How Moving Affects My Writing Process

The first time I moved to a new place, I was 14 years old. Until then, I didn’t realize I’d been living in a bubble. I lived in a neighborhood with sizable, modern colonial houses. Whether at home or school, I wasn’t surrounded by much diversity. My family’s storage spaces were filled with old toys, clothes, and bric-a-brac that would have served a better purpose as donations to shelters or thrift stores instead of gathering dust and spiderwebs.

I find it interesting that, as I’ve reflected over the years, I’ve come to realize I was living in a bubble. I think it’s hard to see the bubble until we live outside of it. Even still, I am probably living in some sort of bubble that I’m not consciously aware of.

At the same time, I am now considered an immigrant. I live in a foreign country where I have not yet mastered the language. I have been exposed to diversity and world issues in many more ways than I was when I lived in my bubble.

Do I think I would have become the same person I am today if I’d continued to live in that bubble? Perhaps. I think some fundamental parts of me would’ve never changed—for example, I would still be a writer, and I would still care about the environment. But maybe I wouldn’t have had the confidence to query my first novel, or maybe I wouldn’t have made the same academic or career decisions.

If I had stayed in that bubble, I don’t think I would be the confident woman I am today. I don’t think I would have learned to use my voice and stand up for myself and others. I don’t even think I would be in a healthy relationship.

But, thanks to circumstances out of my control, I didn’t stay in that bubble.

You may be wondering what my first move at 14 and leaving my bubble behind have to do with my writing process. Well, since age 14, I have moved over 15 times. I’m 22 now, and I recently moved to my own apartment in Paris, making this the fifth time I’ve moved in Paris alone.

Between all these moves, I’ve managed to finish and begin multiple novels, write two songs with a local musician that were released on all streaming platforms, take various writing classes, work as a writer and editor for a magazine and a newspaper, publish stories on different platforms, and start querying the first full-length novel I ever wrote, The Initiation.

(Learn more about my novel on Instagram!)

Most of these moves have happened over the past two and a half years. That’s a lot of moving in a short amount of time, and they’ve taken a toll on my writing. Or have they?

My first instinct is to say that my writing process has been negatively affected by the constant movement. But that wouldn’t be entirely true. I started this blog right after moving abroad, and I’ve written a lot of poems, songs, and short stories throughout each move. Each new place I live in comes with its own set of challenges, but I am also endlessly inspired and constantly living new experiences. While I don’t recommend moving as much as I have, I must admit that I live an exciting life where I can never complain of writer’s block.

When I look at all I’ve written recently, how can I say moving has taken a toll on my writing? It’s not like the quantity has increased while quality decreased. In fact, I think I’ve become a better writer over time through practice and classes. I even have a degree in English and writing now.

However, when I ask myself what I’ve written throughout my moves, I automatically think only of my novels—and not the poems, short stories, articles, blog posts, and songs I’ve never stopped writing. I begin to think I’ve failed as a writer simply because I haven’t been able to focus on The Initiation or other longer works during all these moves. Covid really gave me a chance to get my novel to a place I felt proud of and felt could be queried and posted about on social media. Once the pandemic cooled down, I found myself too busy to write again. Add in multiple moves? No way. And moving internationally? Forget about it.

Seeing how active other writers are with their own posts and publications doesn’t make me feel much better. But we can’t compare ourselves to others, writer or not. This is something I’d been told consistently in my university writing classes, and I find it incredibly hard to do. I think, as humans, we’re hardwired to judge and compare. So I remind myself: everyone achieves success in different ways. For me, perhaps I would feel more successful in my writing if I sent out a query letter this week. But I also feel successful publishing this blog post, or rereading all that I’ve written since I moved to Paris.

This post serves as a reminder to myself that instead of thinking I’ve failed, I should be proud of all that I have accomplished. I should be encouraged by my successes to go find some more inspiration. Explore outside. Stay inside. Look on the internet. Cozy up with a book. Leave my bubble.

What makes YOU feel successful? Deep down, the most important thing for me is not what I write, but the action of writing. In my opinion, if we keep writing, that’s the biggest success of all.