For Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) scholars, reflecting on our journey to becoming academic writers can reveal important lessons for crafting justice oriented academic futures. Interweaving the pain, joy and wisdom from narratives on academic writing, this piece synthesizes BIPOC scholars' lessons learned, representing the experiences of doctoral students, early career and midcareer academics. It begins with a reflective narrative on the author's academic writing experiences, and then describes themes across the special issue articles. The special issue contributors described academic writing experiences such as wading through and releasing heavy emotions, putting on a mindset of intentionality to experience joy, and practicing academic writing strategies wedded to grace and care that support wellbeing. Recommendations for systemic changes in higher education that can support radical and liberatory writing practices are also described.