Alyssa Graybeal's Two Cents

An interview with Alyssa Graybeal

We like the sound of our own keystrokes as much as anyone, but sometimes, one just wants to hear from other people.

Showing up to write, showing up to finish a big project, let alone get it published, is hard on the average, able-bodied person. Now add chronic illness and things get that much more complicated and exhausting. Still, chronic illness and creativity can go hand-in-hand. The very act of being creative helps so many focus on something other than their syndromes and disorders and co-morbidities. Author of a touching memoir about her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Alyssa Graybeal does this with grace.

Today, Alyssa shares about writing with a chronic illness, her struggles with self-promotion, and talks losing motivation.

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Writing with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome comes with complications, as all disabilities do. What does that look like for you, and how has it impacted the way you operate—both functionally and creatively speaking?

Day-to-day, it's almost always looked like working from home, whether that's freelance or remote work. Full time out-of-the house jobs burn me out very quickly. Creatively, though, I do feel like living in this body has increased my creative capacity. Like I’m always having to think about how to piece together a life that actually works within my health limitations. And in the same way that a writing prompt can get your creativity flowing by imposing limits on what you write,  I’ve been able to harness my health restrictions in the same way. Or at least my brain is already primed to meet creative challenges of whatever sort. 

Limitless options kill creativity anyways.

That’s not to say that writing alongside the complications of EDS isn’t hard or frustrating sometimes. I do have pay very close attention to pacing. I can’t do as many things in a day as a non-disabled person, but because I have to be more selective, I don’t waste as much energy on things that are meaningless to me either.

What do you write, and what drew you to your current style or genre?

So these days I write creative nonfiction and draw slice-of-life comics. 

I first started writing creative nonfiction while I was going through the process of reclaiming my health narrative after having found appropriate medical care for the first time in my life. Like, surprise! I'm not lazy and antisocial, I'm disabled. When I realized how much I’d been gaslighting myself, rewriting that story became imperative for me. I think those of us with any type of disability usually have to do a lot of work to rewrite the ableist presumptions we're seeped in. 

And then I’m in love with recording interesting moments & funny life snippets in short comics. Humor keeps me going

How do you share your work?

I traditionally published my memoir that came out last year. I share my comics on Instagram and also compile them into self-published chapbooks. I also have a Substack, but I call that an "occasional" newsletter because I don’t always have the capacity to write something weekly. 

What is your favorite piece of writing advice? 

Writing is about community with other writers. We need each other, both during the writing process and during publishing too. Don't be a recluse! Or at least, take breaks from the reclusiveness when you can catch a breath from your creative projects. Those connections can recharge you, if they’re the right ones. Feedback strengthens your craft, and other writers can also help you build an audience for your writing down the road.

And your least favorite?

That you have to write every single day to be a "real" writer.

I think we can all agree that to finish a book, you gotta have the self-discipline to push through the times when you don't feel like writing. Writing draft #5 isn't fun for anyone. But I also think it's silly to say we're not allowed to rest. That's workaholic--and ableist--nonsense. We can take breaks. The world won't end if we want to spend a holiday with our families or take a breather in between projects. Recharging is allowed. It’s important to find ways to keep your brain connected to your work so you don’t lose the threads, but you don’t have to be working all the time. 

What’s something about your journey that you’ve struggled with? What has felt shockingly easy?

I do struggle with the self-promotion part of publishing, but that's primarily about energy. Writing requires countless unpaid hours, yes, but it's a passion project. But doing in-person readings & events is so difficult for me physically that I need days of recovery time afterwards. I do a few, but I just don't have the resources to do more. I'm still working out solutions to that, to be honest.

What's been easy? Connecting with other writers. We're hungry for each other.

Tell us anything you want!

Let's see:

My Substack is here.

My memoir about EDS is here.

I specialize in developmental editing for memoirists, and I also do “penpal” coaching for writers with chronic illness. You can find out more on my website here: www.alyssagraybeal.com

Finally…what question do we wish we had asked? (Don’t forget to answer it!)

“What do you do when you feel motivation flagging?”

I’m most likely to lose motivation when I’m too busy. So the first thing I do is try to shed unnecessary obligations. I need to get bored again to find my spark.

And then I read a lot and widely. When I’m blocked I make a special effort to read genres I don’t usually read. Or I read in French. Anything to knock my brain out of its ruts. Once I start taking notes on other writers’ techniques; once I start filling my notebook with quotes and unexpected reading recommendations, I know I’m recharging. 

I also take the pressure off myself by switching to fun projects I can finish quickly. Quick wins are so satisfying. And drawing comics—even though I’m not a skilled draftsperson—keeps my writing brain engaged but in a slightly different way than writing only prose. 

Also…

You didn't ask about my assistants! My cats Jasper and Hollyhock keep me on track whether I'm writing or resting. This picture is of Jasper. He’s the one you’re most likely to meet if you ever do a Zoom call with me, because he always likes to be part of the conversation. In person, his proportions are like a cartoon exaggeration of a cat. He’s really hard to draw. 

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About Alyssa Graybeal

Alyssa Graybeal is a queer writer and cartoonist who explores the emotional landscape of chronic illness and disability—Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in particular—through observational humor. Her memoir Floppy: Tales of a Genetic Freak of Nature at the End of the World (2023) won the Red Hen Nonfiction Book Award and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. She works as an editor and writing coach in Astoria, Oregon.

Find her

 Website: www.alyssagraybeal.com

 @alyssajgraybeal on Instagram

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