Write of Passage by Vanessa Riley cover art

Write of Passage by Vanessa Riley

Write of Passage by Vanessa Riley

By: Vanessa Riley
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Join bestselling author Vanessa Riley as she delves into untold histories, reflects on current events through a historical lens, shares behind-the-scenes writing insights, and offers exclusive updates on her groundbreaking novels.

vanessariley.substack.comVanessa Riley Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Three Lessons About Joy and Messes

    Three Lessons About Joy and Messes
    Jun 23 2026
    What if the best thing that happened to you this week was the thing you didn’t want?A canceled flight. A collapsed bookcase. An unexpected lesson about time. Today, I’m sharing three lessons about joy, messes, and the surprising gifts hidden inside life’s interruptions.Three Lessons About Joy and MessesThree things happened within roughly the same stretch of time.The first was an incredible weekend in Nantucket with my daughter. It was the ultimate girls’ trip—great food, great company, wonderful conversations, and the chance to explore museums, historical sites, and a place filled with stories. We laughed, wandered, and simply enjoyed being together. It was intentional time. Planned time. Chosen time.The second thing was completely unexpected.Mr. Weather decided we weren’t leaving when we thought we would. A canceled flight forced us to stay overnight, which led us to spend a day at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport. And honestly? It was magical.Expensive, yes—but magical.We wandered through the restored 1960s hair salon, explored the airplane turned cocktail lounge, and admired the sweeping curves of the architecture. The rounded concrete forms and futuristic design made it feel as if we had stepped back into another era. Watching my daughter’s eyes light up was perhaps the best part. As a budding architect, she noticed every detail, every design choice, every intentional curve and angle. What could have been an inconvenience became an adventure.And then there was the third thing.A bookcase that had been warning me for months that it was in trouble finally gave up the fight. It crashed. Spectacularly.Books everywhere.Hundreds of them.The floor disappeared beneath a sea of hardcovers, paperbacks, research materials, and treasures collected over years.Unlike Nantucket, this wasn’t something I wanted to do.Unlike the weather delay, it wasn’t unexpected.It was something I knew needed attention and chose to ignore.The pile demanded my time.Now what do all three experiences have in common.Time.One was time I deliberately chose.One was time unexpectedly given.And one was time owed but thought the problem could wait.Life is always moving forward, and sometimes we get to decide exactly how we’ll spend our time. Other times, circumstances decide for us. Some things arrive as gifts. Some arrive as burdens. And then we get those as warnings of a future time sink that we ignore.But what if we approached all of it with the same attitude?What if every moment became an opportunity for exploration?What can we learn?What can we share?What joy can come from it?Finding joy in Nantucket wasn’t difficult. Being with my daughter was a joy. Every conversation, every laugh, every walk through a museum or hanging with other writers reminded me how precious shared experiences can be.Finding joy in an unexpected airport hotel stay wasn’t difficult either. Adventure often hides inside inconvenience if we’re willing to look for it.The fallen bookcase, however, required a different kind of joy.Because when I looked at that mess, I realized I had choices.I could pile the books in a corner and move on.Or I could use the moment as an opportunity.Maybe it’s time to redesign my office.Maybe it’s time to give everything a permanent home.Maybe it’s time to display the objects that inspire me every day when I sit down to work.And what about that desk?It’s too big.It’s cluttered.It’s become claustrophobic.Maybe it’s time for that to go too.My workspace should reflect who I’ve become.Writing is not a hobby for me.For some people, it may be. But for me, it’s work. It’s my livelihood. It’s bread and butter. Its purpose and profession wrapped together.My office should reflect the writer I’ve become, not the writer I used to be.That means making hard choices.Some books will stay.The research books? They’re never leaving. Those are tools of the trade. They need to be dusted, organized, protected, and placed where I can easily access them.But do I need multiple copies of the same book?Probably not.Some of my collection will find new homes in Little Free Libraries across Atlanta, where they’ll continue their journey with new readers.Collectors understand this struggle. We love our treasures. But sometimes holding on to everything prevents us from making room for what’s next.And that’s really the lesson.Somewhere between the planned retreat, the canceled flight, and the collapsed bookcase, I found a reminder that peace isn’t found only in perfect circumstances.Sometimes peace is released in how we respond.There’s wisdom hidden in delays.And we should find gratitude in survivable messes.Life is made up of choices.The expected and unexpected.The joyful and the inconvenient.The burdensome and the beautiful.Every moment asks something of us. The question is whether we are listening.This week’s book list:The Midnight Library by Matt HaigA beautiful meditation on choices, alternate paths, ...
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    11 mins
  • The Writer’s Greatest Gift

    The Writer’s Greatest Gift
    Jun 16 2026

    Hello, friends. I’m Vanessa Riley, and this week I’m coming to you from beautiful Nantucket. Join me for this conversation with bestselling author Dawn Tripp at the Nantucket Book Festival. Our conversation, two fellow storytellers, we talk about the magic behind Fire Sword and Sea. Welcome to our talk

    Vanessa and Dawn Tripp

    Hello, friends. I’m Vanessa Riley, coming to you from beautiful Nantucket. Join me as I explore the Nantucket Book Festival, meet fellow storytellers, and share the magic behind Fire Sword and Sea. Welcome to the journey.

    Please come back next week for more Write of Passage!



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vanessariley.substack.com/subscribe
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    21 mins
  • Everybody Loves Justice Until It Costs Something

    Everybody Loves Justice Until It Costs Something
    Jun 9 2026
    In a world where silence is profitable and outrage is performative, character still matters. Today I’m asking you a simple question with complicated consequences: Shall you take a stand, or stay seated?Take a Stand or Take a SeatI was watching The New York Times interview with Scott Pelley when the reporter asked him to respond to a statement celebrating his firing from 60 Minutes.The president called him “stiff” and part of a “gang of stupid, crooked people that don’t care about the country.”Pelley’s response is both tactful and visceral. He didn’t seem to care about being fired for his beliefs. He didn’t seem concerned about answering to power. He stood up right and got fired, when so many others might have said nothing, kept their seats, and protected their paychecks.I get it.It’s tough out here.According to Stanford’s 2026 AI Index Report, 90% of companies using AI-assisted applicant evaluations retain candidate scores for up to 330 days. That means one bad assessment, one poorly matched resume, or one automated rejection can effectively lock you out of opportunities for nearly a year. AI adoption is growing faster than ever. Yet brave researchers buck the trends and report inconsistencies and limitations in these systems. But that doesn’t help if you’re caught in that 330-day lockout.So yes, I understand why people say nothing and cling to their jobs.But if an environment demands that you surrender your values to keep your position, it might be worth considering an exit strategy.Quiet quit.Update your résumé.Find another lane.Because an environment with no morals will eventually consume yours.Back to Scott.Accused of being crooked and seditious, he swallows and carefully chooses his words. There’s still more to lose because leadership is being weaponized.I remember a time when, regardless of party, there was at least an expectation that the occupants of the highest offices in the land would demonstrate empathy and respect for all Americans. Those days feel very far away.So hearing a journalist described as a “stiff” who “doesn’t care about the country” because he asked difficult questions- well, let’s just call it disappointing.Watching a news veteran like Scott Pelley visibly choke up when responding to the accusation was moving.In his interview, Pelley reminded viewers that while he never served in uniform, he spent years reporting from war zones.“I’ve been in combat for this country in Afghanistan and Iraq. I’ve spent nights in foxholes. You become a journalist because you love the First Amendment. There is no democracy without journalism.”Scott is someone who stood up and risked his life in pursuit of truth.It reminds me of people throughout history who believed in something enough to sacrifice for it.People who risked financial ruin. People who lost family members. People who gave up comfort, status, and sometimes their lives for truth or some big principle.In an age where everything feels transactional, people like Pelley or Ida B Wells show us that there are things worth fighting for.The current political and cultural climate sharply reveals the difference between true allyship and performative allyship.Sitting back, waiting for things to change, costs women—particularly Black women and women of color.But Vanessa, I’m scared.I get it. Some things are triggering. I understand that. Everyone must have their own standards and beliefs. But don’t expect others to help you when you are the one in the line of fire.For me, I believe in the dignity of the human experience. You see my pen write this experience in a Fire Sword and Sea. In the beginning, Jacquotte is a passionate screw-up, but she finds her calling, rises to her feet, and becomes a captain leading an integrated crew of men and women.I believe laughter is still the best medicine. You see that in A Deal at Dawn when enemies-to-lovers laugh about old times while dealing with the enemy, chronic illness.I believe hard work matters.I believe prayer matters.And I still believe that when you focus, work, and persist, you can move closer to the desires of your heart.But what troubles me is how often public virtue has become performance.In 2020 people in publishing sat at home posting black squares. These posts on Instagram cost them nothing. And when many of their Black and brown colleagues were fired in 22-24, they didn’t post anything.A black square requires no sacrifice. No difficult conversations. No risk. No courage at all.There’s nothing wrong with capitalism. Nothing wrong with protecting your peace and your pockets. Just don’t confuse me by making me think you care. I’d respect you more if you were openly scheming aka JR Ewing of Dallas not that backstabbing Iago from Othello. Please don’t be the deceiving Uriah Heep from David Copperfield—humble while plotting my doom.I don’t need that kind of disappointment and heartache in my life.But this is America.Companies can ...
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    19 mins
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