{"id":6180,"date":"2026-02-16T18:23:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T18:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/29\/write-of-passage-time-to-move\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T18:23:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T18:23:06","slug":"write-of-passage-time-to-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/16\/write-of-passage-time-to-move\/","title":{"rendered":"Write of Passage: Time to Move"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6180-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/162389549\/95095d52bc7cdf4b7be5fe781e08603f.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/162389549\/95095d52bc7cdf4b7be5fe781e08603f.mp3\">https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/162389549\/95095d52bc7cdf4b7be5fe781e08603f.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>There is a time and a season for everything.The real question is: <strong>Are you ready to move?<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"vanes-3805519046\" 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>Right now, it\u2019s a scary time to be a Black creative. Honestly, it\u2019s a scary time for everybody in the arts. I\u2019ve shared in a previous episode how the Canva bots came for me \u2014 they told me that the word <em>slavery<\/em> was political and banned in their system of tools.Banning books is all the rage. Banning concepts or ideas \u2014 stopping the writer or artist at the very beginning \u2014 is unfathomable.<\/p>\n<p>Vanessa speaking at the Conyers Book Festival.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>You might say, &#8220;Vanessa, AI and bots are just part of the times.&#8221; And yes, there are many great uses for AI in research and algorithmic approaches. But until we figure out how to train AI without stealing from artists and writers, we are going to continue to have a problem.<\/p>\n<p>If you tell me that the season we\u2019re in now involves AI writing novels and creating drawings and graphics to replace artists, I will encourage you to consider the following:<strong>Nothing can replace human creativity, authenticity, and zeal.<\/strong>Those impacted by theft or imitation must press boundaries, pursue legal actions when necessary, and most importantly \u2014 outlast the wave.Sometimes, winning is simply about longevity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Outlasting your haters is definitely one way to gain victory.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For those who follow me, I\u2019m Vanessa Riley. I write in three genres: historical fiction, historical romance, and mystery.<\/p>\n<p>Lately, in the book world, I\u2019ve seen so many friends \u2014 so many writers like myself who focus on history \u2014 getting hurt. Series are being cut short. Book options aren\u2019t being picked up. Doors that were once wide open are now being slammed shut.<\/p>\n<p>The reasons are many:They tell us the market is soft.They whisper there are &#8220;enough&#8221; Black books now.They say history\u2014the kind that reveals hidden figures and rich, complicated lives\u2014is suddenly being gutted, looted, or dismissed.<\/p>\n<p>For someone like me, who loves history and is just now finding my footing in historical fiction, it\u2019s dark. It\u2019s absolutely terrifying.<\/p>\n<p>The visual arts, films, and TV have also suffered. In January, I heard similar feedback from filmmakers.<\/p>\n<p>Hollywood is still &#8220;recovering,&#8221; they say.Budgets are tighter. Risk tolerance is low.Historical pieces, they say, are too &#8220;hard to place&#8221;\u2014too expensive, too niche.<\/p>\n<p>And then\u2014everyone gets dazzled by <em>Ryan Coogler\u2019s<\/em> <em>Sinners<\/em>, a historical piece set in the 1930s that genre-bends horror and drama.The film is a hit.<\/p>\n<p>Annie and Smoke from the Movie Sinners shot by Eli Joshua.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>At the time of this podcast, <em>Sinners<\/em> has grossed over $161 million and is now projected to gross between $300\u2013400 million. A diverse audience of moviegoers\u2014Black, White, Asian, and more\u2014people from all walks of life are coming together to experience this masterpiece of storytelling.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan Coogler, I salute you. You had a daring vision, found or created the systems and opportunities to execute it, and made magic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Now is the time of opportunity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We have to shake off our fears and create.We must figure out new ways to tell the stories burning in our souls.To innovate. To evolve. That is pathFinding way through the wilderness <em>is<\/em> the answer.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sinners<\/em> showed us the way\u2014not just by being excellent in storytelling, photography, cinematography, and research\u2014but by knowing exactly who the story was for.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan and his team pushed the right buttons\u2014the necessary buttons. The heart of the film is Black-centered storytelling: Jim Crow South, inclusivity, and vampires.<\/p>\n<p>Because when you know who you&#8217;re speaking to and what you want to say, you don\u2019t have to dilute the truth to make it palatable.<\/p>\n<p>As a Black creative, I\u2019ve often been pressured to center pain and trauma in my stories\u2014because that is what some believe (and still desire) is what sells.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan Coogler\u2019s <em>Sinners<\/em> proves that de-escalating trauma works.It <em>sells.<\/em>Even in the scariest genres.<\/p>\n<p>He took care in how the story was told.Care in how every scene was shot.Care in the research, the respect.<\/p>\n<p>He cast with authenticity\u2014from hair to skin to clothes to dialogue.He didn\u2019t slap diversity on just for clout\u2014the script lived it.<\/p>\n<p>To succeed only by limiting our stories to an audience that believes in our humanity through our suffering is inexcusable.<\/p>\n<p>We must push boundaries, push different buttons.And I believe it is our mission to find new ways to share the lessons of the past\u2014without reducing ourselves to victims or spectacles.<\/p>\n<p>And if <em>Sinners<\/em> has taught us anything, it\u2019s this:Audiences will reward care.They will reward newness.They will reward stories told with humanity, dignity, and love.<\/p>\n<p>When I first started writing, my mission was simple:Educate the world about the history of Black people across the diaspora.Show our humanity through love stories.<\/p>\n<p>But missions shift with the seasons.Right now? For me\u2014and this pen or keyboard\u2014it\u2019s time to move, to be more daring, to try new approaches to story.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back, I know there were times I softened words, edited scenes, chose tenderness over rawness\u2014because I wanted to make sure readers were comfortable.I wanted the message to reach as many as possible.And I don\u2019t regret the stories I told. I\u2019m proud of every one of them.<\/p>\n<p>But the filter is gone now.And here\u2019s the hard truth:If you still need convincing of my humanity in 2025, I say this with all respect\u2014You probably aren\u2019t going to get it.Keep your coins.Find your own Damascus road.You need divine intervention.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not St. Peter.I\u2019m not standing at the gate any longer, waiting to explain myself\u2014or my people\u2014to you.If you want my knowledge, you\u2019re going to have to do the work yourself.<\/p>\n<p>This new season? This new phase?My stories will be as unapologetic and as free as they\u2019ve ever been.<\/p>\n<p>Because I am a storyteller.And with that comes a duty:To honor my people.To carry the sagas of our ancestors.To bridge the distance from &#8220;over yonder&#8221; and back to &#8220;right here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Of course, I want everyone to feel welcome reading my books.I understand I live in a system I didn\u2019t build\u2014but I\u2019m here, and I intend to win.<\/p>\n<p>But my stories?They\u2019re for my people.<\/p>\n<p>And if you\u2019re still listening, you are my people.I write for you.I labor for you.I see you.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m ready to move and adjust.And I will be your guide\u2014to happy-ever-after, happy-for-now, or to some bigger definition of freedom and faith. What say you?<\/p>\n<p>What say you?<\/p>\n<p>Some books to guide you in your quest for more authentic storytelling:<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/we-do-this-til-we-free-us-abolitionist-organizing-and-transforming-justice-mariame-kaba\/18582309?ean=9781642595253&#038;next=t\"><strong>We Do This &#8216;Til We Free Us<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8221; by Mariame Kaba<\/strong> \u2014 Essays on abolition and hope, but also about how storytelling and imagination drive social change.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/emergent-strategy-shaping-change-changing-worlds-adrienne-maree-brown\/10730965?ean=9781849352604&#038;next=t\"><strong>Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8221; by adrienne maree brown<\/strong> \u2014 A guide to embracing change and creativity rooted in community and freedom.<\/p>\n<p>And now some fiction titles:<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eastcitybookshop.com\/item\/RCG13MTqOQmFuzOl65WJqg\"><strong>The Prophets<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8221; by Robert Jones Jr.<\/strong> \u2014 A deeply poetic novel about Black love and resistance set during slavery but centered on love and humanity, not suffering.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/bloodchild-and-other-stories-octavia-e-butler\/577106?ean=9781583226988&#038;next=t\"><strong>Bloodchild and Other Stories<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8221; by Octavia Butler<\/strong> \u2014 Speculative short stories about survival, community, and power dynamics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eastcitybookshop.com\/item\/MWp_c1qAP1xYQi47cFrbMg\"><strong>Ring Shout<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8221; by P. Dj\u00e8l\u00ed Clark<\/strong> \u2014 A daring, genre-bending novel mixing horror, history, and Black resistance during the Jim Crow era (very much like <em>Sinners<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eastcitybookshop.com\/item\/MEgaIBq6_d-e75DZ71DChg\"><strong>Island Queen<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8221; by Vanessa Riley<\/strong> \u2014 A real-life figure\u2019s story told with dignity, richness, and depth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Show notes are here. This week, I&#8217;m highlighting <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eastcitybookshop.com\/\"><strong>East City Bookshop <\/strong><\/a><strong>through their website and <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/shop\/EastCityBookshop\"><strong>Bookshop.org<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>You can find my notes on history and writing on my website, <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanessariley.com\/\"><strong>VanessaRiley.com<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Enjoying the vibe? Go ahead and like this episode and subscribe to <em>Write of Passage<\/em> so you never miss a moment.<\/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 2025-04-29 13:10:00. <\/small><\/p><div id=\"vanes-2168732702\" 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>There is a time and a season for everything.The real question is: Are you ready to move? Right now, it\u2019s a scary time to be a Black creative. Honestly, it\u2019s a scary time for everybody in the arts. I\u2019ve shared in a previous episode how the Canva bots came for me \u2014 they told me [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6201,"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-6180","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\/07\/5361f4e12510a8c2a4f70ea6683ec7cd-scaled.jpg?fit=1920%2C2560&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6180","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=6180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}