Folgen

  • Hang the Pictures

    Hang the Pictures
    Nov 4 2025
    About nine years ago, my husband, military man, went on several trips and took his camera. He’s a wonderful amateur photographer — the kind who captures dozens and dozens of shots, each one filled with life and beauty… and then does absolutely nothing with them. Hence, the “amateur” part.But I loved those photos. I was proud of him — of the way he saw the world through his lens. So one day, I picked three of my favorites, had them matted and framed, and was so excited to surprise him. I showed them to him, and he smiled, but somehow, we never found the right place to hang them.And then, in 2016, our world turned upside down.Within four months, I lost my mother and my aunt. My husband lost his grandfather, his uncle, and then his father. My mother and his father passed less than thirty days apart. Much of that year is a blur — a fog of grief and exhaustion. I remember canceling conferences, canceling plans, canceling everything.At the time, I was still indie, and thankfully I didn’t have immediate deadlines. But I’d just signed a contract with Entangled, meaning books would be due the following year. I think having that distant goal — something on the horizon — kept me sane. Kept us sane.But I never went back to hanging those pictures.There’s something to be said about starting a project with the best intentions, only to have life — or death — interrupt it. Sometimes it’s loss, sometimes it’s chaos, and sometimes it’s just the price of eggs that knocks us off balance.But at some point, we have to shake it all off and return to the dream.We have to forgive ourselves for the delays, for the detours, for the times we needed to rest. Because rest matters. Detours matter. Reflection matters.If you’re a Type A person like me, it’s hard to stop the world and say, “I’m hurting,” or “I can’t do this right now.” But we owe it to ourselves to take that pause — to grieve, to reflect, to forgive. Forgive the people who hurt us, forgive the ones who didn’t show up when we needed them, and forgive ourselves for stumbling.And when we’re ready, we have to return. To the old normal. To the unfinished dream.Today, I did that.I cleaned the room I’ll forever call Grama’s Room — in honor of my mother — and I finally hung those pictures. After nine years.And when my husband saw them, when he smiled with that quiet pride, I felt something shift. A bit of healing. A touch of restoration. The simple goodness of completion.November is the month where many of us sit down to start something new — the next novel, memoir, self-help guide, or story that might bring hope and light to the world.So, I say this: whatever dream you’ve set aside, whatever picture you’ve been meaning to hang, whatever story you’ve been dreaming of telling — go back to it.It doesn’t matter how much time has passed. You still have another moment. Don’t waste it.Look around. Find the dream that’s been waiting patiently for you. Get back to your first love — to the idea that once made you wake up smiling, that kept you up at night thinking, “What if I really could do this?”Right now, I’m two months away from releasing Fire Sword and Sea. It took two years to write that book — two years of wrestling with story, of getting it right, of honoring the women who risked everything to chase a dream.It’s brave. It’s daring. It’s a little bit crazy.But sometimes, you have to be all three.So I urge you: be a pirate. Command your own ship. Gather your crew. And finish your mission — whatever that may be.This is Vanessa, giving you permission to forgive yourself, to pick up your sword, and to get going.Oh — and hang those pictures, too.This week’s booklist for the writers and the procrastinators:Atomic Habits by James Clear — A practical guide to breaking bad habits and building consistent routines through tiny, incremental changes that compound into remarkable results.The War of Art by Steven Pressfield — A powerful manifesto that exposes the internal “Resistance” keeping writers and creators from doing the work and shows how to overcome it with discipline and courage.Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff — A witty, motivating look at why perfectionism kills progress and how embracing imperfection helps you actually complete what you start.Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy — A purposeful roadmap for designing a life plan that aligns daily actions with long-term vision, helping creatives reclaim time and focus.Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes — A candid, joyful memoir about how saying “yes” to fear, opportunity, and authenticity transformed the creator of Grey’s Anatomy into a more confident and fulfilled version of herself.This week, I’m highlighting Eagle Eye Book Shop through their website and Bookshop.orgConsider purchasing Fire Sword and Sea from Eagle Eye Eye or one of my partners in the fight, bookstore’s large and ...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    10 Min.
  • Hold Me, Help the World

    Hold Me, Help the World
    Oct 28 2025
    An image. A photograph. Sometimes we take them for granted. We snap our phones so quickly, only to scroll through them for social posts or store them for infinity in clouds. Does anyone remember having to take a roll of film out of a camera with care—rolling it up, taking it to be developed? Anyone remember what it felt like to wait to pick up the prints? Now we have so many at our fingertips that many of these images will never be opened again.Technology has advanced, and we all walk around with a digital lens to analyze the world. Everyone can capture history or life with a click. And especially in our constantly moving 24-hour news cycle, images can start to lose their meaning. Of course, we begin to feel their value again when something like—oh, I don’t know—authoritarianism creeps in and tries to keep us from seeing things and asking questions.Pictures are meant to help us save our moments. I saw one this week, that I can’t get out of my head. It’s not traumatic; it’s not painful. It’s lovely, very heartwarming. It’s of a ballerina and a dancer turned choreographer and teacher.On October 22, 2025, Misty Copeland took her final bow with the American Ballet Theatre in New York. Misty came on stage for applause, and Debbie Allen—the icon—embraced her.The moment stopped me. To see a legend embracing another legend—it’s powerful. It’s the kind of image that reminds you what legacy looks like. It says: You’ve finished this part of your journey, and the next part will be even better. You’ll touch more people, like I have. And you can also take a moment to rest and enjoy what you’ve accomplished. You can feel that warmth, that love, that encouragement radiating through the hug.And honestly, in these times—when the government has shut down, when benefits are threatened, when healthcare costs could skyrocket, and so many people are drowning in anxiety—that kind of reassurance, that quiet “I’ve been there, and you’re going to be all right,” means the world.This week, I went to the 21st Cavalcade in Chicago, hosted by my dear friend, author Lissa Woodson. It was a reunion of sorts—people who were there at the very beginning of my writing journey came, as well as many new faces just starting theirs. It was a good time full of hugs and laughs. Dear author buddy and Fun Friday Girl, Pat Simmons, arrived and brought even more fun. I snapped a selfie of us.Panya, one of my dear friends from college, came, and we shared dinner, more laughter, and stories about our children, husbands, and our global lives. Every small moment is to be savored and captured—not only on phones but in our hearts and minds. And I had the waiter snap a photo of us.A big part of the Cavalcade is being at the convention center and interfacing with the public. All of us, regardless of the stage of our careers—indie, hybrid, or traditional—we all hustled. We all tried to get someone to listen and maybe make a sale.Oh, the memories this brings back.And I hope the new authors there felt welcomed and hugged upon. I want them to know: Hey, it may be rocky right now, but it’s going to be all right.And let me just say this: Author MarZé Scott gives the best hugs known to humankind. I’m convinced she’s secretly a chiropractor because she hugs you just right. You don’t just feel safe—you feel loved, deeply loved, and spine-straightened—even if you’ve only just met. That’s a rare gift: to be medicinal, maternal, and downright cool. I hope she knows how special it is to receive her hug and the impression she leaves with everyone she embraces.Lissa snapped our picture. I’m grateful for each picture, each moment captured now and forever. These stills remind me of the love, the connection, the humanity we share. We’re moving into the holiday season—Thanksgiving’s on the horizon. It’s time to donate hugs—give to food pantries, check in on people who might be lonely or forgotten. Share your time. Everyone’s going through something. And this season, we need to be a little kinder, a little more forgiving.That’s the power of a hug. It wrings out the bitterness from the soul and leaves space for goodness.Now, I’ve added to my phone those pictures of Debbie Allen and Misty Copeland hugging. I even went scrolling to see if Debbie hugged Shonda Rhimes—I’m pretty sure they did offstage at their recent Atlanta/Dekalb meet-up to celebrate The Year of Yes. If not for the Cavalcade, I would’ve been at Shonda’s tour stop.My Year of Yes was 2019, which began my journey into writing historical fiction—finally taking the stories I’d grown up hearing or stumbled upon in research and actually writing them. Before my Year of Yes, I’d been told by agents and editors that there was no interest in historical novels that singularly focused on Black women—particularly of Caribbean descent—as the heroes of their own lives. I’m very proud to have birthed three such novels into...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    12 Min.
  • Finding My Jane

    Finding My Jane
    Oct 14 2025
    This marks the third week I’ve been at a conference or retreat—three weeks of sharing my craft and my conviction that writing can, and does, change the world.This past week, I had the distinct privilege of speaking at the Jane Austen Society of North America’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Baltimore, Maryland. Picture it: nearly 800 devoted Janeites, many dressed in exquisite Regency attire, their hearts united by a love of Austen’s words and worlds. Together, we gathered to celebrate her 250th birthday, to attend lectures by leading Austen scholars, to browse through stalls of clever trinkets and custom editions—and, to my amazement, to hear my thoughts on Austen’s influence on modern storytelling.I was invited to share my perspective on writing, on adaptations, and the enduring relevance of Jane Austen. As a historical consultant for Hallmark’s 2024 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, I’ve had the rare opportunity to help bring Austen’s timeless wit and social commentary into our dialogue with today’s audiences. Standing before hundreds of Austen lovers, I found myself reflecting not only on her genius but on how far the literary community—and I—have come.If you had asked me five, even three, years ago whether I could imagine speaking at JASNA, I would have said no. Those years were turbulent for many organizations grappling with questions of diversity and inclusion—questions about who gets to sit at the table, whose stories are valued, and whose aren’t.The Romance Writers of America (RWA) suffered a painful implosion and has struggled to regain its footing. The Regency Fiction Writers (formerly The Beau Monde chapter) took a different path, embracing diversity—of membership, of stories, of the Regency itself—and has grown to over 400 members. And now, seeing JASNA’s visible efforts toward inclusion, I feel very hopeful. From what I witnessed this weekend, it seems as though the Society is choosing the right side of history, the one where everyone who loves Jane is welcomed.When I took the stage in front of more than 700 people, I spoke about my Jane. Not the quaint figure of teacups and curtsies, but a woman aware of her world—a writer who knew not only of tea and indigo, but of war and enslavement. I spoke of the broader Regency landscape, of women like Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, who funded Kensington House a school for mixed-race girls on Marylebone Street in London, and of the Queen of Haiti, whose reign overlapped precisely with the English Regency. Austen’s world, I reminded, was never as small or as whitewashed as it’s often portrayed.When I spoke of film adaptation, I shared how every detail—from hair and costume to script and set design—was chosen with intention on the Hallmark project. The goal was not to modernize Austen, but to honor her and plausibly expand the visible world, that Jane knew as evidenced by her own inclusion of marginalized characters.We wanted to tell stories that reflect pride and power without bowing to prejudice. I think Hallmarks succeeded. Yet, when I showed Facebook responses to the announcement of the film and how vile or witless some can be, I told the audience that the power of adaptation is in their hands. How you respond, what you welcome, makes a difference.On Thursday night, I sat with longtime JASNA members—women who have been part of the Society for ten, twenty, even thirty years. They insisted that the organization wasn’t just a bunch readers in costume; they were true believers in Austen’s ideals: of intelligence, integrity, and independence of thought.If an organization is to thrive, its reach must be more than cosplay. It must open real seats at the table, and its members must open their hearts and minds, actively creating spaces for everyone to feel welcome.I am deeply grateful—to the Jane Austen Society of North America for their warmth, their curiosity, and their courage to expand the conversation. This was so much more than an AGM; it was a celebration of Austen’s 250th birthday, and the exhibition of the living, breathing legacy she continues to inspire.This week’s book list includes:Jane Austen’s Emma: A Sourcebook edited by Paula Byrne – Read this to see how Austen’s most socially astute novel emerges from the same complex world of class, gender, and perception that still challenges us to write—and adapt—with awareness.The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser – This lively history reveals how Austen herself has been continually adapted and reimagined, proving that every era.3. A Guide to Regency Dress: From Corsets and Breeches to Bonnets and Muslins by Hilary Davidson – Essential for understanding the textures and details that bring authenticity to any adaptation.4. Jane Austen: Visual Encyclopedia by Claire Saim and Gwen Giret – A feast for the eyes and mind, this illustrated compendium shows how Austen’s world continues to inspire art, film, and storytelling.This week...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    10 Min.
  • AI Can’t Fake the Funk or the Fire

    AI Can’t Fake the Funk or the Fire
    Oct 7 2025
    I was at the James River Writers Conference this weekend in Richmond, Virginia—one of those places that fills your creative tank. I got to do what I love: hang out with writers. Hungry writers. People on fire to get their words into the world.And of course, on one of my panels, the inevitable question came up: “What about AI? Are writers going to lose their jobs?”Now, let me tell you something. If you opened my email inbox right now, you’d find about eight—maybe ten—AI-written marketing emails. Every single one is bad. Cringeworthy bad. Pseudo-personal, stuffed with buzzwords, maybe even a random line pulled from the blurb of Island Queen to make it sound like they actually know me. But give it a few more sentences, and it’s obvious—they don’t. They just tossed my name into a prompt, hit “generate,” and sent it flying into the void.So I tell authors this: AI might be everywhere. It might be fast. But being everywhere and fast with crap doesn’t win you prizes, and it certainly doesn’t feed the hunger of readers looking for their next great adventure.AI is supposed to save time—or so the marketing folks keep telling us. But when I spend half my morning clearing these AI-spam messages, I don’t see time saved. I see time stolen.The emails all sound the same: “I’ve been following your amazing career!” or “I just loved your latest book!” or “I truly believe your book has the potential.” Or “You deserve more reviews.” That all might be true. Then, two lines later, they’re congratulating me on a novel I didn’t even write. One even mixed me up with another author completely.That’s not artificial intelligence. That’s artificial nonsense.And here’s what gets me. These marketers aren’t even good at using AI. They feed it bad prompts, copy-paste whatever it spits out, and send it to hundreds of people like me. It’s the new form of spam—shiny, overconfident, and hollow.At the conference, one of my fellow panelists said something that stuck with me. He said he couldn’t think of a single real-world problem AI has solved. Investors are pouring billions into it, hoping it’ll fix something. But from where I sit, the only thing it’s “solved”—and I’m using air quotes here—is how to steal everyone’s work faster and give marketers another toy to misuse.Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-AI. It’s a tool, and tools can be useful when used wisely. But we’ve made it ubiquitous too fast, without guardrails or reflection. And those without our best interests in mind are using it to fleece people.So, if you get one of those AI-assisted marketing emails in your inbox—mark it as spam. Don’t be fooled by fake flattery. If they’re offering some “exclusive service,” go straight to ChatGPT or Claude or one of the others and ask the same question. You’ll probably get the same result for free—or at least for a much lower monthly payment.But let’s shift gears—because there’s more hope than fear. At that same conference, I saw what I love most: people learning. People hungry for craft, open to feedback, and ready to chase their dream of writing a book. When writers invest in themselves—show up to workshops, ask hard questions, lean into the fight to say something of value—it gives me hope.When I hear someone say AI will put authors out of business, I just smile. What we do is too special for that. The dreams we carry, the stories only we can tell—AI can’t imagine them. It can remix what’s already stolen, sure. But it can’t reach into the unseen, the unspoken, the wilder parts of the human heart.One of my fellow panelists, R. R. Virdi, put it perfectly: AI can only feed on itself. It can only regurgitate what it already knows. That spark of divine imagination—the moment a story idea hits like lightning—that’s still ours. And as long as we keep creating, we’ll always be ahead.So to the marketers: maybe write your own emails. Try a little authenticity. Readers and customers can tell the difference.And to my wonderful listeners—the dreamers, the students of the writing craft—I’ve got something exciting coming your way. I’m launching a Kickstarter for The Storycraft Writer’s Journal. It’s a tool I’ve built from years of speaking and teaching on writing—packed with my forms, formulas, and geeky plotting tricks to help you organize research, track writing beats, and create the kind of stories no algorithm could ever predict.The best way to make sure AI doesn’t take your job is for you to keep writing and keep growing your talent, creating something only you can make.Oh—and before I continue, reviews are rolling in for Fire Sword and Sea—and people are loving it. If you’re on NetGalley, grab an ARC and take that journey with Jacquotte Delahaye. There’s also a Goodreads giveaway running for twenty copies, but fair warning: I’m missing about thirty-two ARCs that got lost in the mail, so if you...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    13 Min.
  • Hanging With Writers

    Hanging With Writers
    Sep 30 2025
    This past weekend, I had the honor of spending three days in Albuquerque with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association at their West Retreat. Three days to talk about the things I love most—our craft and the business of publishing. There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by writers, people who understand the struggle and the joy of creating stories. And there’s no better moment than seeing that spark in someone’s eyes when something you’ve said helps unlock their story in a brand-new way.One of the sessions conversationsI led centered on the Hero’s Journey and its counterpart, the Heroine’s Journey. These structures aren’t just tools for making sure your story moves forward or that the middle doesn’t sag—they’re also frameworks that allow us to dig into what makes heroes and heroines truly special. We looked at the communal aspects of the heroine’s return, the healing wisdom mentors pass on, and how both journeys can be reimagined for today’s storytelling.If you’ve been feeling stuck in your own writing, I want to encourage you to consider a writing retreat. A retreat takes you out of your ordinary world and places you in an environment designed for creativity. This particular hotel in Albuquerque, called Hotel Albuquerque, was perfect—full of quiet corners to write in, with the gentle sound of a water feature trickling in the background. The temperature was just right, and the breeze seemed to carry with it a rhythm I needed as I started drafting a new manuscript. Finding that rhythm is essential—especially when facing the hardest part of writing: the beginning. As we talked about during the retreat, the beginning has to do so much work. It must pull the reader in, set the tone, and launch the story forward. That challenge can feel overwhelming, but when you’re sitting among other writers, sharing the struggle, the rhythm comes easier.For me, the joy of being with this group of women writers was in the way we each gave something to one another. We shared, we encouraged, and we carried each other forward. Writing can be isolating, and even now, years after the height of the pandemic, many of us are still recovering from that deep loneliness. Yes, Zoom calls and late-night chats kept us connected, but nothing replaces being physically together—hearing voices, exchanging ideas, and being present in the same space.That’s why I encourage every writer listening to this: put a writing retreat in your budget for 2026. No matter where you are in your career—whether you’re drafting your first book or publishing your thirtieth—invest in yourself and your craft. Retreats give you knowledge, community, and the reminder that you’re not alone in this work.At this retreat, I was honored to teach three workshops: Write Fast, Write Now: Unveiling Character Arcs, The Substack Strategy: Building an Author Platform That Works, and Rethinking the Hero’s Journey for Today’s Storytelling Trends. Teaching craft is one of my greatest joys, because no matter how many books I’ve published—Fire Sword and Sea is my twenty-ninth—there is always more to learn. Every retreat, every conversation with another writer, teaches me something new.And to those of you who were in Albuquerque with me: thank you. Thank you for giving me your attention, your questions, and your trust. Thank you for letting me be fully myself in that space. You gave me as much as I gave you. I left inspired, energized, and dreaming of hundreds more books—your books—coming into the world.That is the magic of retreats, the magic of community, and the magic of the writer’s journey itself.Books to get you into the writing mood:The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell — the classic foundation for understanding the Hero’s Journey.The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger — a modern, approachable exploration of the heroine’s path and how it differs from Campbell’s.The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler — a practical, writer-focused guide to adapting mythic structure for storytelling.Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott — reflections on the writer’s life and craft, with humor and heartBig Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert — embracing creativity, fear, and joy in the artistic process.We are three and half months away from Fire Sword and Sea—Get those preorder in, and help build the momentum for this historical fiction. Please spread the word about lady pirates in the 1600s.They are women, many our Black and Indigenous. All want a better way of life. Piracy is legal. It’s their answer. This novel releases January 13, 2026.The link on my website shows retailers large and small who have set up preorders for this title.Show notes include a list of the books mentioned in this broadcast.You can find my notes on Substack or on my website, VanessaRiley.com under the podcast link in the About tab.If you’re ready to move with purpose and power, hit that like button and subscribe to Write of ...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    9 Min.
  • Ready to Give An Account?

    Ready to Give An Account?
    Sep 23 2025
    The rapture is said to be Tuesday. Are you ready to meet your Maker? More importantly, are you ready to give an account for every moment you have not fully lived up to your calling? The internet is buzzing with theories and because of recent events—assassinations, and global unrest—some belie the end is near. But for those of us grounded in Christian faith, we know the truth. According to Matthew 24:36, we are told:“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”(NIV)History is littered with hoaxes, false predictions of the end times that have left people swindled, embarrassed, and disappointed when life simply continued.In 1843 and 1844, a Baptist preacher named William Miller predicted that Jesus would return between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844. When this did not happen, he revised the date to October 22, 1844, resulting in what became known as the "Great Disappointment."In 1988, former NASA engineer Edgar C. Whisenant published 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988, predicting the rapture between September 11 and September 13, 1988. When his prediction failed, he revised it multiple times, first to October 3, 1988, and later to 1989, 1993, and 1994. Even engineers can be wrong.In 1992, a South Korean religious movement led by Lee Jang Rim, called the Dami Mission, predicted the rapture on October 28; when it did not occur, Lee was convicted of defrauding his followers out of millions of dollars.In 1997, Pastor Ed Dobson, a nationally known speaker and author, published The End: Why Jesus Could Return by A.D. 2000, arguing that the increasingly chaotic world was a sign that Jesus would return soon. While he correctly noted that the world was becoming more hectic, his prediction did not come to pass.One of the more tragic predictions came from the Heaven’s Gate cult, which believed the appearance of Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997 was a sign that Earth was about to end, and that they had to hitch a ride on a spaceship hidden within the comet. Following this belief, 39 cult members committed mass suicide, a devastating reminder of the dangers of such predictions.Televangelist Jerry Falwell Sr. speculated that the Antichrist would appear sometime between 1999 and 2009. While controversial and widely criticized, this prediction, too, failed to materialize.In 2011, Christian radio broadcaster Harold Camping declared that the rapture would occur on May 21. When that failed, he revised the date to October 21, 2011, having predicted again in 1994. Again his followers, felt betrayed.Televangelist John Hagee, co-authoring with Mark Blitz the book Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change, claimed that a series of four consecutive lunar eclipses from April 2014 to September 27–28, 2015, signaled the end times. The blood moons came and went, with no apocalypse in sight.Finally, some voices in the Christian community warned that the year 2020 would signal the end, citing technological collapse, disease, or other cataclysms. While 2020 was undeniably a difficult year, the world continued, proving once again that apocalyptic predictions are best approached with skepticism.And of course the most recently spread rumor on TikTok and repeated on other social media is another announcement for the rapture. As far as I can tell, this one is being reported to have originated by South African Pastor Joshua Mhlakela. Mhlakela has predicted that the rapture would happen on September 23 and 24, 2025, claiming the revelation came to him in a dream. Well that dream has spread like wildfire.These examples remind us that no matter how convincing the prediction may seem, life continues—and those who place too much faith in a date are often left disappointed.So I return to the core question: are we living in a way that truly honors our calling? For me, the answer is clear. I want to live a life worthy of the gifts God has given me—the talent to write, to speak, and to walk upright. These are not abstract abilities; they are distinct blessings that shape how I move through the world. The gift of health allows me to scale mountains, jog a mile, and experience life with vitality. The gift of speech gives me the ability to share ideas, offer wisdom, and brighten someone’s day—whether here on this podcast, in a keynote, or at a workshop. And the gift I cherish the most, the gift of writing, allows me to breathe life into characters, to refine ideas, and to share stories that resonate across time and space. Writing is where my soul finds joy.Yet, when I reflect honestly, I know my work is far from complete. I want to reach more people, encourage those from every station and place, and see my characters come alive on television and streaming platforms. I want history told in its full context—the good, the bad, and the ugly—so that everyone can know the truth, and even see themselves in these stories. My mission is not finished until these stories ...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    12 Min.
  • Wantonly Treacherous

    Wantonly Treacherous
    Sep 18 2025
    Before I begin my essay, I want to take a moment to thank all Write of Passage Subscribers, and especially my paid supporters. At the end of the SubStack, I have resources for you, all who help make this broadcast possible, week after week.Wantonly TreacherousI’ve been reading Psalms lately—Psalms 25:1-6 in particular. When anxiety, uncertainty, and unrest are high, the wisdom and comfort in David’s words bless my soul.This week has been heavy. It marked the 24th anniversary of 9/11, one of the largest attacks on American soil. More than 3,000 lives were lost, including children, and over 3,051 children lost a parent that day. I often think about life before September 11—on the 10th, I was working at a high-tech startup preparing for a visit from Cantor Fitzgerald. Then we watched the towers fall, the attack on the Pentagon, and the downed flight in Pennsylvania. Soon we learned that Cantor Fitzgerald had fallen too, with 658 of its employees perishing. America awakened to new threats. And the startup—my startup—never closed that round of financing. In essence, it was another casualty.“O my God, in you I trust.”Back to the present: On September 10, 2025, three students were taken to the hospital in critical condition following gunfire at Evergreen High School in Colorado. Gun violence is not new. It amazes me that the death and injury of schoolchildren—kids with their futures ahead of them—are barely covered in the news. It’s as though we’ve accepted such horrors as part of our lives.“Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.”The very next day, September 11, several historically Black colleges and universities—Spelman University, Alabama State University, Hampton University, Virginia State University, Southern University A&M, and Bethune-Cookman University—went into lockdown due to threats of violence. People wanted to take their anger out on innocent students. White rage targeting Black communities is not new. White rage bringing violence to Black folk minding their business—like these college students—is also not new.The Memphis Massacre of 1866 left 46 Black people dead and destroyed homes, churches, and schools. Later that same year, the New Orleans Massacre saw a white mob attack newly freed Black citizens, killing more than 35. In 1873, the Colfax Massacre in Louisiana claimed the lives of about 150 Black militia members who were attempting to surrender. The following year, the Vicksburg Massacre of 1874 in Mississippi killed an estimated 300 Black citizens.The violence continued into the 20th century. The Springfield Race Riot of 1908 killed at least 15 Black residents. In 1920, the Ocoee Massacre in Florida took the lives of up to 80 Black people, while homes and churches were burned. The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 left as many as 300 Black residents dead, as thousands of White rioters looted and burned the thriving Greenwood district. Just two years later, the Rosewood Massacre of 1923 killed an estimated 150 Black residents, and the entire town was destroyed by a white mob.“They shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.”And when violence on September 10, 2025 also struck a college campus in Utah, members of Congress, media voices, and others pointed to the marginalized as the source. In now-deleted tweets, they stoked the raw underbelly of anger in this nation. Instead of waiting for facts, people grabbed hold of their insecurities and hate, clamoring for civil war.Unfortunately, this too is not new. People are desperate to blame someone else for their pain. The immigrant, the stranger, the marginalized in society carry invisible targets on their backs.“Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.”Then, the news broke the shooter who assassinated a man on Utah’s campus—a man whose speeches proclaimed white supremacy, who said he could not trust a pilot because of his skin color, who claimed slavery was good—was killed by a White young man from a conservative Utah family. The victim who espoused the right to bear arms and dismissed gun violence as inevitable casualties, died from a single shot fired from the young man’s assault weapon. A wife and young children are left heartbroken and bereft, facing the very world this husband and father had worked so hard to wantonly paint the world with treacherous words.“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation.”This assassination is a tragedy. Every incident I’ve listed is a tragedy. But this one makes me think about the words I say—and the words I will leave behind in my podcasts and in each of my books. I don’t want to be wantonly treacherous. I don’t want people to dismiss my message because they lack empathy or understanding. I also don’t want to craft arcs of cynicism. My message is clear: there is too much wanton disrespect, too much treacherous loss of life, and too much excuse-seeking to blame rather than finding true ...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    12 Min.
  • Mad as Heck, Writing Anyway

    Mad as Heck, Writing Anyway
    Sep 9 2025
    I wrote this essay when I was angry.I consider myself a rational, reasonable individual. My life has been one of success—working hard, pushing the envelope, and achieving. Deep down, though, I think I’m very guilty of believing that if you build it and honor it, they will come. Maybe I internalized that 1989 movie, Field of Dreams, a little too much. Because the truth is, you can build it, plant the seeds, water it faithfully—and still, nothing grows. Sometimes you have to ask: is this the right garden? Do I have the right seeds. Or is this one of those seasons of famine, not feast?Over the last 24 months, the stumbles in my journey have forced me to admit something, I’d rather not, that the missteps hurt. I’ve been pretending that they don’t hurt. But they do. Even when you turn the other cheek, the bruise on the other one is still there. When disappointment seeps into your bones, or you let circumstances get under your skin, or you start connecting dots---boy you begin to wonder if you’ve been blind. On those days, I ask myself: am I becoming a conspiracy theorist? Or did I just choose not to believe my own eyes?Even a calm, levelheaded woman has to acknowledge when she is hurt and angry. My logical side tells me, “It’s just business. It’s politics. It’s economics. It’s not personal.” But every time I put pen to paper, it is personal. Part of me spills onto the page. When you meet my characters, you’re also meeting pieces of me—my wounds, my fears, my hopes, even some dreams. It sounds crazy, but that’s the life of an artist.Perhaps, we are a little bit off. Who else would willingly put their words or their creations out there to be scrutinized by strangers? You might have to be a little crazy to face bloodthirsty reviews or accept the brunt of someone’s bad day, all because of something you were burning to create.To be a writer or artist requires audacity—the belief that your story is worth telling, your song is worth hearing, you canvas is worth showing off. And even the humblest creators have to admit we are audacious.Again, I say you have to be a little bit off because the road to creation is long, filled with danger, rejection, and the occasional spiral into bone crushing doubt.So to my fellow writers who hit walls—whether self-inflicted, systemic, or circumstantial—own the pain. Then release it. My art is my statement to the world. Within the pages, one can find my zeal and my anger. I own it. I Vanessa Riley get angry sometimes.I promise you that my anger is a mirror of my passion. It equates to all the research and translations and microfiche that I will search to gather fresh facts. I work hard.I don’t intend to stop. As I write this essay for my podcast, I intend to keep making art. Because I believe, that I have a message the world needs to hear.In the coming months, until Fire Sword and Sea releases, you’ll hear me talking about it, the hardest book I had to write. Yes, it’s about pirates in the Caribbean where you will have a diverse crew on the top of the boat working together, while chattel slavery exists within the bowls of the ship. So a meritocracy on top with White and Black and Brown pirates with enslaved people chained below. It’s messy. It’s complicated. It’s action filled. It’s true.I will shout it from rooftops, fight to get it attention. The story matters. Because when we hide the past, we hide ourselves. And when we hide our anger, we hide our authenticity. And the fight to make it public hasn’t been easy. It’s made me angry.It’s ok to be angry, but we can’t let anger fester. Then it turns into cynicism, inaction, and paralysis. I’m a work in progress and I’ve had to take my bottled-up feelings and release them through prayer and being able to hope for more. I gave up the noise to make room for healing.So, you’re not crazy. You are not a conspiracy theorist. You are human. You are hurting. But the world still deserves to see your art.Anger isn’t always productive. It doesn’t move the needle by itself. Acting while angry can cost you jobs, power, and peace. So yes—be angry but be wise. Be quick to release any sour heat churning in your soul. My advice is to do what must be done. Do your calling.And as for me, I’ll live to play in my art another day and I ‘ll let God fight my present day and future battles.This week’s reading list includes:The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner – A classic on understanding anger, especially for women, and how to use it as a tool for growth rather than destruction.Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger by Soraya Chemaly – Examines how women’s anger has been dismissed, and why it’s actually a powerful, transformative force.Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou – Gentle but firm reflections on disappointment, resilience, and the courage to be authentic.Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde – Essays and speeches on anger, identity, and transformation through...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    11 Min.