Michael Downing

Writer. Playwright. Screenwriter. Literacy Advocate.

Michael Downing is a writer originally from New Jersey, now living in Georgia. Over the past twenty years he has written some plays, published a few books, and his short stories have been featured in various publications. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize twice, and his short fiction has appeared in a number of anthologies, including Under the Thumb: Stories of Police Oppression, edited by S.A. Cosby, Six Sentences Volumes II and III, edited by Rob McEvily, and upcoming in On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Anthology by RHP, edited by Curtis Ippolito.

He was the Founder and Creative Director of StoryTellers, a community-based literacy organization in Asbury Park, New Jersey and Rome, Georgia. StoryTellers developed and promoted literacy through creative writing, providing under-served teenagers and young adults the opportunity to discover the strength and power of their own voices (self-esteem through self-expression).

Originally from New Jersey, he left the Garden State to live and write in Georgia a few years ago. He and his wife Helen live northeast of Atlanta with an assortment of children and pets. He is everything New Jersey- attitude, edginess & Springsteen (but not Bon Jovi).

“A margarita in hand is a reminder to live for today.” – Jimmy Buffett

GREAT FUCKING ADVICE FOR WRITERS

Believe in your fucking self. Write your fucking story the way it needs to be written. Write that fucking book or story - don't just fucking talk about it. Edit that fucking story. And revise and fucking edit it again. Don't be afraid to fucking rewrite what you've already written if it doesn't work. Don’t fucking procrastinate. Stay up all fucking night writing. Or get up fucking early to write. Work outside of your fucking habits. Keep fucking learning. Read a fucking book. Then read more. You can’t be a better writer if you don’t fucking read. Find fucking inspiration everywhere. Stop fucking blaming agents. Or editors. Or Amazon. Or book stores. Or the entire fucking publishing industry. Learn to take some fucking criticism. Get over your fucking self. Use fucking spell check. Make your readers fucking care about what you’ve written. Question fucking everything you’ve written and make it better. Fucking network with other writers. Learn to fucking appreciate the writing community. Send that fucking query but read the fucking submission guidelines. Writing is fucking hard. So is life. Nobody fucking cares about the challenges writers face. Work harder. Don’t fucking quit. Don’t let rejections define you. Or your writing. Be fucking creative. Think about all the fucking possibilities writing offers. It can be the best fucking job in the world if you don't fuck it up. And keep fucking writing.

"WHAT MATTERS MOST IS HOW WELL YOU WALK THROUGH THE FIRE"

-CHARLES BUKOWSKI