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Lessons Learned from Reading Bad Books
I have read some bad books over the last few years, and I’m pretty glad I did, because I definitely got a lot out of them. Not things the writers intended, but enough to make them valuable experiences.
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On writing as play, 2024 wins, and 2025 goals
It’s that time! The one time a year I reliably send a newsletter or write a blog post, to update with what all I did last year. Here’s an archive of word counts from the last, gosh, decade. I’ve focused less on word count stats in recent years, though — I know I consistently draft…
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Anxiety and Coping
It has been a long time. I started writing a newsletter many months ago and then couldn’t get it exactly perfect, let that be the enemy of the good, threw a temper tantrum about it, and never logged in here again. I am a mature grown up. Anyway, now I’m emailing you about coping. You…
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2023 Word Count, and 2024 Goals
Quick check in: with the demise of Tinyletter, I’ve moved my newsletter over to Buttondown. If you subscribed previously you don’t have to subscribe again, and I’m going to continue cross-posting here, too, since I think this version looks nicer than the Buttondown archives. (And if you haven’t subscribed yet: please do!) It’s February, which…
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23 Nice Things From 2023
Hi, friends! First, a bit of housekeeping. To my great sadness, Tinyletter (the service I use to send this) is shutting down. I like Tinyletter a lot because it really is just a text editor where I can toss my thoughts out and send them to you all, and every other newsletter service I’ve looked…
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Turning forty
Hi friends, I’m forty years old. While not exactly news, this is new, in that my birthday was the day before I’m writing this. I’ve been surprised by the number of people who’ve asked how I feel about this. There’s a lot to unpack around why peple ask that question, but that’s not what I’m…
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On plotting, and not plotting, and story vibes vs story structure…
Hi friends, Recently, my best friend and writing buddy said one of the most devastatingly true things about me I’ve ever been faced with. In a discussion about starting a new project where I’m trying to be less structured in my prep (we’ll get to that), she looked me dead in the eye and said,…
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On reading, as a writer
Hello, friends! So much for my goal of sending a newsletter every month. I kept trying to think of March themes and then didn’t. You came very close to seeing a timeline of my pandemic hair situation but it felt too silly. (Both the newsletter and my pandemic hair, thankfully long since shaved off.) First…
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February.
Hi friends, It’s February. I’m writing and sending this newsletter because I am determined to send one monthly this year… or at least, for now I’m still determined. We’ll see how long this keeps up. (Fun fact, I drafted this four days ago and just forgot to send thanks to the hazy the brain fog…
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Wrapping up 2022
Hi friends, It’s New Year’s Day! I recently posted my single annual blog entry, about my 2022 in writing, and at the end I noted that I love the potential of a new year, a new project, a blank page. I truly do love that feeling, and this year especially, I feel like I’m primed…