{"id":6261,"date":"2025-11-04T14:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T14:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/04\/write-of-passage-hang-the-pictures\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T14:10:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T14:10:00","slug":"write-of-passage-hang-the-pictures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/04\/write-of-passage-hang-the-pictures\/","title":{"rendered":"Write of Passage: Hang the Pictures"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6261-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/177960700\/c9255f6dd912af453ee46c20fa184b8d.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/177960700\/c9255f6dd912af453ee46c20fa184b8d.mp3\">https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/177960700\/c9255f6dd912af453ee46c20fa184b8d.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>About nine years ago, my husband, military man, went on several trips and took his camera. <\/p><div id=\"vanes-4167346161\" 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>He\u2019s a wonderful amateur photographer \u2014 the kind who captures dozens and dozens of shots, each one filled with life and beauty\u2026 and then does absolutely nothing with them. Hence, the \u201camateur\u201d part.<\/p>\n<p>But I loved those photos. I was proud of him \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<p>And then, in 2016, our world turned upside down.<\/p>\n<p>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 \u2014 a fog of grief and exhaustion. I remember canceling conferences, canceling plans, canceling everything.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, I was still indie, and thankfully I didn\u2019t have immediate deadlines. But I\u2019d just signed a contract with Entangled, meaning books would be due the following year. I think having that distant goal \u2014 something on the horizon \u2014 kept me sane. Kept <em>us<\/em> sane.<\/p>\n<p>But I never went back to hanging those pictures.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s something to be said about starting a project with the best intentions, only to have life \u2014 or death \u2014 interrupt it. Sometimes it\u2019s loss, sometimes it\u2019s chaos, and sometimes it\u2019s just the price of eggs that knocks us off balance.<\/p>\n<p>But at some point, we have to shake it all off and return to the dream.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re a Type A person like me, it\u2019s hard to stop the world and say, <em>\u201cI\u2019m hurting,\u201d<\/em> or <em>\u201cI can\u2019t do this right now.\u201d<\/em> But we owe it to ourselves to take that pause \u2014 to grieve, to reflect, to forgive. Forgive the people who hurt us, forgive the ones who didn\u2019t show up when we needed them, and forgive ourselves for stumbling.<\/p>\n<p>And when we\u2019re ready, we have to return. To the old normal. To the unfinished dream.<\/p>\n<p>Today, I did that.<\/p>\n<p>I cleaned the room I\u2019ll forever call <em>Grama\u2019s Room<\/em> \u2014 in honor of my mother \u2014 and I finally hung those pictures. After nine years.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>November is the month where many of us sit down to start something new \u2014 the next novel, memoir, self-help guide, or story that might bring hope and light to the world.<\/p>\n<p>So, I say this: whatever dream you\u2019ve set aside, whatever picture you\u2019ve been meaning to hang, whatever story you\u2019ve been dreaming of telling \u2014 go back to it.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t matter how much time has passed. You still have another moment. Don\u2019t waste it.<\/p>\n<p>Look around. Find the dream that\u2019s been waiting patiently for you. Get back to your first love \u2014 to the idea that once made you wake up smiling, that kept you up at night thinking, <em>\u201cWhat if I really could do this?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Right now, I\u2019m two months away from releasing <em>Fire Sword and Sea.<\/em> It took two years to write that book \u2014 two years of wrestling with story, of getting it right, of honoring the women who risked everything to chase a dream.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s brave. It\u2019s daring. It\u2019s a little bit crazy.<\/p>\n<p>But sometimes, you have to be all three.<\/p>\n<p>So I urge you: be a pirate. Command your own ship. Gather your crew. And finish your mission \u2014 whatever that may be.<\/p>\n<p>This is Vanessa, giving you permission to forgive yourself, to pick up your sword, and to get going.<\/p>\n<p>Oh \u2014 and hang those pictures, too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This week\u2019s booklist for the writers and the procrastinators:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9780735211292\"><strong>Atomic Habits by James Clear<\/strong><\/a><strong> \u2014 A practical guide to breaking bad habits and building consistent routines through tiny, incremental changes that compound into remarkable results.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9781936891023\"><strong>The War of Art by Steven Pressfield<\/strong><\/a><strong> \u2014 A powerful manifesto that exposes the internal \u201cResistance\u201d keeping writers and creators from doing the work and shows how to overcome it with discipline and courage.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9780525537311\"><strong>Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff<\/strong><\/a><strong> \u2014 A witty, motivating look at why perfectionism kills progress and how embracing imperfection helps you actually complete what you start.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9780801018824\"><strong>Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy<\/strong><\/a><strong> \u2014 A purposeful roadmap for designing a life plan that aligns daily actions with long-term vision, helping creatives reclaim time and focus.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9781668205273\"><strong>Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes<\/strong><\/a><strong> \u2014 A candid, joyful memoir about how saying \u201cyes\u201d to fear, opportunity, and authenticity transformed the creator of Grey\u2019s Anatomy into a more confident and fulfilled version of herself.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>This week, I\u2019m highlighting <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/books\"><strong>Eagle Eye Book Shop<\/strong><\/a><strong> through their website and <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/shop\/eagleeyebooks\"><strong>Bookshop.org<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Consider purchasing Fire Sword and Sea from <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9780063271043\"><strong>Eagle Eye<\/strong><\/a><strong> Eye or one of my partners in the fight<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\"><strong>, bookstore\u2019s<\/strong><\/a><strong> large and small who are in this with me.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We are two months away from the January 13<\/strong><strong>th<\/strong><strong> release. Please spread the word and preorder this adventure about Caribbean women pirates of the 1600s. Piracy is legal. It\u2019s their escape, and answer to prayer. Thanks to shipping pirates\u2014I\u2019m out of physical arcs but Fire Sword and Sea is up on <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edelweiss.plus\/?sku=0063271044\"><strong>Edelweiss<\/strong><\/a><strong> and <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.netgalley.com\/catalog\/book\/726721\"><strong>NetGalley<\/strong><\/a><strong>. So go get digital review copies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And remember to get collector cards with your preorder. Then tell me, who\u2019s on your crew?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Show notes include a list of the books mentioned in this broadcast.<\/strong><\/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\u2019re part of my crew, hit that like button and join me by subscribing and sharing <\/strong><strong><em>Write of Passage. Never miss a moment. We need each other to get to the other side of hard together.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Thank you for listening. Hopefully, you\u2019ll come again. This is Vanessa Riley.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/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&amp;utm_campaign=CTA_2\">vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"vanes-164914209\" 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>About nine years ago, my husband, military man, went on several trips and took his camera. He\u2019s a wonderful amateur photographer \u2014 the kind who captures dozens and dozens of shots, each one filled with life and beauty\u2026 and then does absolutely nothing with them. Hence, the \u201camateur\u201d part. But I loved those photos. I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6262,"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-6261","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\/11\/94107a4335ef5a6de3ba762682f35ccd.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6261","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=6261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}