{"id":6178,"date":"2026-03-03T10:59:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T10:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/13\/write-of-passage-what-in-the-world\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T10:59:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T10:59:05","slug":"write-of-passage-what-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/03\/write-of-passage-what-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Write of Passage: What in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6178-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/163451499\/1d0b3c4d6a551766c19f99e73ceabdb4.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/163451499\/1d0b3c4d6a551766c19f99e73ceabdb4.mp3\">https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/163451499\/1d0b3c4d6a551766c19f99e73ceabdb4.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>Funny thing happens when you go outside.You notice that everything is still moving\u2014still shifting, still becoming\u2014and no matter how much I want it to revolve around me, the earth does its own thing. That\u2019s humbling. That\u2019s sobering. And yes, at times, alittle infuriating. Because I want to believe that if I just dream hard enough, andwork long enough, and sacrifice deep enough, the outcome will be what I want it to be.<\/p><div id=\"vanes-2428570164\" class=\"vanes-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 2px;margin-right: 2px;margin-bottom: 2px;margin-left: 2px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\" aria-label=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?fit=1706%2C2560&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1706&ssl=1 1706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"569\" height=\"853\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>That\u2019s the narrative, right? Manifest it. Hustle for it. Build it and it will show up.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019m a novelist. And if there&#8217;s one thing I\u2019ve learned from writing story after story, it&#8217;s this: you can do everything right and still be surprised by the ending.<\/p>\n<p>I begin my novels with a solid outline. I do deep dives into my characters\u2014their goals, their beliefs, their relationships, and internalized lies. Yes, the lies we carry. The ones that sit rotting in our guts. They\u2019re the lenses through which we interpret everything.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re smart\u2026 Smart <em>for a girl.<\/em> That builds a complex\u2014not about excelling, just about measuring up.Men don\u2019t cry\u2026 So they keep loss inside until it breaks them.<\/p>\n<p>You get the picture.<\/p>\n<p>For each character, I must know the lies they\u2019ve accepted as truth, the wounds they carry that must be healed by the journey or story arc. These are full psychological profiles that I develop, mind you. I&#8217;m thorough. I think I know these imagined or fictionalized versions of real people better than they know themselves.<\/p>\n<p>And still\u2014those characters go off and do whatever the heck they want to do. They have free will.These changes\u2014the veering off course\u2014happen in a world I designed. And in some aspects, I\u2019m their creator.<\/p>\n<p>If this happens in fiction\u2014fiction\u2014why do I expect real life to follow a given path?<\/p>\n<p>This is where we, as creatives, have to hold two truths at once: We have incredible power to imagine and make. And we have almost no control over how the world will respond. That is not a contradiction. That is your calling.<\/p>\n<p>This is the battle. Creativity is under assault. Let\u2019s not pretend otherwise. Books are being banned. Funding is being slashed. Whole histories are being erased or whitewashed. And in my case, as I\u2019ve shared openly with you words, I need to use for my stories are being banned. (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/pub\/vanessariley\/p\/welcome-to-censorship?r=3jz1c&#038;utm_campaign=post&#038;utm_medium=web&#038;showWelcomeOnShare=false\">See podcast episode- Welcome to Censorshi<\/a>p)<\/p>\n<p>But despite all that\u2014people are still painting. Still writing, publishing, creating. We still feed our families and their spirits with meals inspired by faraway places.<\/p>\n<p>I may make more food at home right now, but with lovely spices? Oh, they\u2019re Caribbean, Italian, French, Indian. I\u2019m not limited. We are not limited.<\/p>\n<p>And I refuse to give away my power because someone with a louder megaphone thinks yelling is the same as truth.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, the world changed again: We have a new pope.<\/p>\n<p>A 133 cardinal electors gathered in the Sistine Chapel to choose to choose him. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago, Illinois, has been elected the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV\u2014the first pope ever from the United States.<\/p>\n<p>An American pope. From Chicago. A man of Creole, Haitian, and Black ancestry. And while this isn\u2019t the first Black pope\u2014history records at least three others:Pope Victor I (189\u2013199), Pope Miltiades (311\u2013314), and Pope Gelasius I (492\u2013496).<\/p>\n<p>This election still matters. Why? Because no one saw it coming. Because he is from <em>here.<\/em> Because he chose the name Leo XIV\u2014following Pope Leo XIII, the pope who denounced slavery. In a world trying so hard to erase the past, that choice feels like a restoration. A breath of truth. A puff of white smoke in a sky of dirty smog and denial.<\/p>\n<p>This is what hope looks like: a surprise rooted in deep legacy. A story arc no one plotted, but that landed with power.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s be real about the work ahead Shake off the shackles. Listen to hard truths.<\/p>\n<p>For authors and creators out there\u2014especially us Black folks:<\/p>\n<p>* No one owes you anything.Not an award, not a list spot, not a book sale, not a post about your personal life\u2014not even a selfie.<\/p>\n<p>* As an author, you have to earn every bit of support, every accolade, every \u201cyes.\u201dThat\u2019s the job.<\/p>\n<p>* As a Black author, the grind is steeper.You can\u2019t coast on past wins. You\u2019ve got to win readers over\u2014again and again.<\/p>\n<p>* If you&#8217;re not where you want to be\u2014cry, scream, kick a pillow.But don\u2019t quit. And don\u2019t compare. You don\u2019t know the price someone else paid to get what they got.Be thankful for where you are and who\u2019s standing beside you.<\/p>\n<p>* Keep writing. Keep connecting. Keep striving.Earn it. Build it. Own it.<\/p>\n<p>* Grow the bucket list. Manifest it all.You deserve every win\u2014because I know you\u2019re putting in the work. I\u2019m rooting for you.<\/p>\n<p>The world keeps turning. It\u2019s not waiting for me or you. But that\u2019s not terrible. It means we\u2019re part of something bigger than the moment. It means our stories, our voices, our presence\u2014<em>matter.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Because even when everything feels unpredictable, we still have the power to show up and create\u2014and make something unexpected happen.<\/p>\n<p>And it will feel good and satisfying, even if you are the only one clapping.<\/p>\n<p>Books to help you on your writing and creative journey:<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/44thand3rdbookseller.com\/book\/9780062506788\"><strong><em>Awaking the Hero Within<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong> by Carol S. Pearson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Examines archetypes and how they shape not just stories but our personal transformations<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/44thand3rdbookseller.com\/book\/9781594634727\"><strong><em>Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong> by Elizabeth Gilbert<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Encourages writers and creators to keep going, to trust inspiration, and to work without guarantees.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/44thand3rdbookseller.com\/book\/9780822362944\"><strong><em>In the Wake: On Blackness and Being <\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong>by Christina Sharpe<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A haunting, brilliant reflection on Black life, history, and navigating systems built to erase.<\/p>\n<p>And Preorders are up fo for my next historical fiction, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/44thand3rdbookseller.com\/book\/9780063271043\"><em>Fire Sword and Sea<\/em><\/a>. This is <em>A dangerous 1600s Pirate Saga unmasking the truth about women, desire, and freedom.<\/em> <strong>Some folks want to ban this story\u2014so read it first.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Show notes include a list of the books mentioned in this broadcast. This week, I&#8217;m highlighting <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/44thand3rdbookseller.com\"><strong>44th and 3rd Bookstore<\/strong><\/a><strong> through their website and <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/shop\/44thand3rdbookseller\"><strong>Bookshop.org<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>You can find my notes on Substack or on my website, <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanessariley.com\/\"><strong>VanessaRiley.com<\/strong><\/a><strong> under the podcast link in the About tab.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you felt seen or inspired today, like and subscribe to <\/strong><strong><em>Write of Passage<\/em><\/strong><strong>\u2014there&#8217;s a place for you here.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Thank you for listening. Hopefully, you\u2019ll come again. This is Vanessa Riley.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is a public episode. If you&#8217;d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#038;utm_campaign=CTA_2\">vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"rop\"><small>Originally posted 2025-05-13 13:10:00. <\/small><\/p><div id=\"vanes-3586824591\" class=\"vanes-after-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 3px;margin-right: 3px;margin-bottom: 3px;margin-left: 3px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?fit=1080%2C1350&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Listen to the Write of Passage Weekly Podcast\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?w=1080&ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=819%2C1024&ssl=1 819w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=768%2C960&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"540\" height=\"675\"   \/><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Funny thing happens when you go outside.You notice that everything is still moving\u2014still shifting, still becoming\u2014and no matter how much I want it to revolve around me, the earth does its own thing. That\u2019s humbling. That\u2019s sobering. And yes, at times, alittle infuriating. Because I want to believe that if I just dream hard enough, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,793,9,620,756,694],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal-stories","category-politics","category-recommended-reading","category-syndication","category-technology","category-tv-and-film"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/04d2c394b44a7b4863276e208a176d8d-scaled.jpg?fit=1920%2C2560&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6178\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}