Becky Allen Books

YA fantasy writer. Not a morning person.

Category: Newsletter Crosspost

  • A screencap of a color-coded spreadsheet with wordcounts (too small to read) broken out by month over 10 years

    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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  • Becky (me), wearing a wetsuit and sunglasses, preparing for a surfing class

    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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  • Me, on my birthday trip, wearing a tank top that reads 'Take a trip with friends'

    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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  • A messy notebook page broken into four columns, each representing 25% of a story outline

    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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  • A stack of books, focused around The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

    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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  • A view down the side of a wooden desk. A rainbow is barely visible on the wall, and the camera faces a teal display cabinet.

    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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  • Me, dressed in a steampunk costume

    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…

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  • On finishing an experiment

    Hi friends, I usually try to send this newsletter on the first of the month, when I send it at all. (So… rarely.) But did you know that if you spend a month in a 50,000 word writing marathon, you’re very tired and need a few days to process?! So I’m not letting perfect be…

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  • On starting something new–

    Hi friends, It’s October. It’s October?!?! It’s October. Gosh. I’m currently feeling optimistic about a lot of things. Not, like, the fate of the world or anything; that’s still too big and overwhelming to think about. But on a personal level. I started my new job about a year ago now, and while it does…

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  • It has certainly been a year. Whoops.

    Hello, friends! So, uh. It’s been a year since I sent a newsletter. When I wrote last year’s January missive about hope, I was feeling very optimistic — for the world, and for my ability to send a newsletter every month. Well, we’re now staring down the barrel of year three of a global pandemic,…

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