You Must Go On
You Must Go On: 30 Inspirations on Writing & Creativity by Brian Gresko
$25 (price includes shipping to anywhere in the continental US); 145 pages
Not a book about how to write, a book about why to write and how to keep at it in a world that wants you to shut the hell up.
You want to get your butt in that chair and write like a motherfucker, but it’s hard. Writing is solitary, and it can be all too easy to feel dismayed or even despondent about giving yourself time and permission to let what is inside of you come out on the page. Hold my beer – I’m here to help. I’ve been at it for almost twenty years now! Yes, it is a tough road, believe me. By many American metrics, I don't amount to much. Even within the world of writers, despite my many, varied publications, I don't even have an agent, let alone a book deal, prestigious award, or influencer-level Instagram following. And yet, I'm still here, and still find this art – and the life I lead which makes space for it – rewarding.
Partly inspired by my work with students, and partly the book I needed to write to convince myself to keep at it, You Must Go On’s provides thirty short epistles on living and maintaining life as a creative person. You can read one a day for a month, or just dip in and out as need be. Divided into four sections–Intention, Motivation, Vision, and Actualization–rich with wisdom gleaned from my years as a reading series host and literary journalist, and grounded in personal stories of triumphs (there've been a few) as well as set-backs (there've been a lot more), with just a touch of theory to get you nerds excited, these letters will help you to focus on the things you're able to control about this creative work we do, and make some kind of peace with what you cannot.
Feel like you just can't go on any longer?
My friend, you must.
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What Readers Are Saying About You Must Go On
“For anyone out there who is lacking confidence about their writing, and/or is feeling in this current moment that they can’t justify making time and headspace for a pastime that they don't seem to be “succeeding” at (by whatever rubrics they judge “success” by), please let me recommend my friend Brian Gresko’s new guidebook for writers You Must Go On. They only did a limited run of these so when they are gone, they are gone— and you are going to want one before that happens. Basically, if you’re feeling you need a daily cheerleader and a confidante, that will happen with this book.”
— Courtney Maum, author of Before and After the Book Deal and the forthcoming novel Alan Opts Out
“You Must Go On is a generous offering, born of love and perseverance, and it overflows with support, truth, and hard-earned wisdom. I found myself nodding and savoring each page. The advice is practical and clear-eyed, and the repeated refrain of encouragement that closes each section resonated deeply with me. …This is a book not just about writing, but about what it means to persist as a creative person in a messy world.”
— Nita Noveno, writer and co-founder of Sunday Salon
Excerpts from the book
What Does It Mean to Be A Writer? featured on the Memoirland newsletter
Brian Gresko interviewed about You Must Go On by Nita Noveno for the Sunday Salon Zine