Writing is the Priority: Shontay Luna on Balancing Writing with Performance and Pursuing Publication

Unlock the secrets to a prolific writing life with Chicago-based poet Shontay Luna. In this episode, we tackle the "100 rejections per year" strategy, exploring how reframing failure can actually accelerate your path to publication and artistic growth.

Shontay Luna is a Chicago-based writer and member of the Tall Grass Writers Guild and Flow. She has authored four chapbooks—including Reflections of a Project Girl and The Goddess Journal—and has been featured in publications ranging from Parnassus to Canyon Voices.

Discover how treating rejection as a target rather than a setback can transform your submission habits and build your resilience. We also dive into the unexpected creative benefits of writing fanfiction and the "cheap therapy" of daily drafting, providing a roadmap for overcoming writer's block and staying consistently productive.

❓❓❓ Shontay mentions the quote that "a nonwriting writer is a monster courting insanity" and speaks about the discipline required to maintain a daily submission habit. How do you fit writing into your life when things get busy? Do you have a "non-negotiable" routine, or do you write in bursts? Share your experience with us on social media. Links below!

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👀 Check out our affiliate links below timestamps & show notes 👇

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

03:00 Opening Poem: "I saw a black guy running"

11:16 The Craft of Revision: Why 90% of writing is rewriting

25:00 The "100 Rejections" Strategy: How to handle submissions

28:00 Fanfiction as a Creative Tool

41:20 Chicago Poetry Community: Resources for local writers

53:30 Advice for Aspiring & Experienced Poets

56:30 Closing Poem: "Golden Shovel for Langston Hughes number two"

🔍 TRANSPARENCY & DISCLOSURE

Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase or sign up through these links, our nonprofit may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend resources we genuinely value. Your support through these links helps fund our mission and allows us to continue producing this podcast. Thank you!

🔗 LINKS TO BOOKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO

IG: @shontay_luna

X: @shontayluna @shontay_luna

Reflections & Dreams: https://www.amazon.com/Recollections-Dreams-Shontay-C-Luna/dp/172271090X/

To James & Sarah with Love: Poetry Based on Slang of the 1920s-1940s: https://www.amazon.com/James-Sarah-Love-Poetry-through-ebook/dp/B08YP5K89N/

Goddess Journal: https://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Journal-Unlocking-Greatness-Within/dp/B0BF4DRCP3/

Tall Grass Writers Guild: https://www.tallgrasswriters.org/

Flow (For the Love of Writing): https://flowpoetry.org/

Pilsen Arts and Community House (PATCH): https://pilsenartscommunityhouse.org/

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