2006 to help writers around the world share their work. She’s been fortunate to edit for authors like Rodney King, Ram Dass, and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Chade Meng Tan. In 2024, she and her husband launched BOLD Coffee & Books in Portland, Oregon, as a progressive community space that serves great coffee and features books by authors from marginalized communities. Ali hosts a weekly Sit Down, Shut Up, and Write session at BOLD every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., along with a variety of other writing, reading, and socializing events for the community.