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Writing Mindset: Slow Down to Go Faster

Slow down to go faster.

We all know the fable of the tortoise and the hare:

The moral of the story: Slow and steady wins the race.

Unfortunately we live in a society that values busyness and productivity.

We boast when we have busy schedules.

We celebrate multitasking.

We go and go and go and are rewarded by valuing long to do lists.

But, when we’re slammed and busy and running on the hamster wheel, what is the real result?

Mistakes

More work

Burnout

Slow down to go faster.

The publishing business is ridiculously slow. It can put added pressure on writers to write that book faster to maybe see results sooner.

But when we rush, we may:

🐰 Skip planning to start writing leading to rough drafts that meander meaning more time spent in revision trying to figure out the story basics.

🐰 Speed through the revising process to start pitching agents before the story is actually ready.

🐰 Jump to self-publishing before analyzing what our querying response can tell us about our stories. (Note: I have nothing against self-publishing, it’s an amazing route for many writers BUT if writers who rush to it without first analyzing query feedback to see if the manuscript needs another pass (yes, another pass you probably don’t want to make because you know it will take a while) is not putting your best foot forward in the marketplace and may hurt your reviews or sales).

Slow down to go faster.

Slowing down in your writing life may look like:

🐢 Holding out for an hour of writing time in the early morning or on the weekend instead of always relying on five minutes in the carpool line so you have a better chance of achieving a flow state

🐢 Taking a third (or fourth or fourteenth) revision pass

🐢 Taking a break from the manuscript entirely to let it simmer in your subconscious

🐢 Going on a retreat where you allow yourself a day, a weekend, or a week to focus only on your writing

🐢 Putting your phone on do not disturb during your writing session

🐢 Reading a good book before bed instead of doom scrolling

🐢 An afternoon researching in the library stacks instead of on your computer filled with endless distractions

🐢 Skipping an errand or chore (order take out instead of the trip to the grocery store and cooking after; putting off the laundry; letting the dishes sit in the sink; etc…)

🐢 Begin a writing session with morning pages or journaling

Slowing down allows us to find focus, to center creativity, and to engage with our work in a more intentional way.

This can mean fewer big mistakes later and a more efficient work process.

Which will make the realization of your writing dreams happen much faster.

Slow down to go faster.

It’s the advice I wish I had sooner and the advice I wish I didn’t need to hear all the time.

But I do.

How do I try to slow down?

Time blocking: Writing in the morning, coaching/business tasks in the afternoon.
Using my Do Not Disturb feature on my phone when I’m writing so I won’t be tempted by phone calls or text chains. I can always catch up later in the day or during a break.
Avoiding email/social media when I first wake up to focus on getting the kids out the door and exercising.

Slow down to go faster.

What’s a piece of writing mindset advice you wish you had known sooner? Tell me in the comments!

PS: I still have two open spots for Manuscript Evaluations in October.

Know something isn’t right in your manuscript but aren’t sure what and are tired of spinning your wheels? It might be time for a manuscript evaluation. Take a look at my services page to read more details about what is included in an evaluation and reply to this email to claim your spot!

Featured image above by kewl from Pixabay

Are You Making This Revision Mistake?

Are you a pantser or a plotter? Or maybe a plantser?

Writers are asked this question all the time about whether they discovery write, follow intricate outlines, or use some combination of the two to write their rough drafts.

And everyone has an opinion. 🙋

But here’s the mistake you might be making…are you pantsing your revision, too?

While you might be able to draft a novel by the seat of your pants, you CAN NOT revise this way.

I’m serious. This may be the writing hill I’m willing to die on.

Revision is where we take the rough stone of our drafts, see what is actually there, and turn it into a sculpture.

But that requires a plan.

Revising by the seat of your pants will result in line edits polishing sections that may be structurally unsound. Or following themes that disappear in the middle of act two. Or getting to act three and wondering why your climax doesn’t make sense anymore.

To avoid pantsing in revision, try these three easy steps:

Read your rough draft without a red pen in hand. Instead, take notes in a separate document (pen color your choice) about the things that surprised you, the themes that emerged, images that repeated, the threads that appeared on the page you weren’t expecting.
Outline what you have. Some call this a reverse outline or an as-is outline. Whatever you call it, outline what exists on the page today so your story has a manageable container.
Use steps 1 and 2 to create an outline of what you want the story should be. This is the outline that fixes the plot holes and raises the stakes. The outline that highlights the subplot and tightens the thematic through line. This outline will be your plan to get you through your revision.

Revision is not a place to get caught without a map. You can quickly become overwhelmed or get off track in a way that wastes time and effort.

This doesn’t mean that your revision can’t be without discovery or new revelations or require time to do research.

But it does mean that those are planned stops that will make the journey more fun, not lead to dead ends or stuck on a deserted country road with an empty gas tank.

Have you made the mistake of pantsing a revision?

I have. And I swore never again.

Revising is hard enough, don’t make it harder on yourself without a plan.

If you need a co-pilot for your revision journey, check out my services page for the various ways I offer writers support so their revision stays on track and they reach their destination of a finished manuscript faster.

Back to School/Back to Revising & Best of August

It’s back to school week here for my kids.

I find this time of year more inspiring work-wise than the new year, honestly.

When I was a kid, Fall was our chance to try on different parts of our personality as we experienced new friends, subjects, and interests. Each year was a new beginning filled with new possibilities.

It’s not so different this Fall (although seriously, y’all, I’m having a hard time with that concept today when a “cool down” means it’s in the low 90s).

This year, I’m just starting my first revision pass on a new story, which feels like the perfect back-to-school project.

The timing is perfection (even if it wasn’t planned).

I am coming off a brief break after drafting and get to spend the next couple of weeks analyzing my manuscript and planning my revision. Then, it’s off to a beach retreat later in September with some writer friends to dive into deep edit work.

I might even pop by the office supply store for some fancy new colored pens or sticky notes to celebrate! (Do they still make Trapper Keepers? I might be tempted! The sound of the velcro each time you cracked it open? Perfection!)

Tell me in the comments: what are you starting in this back to school season?

August Recommendations

It’s the end of the month, so it’s time for a few recs!

What I’m Reading:

I just finished The Covenant of Water* by Abraham Verghese for book club (we always read a LONG book for summer while we’re on a meeting hiatus). Wow, this epic, generational, interwoven narrative was just beautiful. The settings were vivid, the relationships complex, the tragedies downright heartbreaking, and the actual writing inspiring. I loved it.

What I’m Watching:

I finished The Crown, my husband and I recently started Bad Monkey (and we are intrigued), and we are halfway through the latest season of Cobra Kai (give me all the 80s nostalgia references!).

What I’m Listening to:

I spent the weekend grating chalk so we could make chalk “paint” to decorate my rising senior’s parking space (a lovely tradition the night before the first day of school), but the sound of chalk on anything makes my teeth itch, so I popped on my noise cancelling headphones and binged Happily Never After: Dan and Nancy. A true crime podcast about a romantic suspense writer accused of her husband’s murder! I mean, we all joke about what’s in our search histories, but OMG!

Bonus Mama Brag:

Check out our finished space for our budding aerospace engineer…it was still a little damp when we took the pic, but it came out great and he was thrilled!

*This is an affiliate link which means I earn a tiny commission if you make a purchase.

These Are the Writers I Won’t Work With

I love helping writers.

Well, most of them.

I learned the hard way that not all writers are created equal.

And I don’t mean talent.

I mean mindset.

I had a client once who won a 20-page critique in a giveaway I did for an organization close to my heart. This client came to me with nothing to lose. Feedback and a coaching call were all free. Some of my favorite interactions with writers have been from giveaways like this and so I went in very excited.

I sent this person my onboarding materials and one of the writer’s answers to my standard questionnaire gave me pause.

Was it a full on red flag? 🚩

I didn’t think so then.

Now I know better.

The fact is, this person wasn’t open to feedback.

Not really.

I realized this when I checked in after sending my written feedback and they had yet to schedule our coaching call. This writer’s lengthy response to my feedback was harsh (that I can take), demeaning (not okay), and downright cruel (completely uncalled for).

The writer agreed with the many compliments I had showered on the writing and then lashed out about anything I pointed out as a place that needed work or clarification.

As someone open to feedback, I spent a good deal of time with this writer’s response attempting to suss out where I might have failed them so I could be sure not to do so again.

But in between rereading the lines of personal character attack and accusations of outright incompetence (although apparently only where I offered criticism and not praise), I realized that this writer’s response to my feedback wasn’t constructive at all.

Nor was it actually about me.

The writer merely wanted a rubber stamp of approval, I guess. A gold star. Fawning praise.

And while I did provide praise, I did also provide opportunities for improvement. It’s my assumption that if you come to me, or any writing professional, for help, you are open to receiving it.

I don’t assume this anymore.

I apologized that the experience wasn’t what this writer had hoped for and opted not to take part in the coaching call.

Writing is hard and personal and feels like our insides splattered on a page for all to judge. I don’t take the role of early reader to a writer’s stories lightly. I know, because I’m a writer, too, and I’ve been on the receiving end of feedback. Good and bad. Thoughtful and cursory.

I’m not saying that writers have to accept all feedback as holy truth, but it is always something we should sit with, analyze, and see if (after the emotional reaction fades) it resonates in some way.

In fact, as I was writing this post this week, an article I contributed a quote to on Writer Unboxed by the incomparable Barbara Linn Probst went live about how, as the writer, do you determine which feedback to trust and implement. And spoiler alert: It’s about taking some time.

Just like we have to take some time between drafting and revision to let our stories settle and our mindset shift from writer to editor, we need to take some time with feedback and really question it to make sure it serves our story.

But I want to remind you, dear writers, that, unfortunately:

Growth hurts.

Caterpillars literally melt into goo before reconstituting as butterflies.

We need to do that with our stories sometimes, too.

Read feedback and surrender ourselves to the goo before taking only the most beautiful parts and reconstituting our stories.

So if you’re looking for someone to tell you that your story is perfect as is?

Yeah…no. That’s not going to be me.

BUT, if you’re looking for someone to tell you all the beautiful parts of your manuscript and how to level up the less than beautiful parts with a little elbow grease and some unwavering support?

Let’s chat.

The good news?

I have never since had to turn a writer away for not being open to growing their skills.

But if I even get a whiff of rigidity in how a writer may receive feedback? Sorry. Hard pass.

I’m on the search for butterflies.

🦋 🦋 🦋 🦋

If you are interested in how a book coach can help your writing process AND are open to feedback, I invite you to schedule a call to see if we’re a good fit for each other.

Featured photo by Jonathon Pinet on Unsplash

My Latest Netflix Obsession and Character Development

Two weeks ago, I had gum surgery. Not fun. My second this year.

I planned ahead and cleared the decks for the week.

Luckily, this go-round was much easier than the first and my second day in, I felt confident I could return to some projects I had set aside for this recovery week. You know, those brainstorming kind of things that need to not just be shoe-horned in between projects?

What is it they say about the best laid plans? 🙄

That night, I spiked a fever.

While infection was a concern, the fact that I also had a sore throat and suddenly couldn’t breathe through my nose had me reaching for a COVID test. Sure enough. Positive.

My first time with it and let’s just say it made an impression. 🤒

I took to my bed, isolated from my family, drank my smoothies and slept a ton in between (and let’s be honest, during) Olympic events.

Once the worst of my symptoms subsided (which was a double blessing since part of my gum care included a one-minute rinse three times a day which is really hard to do when you can’t breathe through your nose), I was left with heavy fatigue in week two.

In between only the most necessary of client work, I caught up on a lot of The Crown in the afternoon and evening.

Did you watch?

I am obsessed!

I was basically in the Charles and Diana seasons (4, 5 and into 6).

Now that I’ve rejoined the land of the living in my house, I was watching a few episodes from the first half of season 6 (the sad part) this weekend with my husband.

He asked a few times what about the show was historically accurate. And to be honest, I didn’t know.

And I didn’t care.

Often, when watching or reading historical fiction, I run to Google to see what’s true and what isn’t. This time, I haven’t. Not yet, anyway (maybe when I’m done).

I didn’t care because it was extremely character-accurate.

What do I mean by that?

The writers on The Crown did an excellent job of developing their versions of Charles and Diana. Their actions and decisions were simply true to their character.

Charles is a confused mess of entitled, insecure, forward thinking, intelligent, cruel, narcissism that of course he continues an affair with Camilla while blaming Diana for not loving him because of her own infidelity born out of her own need for acceptance, attention, and love. Both make decisions that are careless or cruel or misunderstood based on their own self-beliefs. And those decisions build and grow into a culmination of heartbreak in a Parisian tunnel.

It’s awful and beautiful and heart-rending.

It’s fiction.

And yet it’s also truth.

Because it’s true to the characters The Crown writers created.

I’m not sure I would have noticed some of these character nuances if I was watching an episode here or there. It’s the binging, the sheer number of episode arcs I could watch in a row that were so illuminating.

I don’t usually have time to watch a show in this manner, but it has become a truly interesting case study in character development.

You can learn so much from binge watching a show that you can apply to your writing: pacing, character, usage of back story, story arc. Each episode is its own arc that builds into a season arc which supports the larger series arc, just like each scene is its own arc that builds into a chapter arc which supports the larger book arc.

While I’m somewhat back to normal, I’m still exhausted this week 😴 and will probably use that as an excuse to finish out season six over the next week or so. I can’t wait to see how they wrap up this multi-decades, multi-character story.

I’d love to know what you think! Did you watch The Crown? What other shows have you binged and learned something from that you have used in your own writing?

Reply in the comments and let me know! I will share the answers in a future post so we can make a nice list of bingeable shows…after all, it’s research!

Featured photo by Ashton Mullins on Unsplash

How I Got Unstuck From My Writing Rut

I have been S-T-U-C-K in my manuscript the past few weeks.

As context, I started doing the pre-work for this manuscript before the holidays and started drafting in mid-February. The last month or two, I’ve been so close to the end of this initial draft and yet the actual end started feeling farther and farther away despite my growing word count.

I dragged myself to the page and attempted to write my way into an ending, but it wasn’t working and I found myself dreading my writing time.

I procrastinated.

I made excuses.

I found plenty of other work to do instead.

I started scheduling things that conflicted with my daily writing time instead of protecting it.

The words writer’s block bubbled up to the surface last week and that’s when I knew I had to do something.

Because I don’t believe in writer’s block.

I don’t.

Writer’s block takes the control out of the writer’s hands and we, as the writer, always have control (I mean, until our characters wake us up in the middle of the night needing to take a road trip to San Francisco for seemingly no reason…but that’s another story).

Writer’s block is just code for something that isn’t working. And when something isn’t working, it feels uncomfortable.

Like REALLY uncomfortable. So we avoid writing, give in to distraction, call it a block and then excuse ourselves from having to fix it.

Or at least that’s what I used to do.

Not this time.

I decided to take my power back.

I love helping writers get unstuck. It’s kind of my super power. Come to me with a draft you don’t know how to revise or an idea you can’t figure out how to write, and I want to find the solution that unlocks your creativity to conquer the challenge.

I decided I might need to put a little of that creative energy toward my own process.

Not always easy to do for yourself.

My strategy: I made a commitment and a plan.

I blocked out an entire day to work ONLY on my manuscript. Nothing else.

I went back to my original pre-writing work and read through it. It became clear why certain things were working and others weren’t.

I did more character interviews to suss out a weak story goal and stakes.

I sketched out a sturdier timeline.

I sat with all the discomfort and did a lot of staring out the window.

The day dragged on. And on. And on.

I wanted so badly to move on to something else. Something easier. But I didn’t. I was exhausted by the end of the day but had a solid plan for how to finish this draft AND move into next stage revisions.

I figured that would have to be enough.

The next day, I felt excitement sitting down at the page. My first indication that things were different.

Then, I wrote 1,622 words in an hour.

That’s a fast, fast pace for me. And not only that, I finished knowing what I need to write tomorrow. And the next day.

I’m amazed at the results of my one-day immersion.

I needed to try something new. Something outside my usual box of draft, revise, re-draft, revise again. I needed to shake it up.

Why am I sharing this with you?

In case you need to shake something up.

Maybe that means writing in a new spot or going on an Artist Date* for inspiration or listening to some new music while you write or returning to your planning documents or trying a new revision strategy.

Whatever it is, try shaking something up.

Don’t get so married to what worked on a previous manuscript. No two are alike.

Just know that you have the control. You always have. And you always will.

*this is an affiliate link which means I receive a very small commission if you make a purchase

Don’t forget that this week, I am offering a $20 discount off my Revision Road Map mini-course to celebrate my book coaching anniversary.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed while revising or unsure where to begin or are getting mired down in line edits knowing there are bigger issues lurking in your manuscript, the Revision Road Map is the tool for you.

This self-paced course will teach you how to analyze your own work as well as organize your editing process to make revisions more enjoyable and efficient.

If you need to shake up your revision process, check it out before the price returns to normal.

BUY NOW

Happy Book-Coach-a-Versary to Me! (Plus a gift for you!)

As of July 20, it will be two years since I put out my shingle as a book coach!

It feels like forever and yesterday at the same time, as most things do when you reach a certain age, am I right?

I came to book coaching organically. I describe my journey to book coaching here in my launch post two years ago. Let’s just say, I’m a writer and love talking to writers, being with writers, reading writers.

Coaching allows me the opportunity to stay immersed in the writing world.

I would be remiss if I didn’t pause here to say something about Author Accelerator. The coursework is robust (it’s helped my own writing in a myriad of ways) and the coaches in the community are intelligent, generous, and doing amazing things. I have found some beautiful mentors and friends in this group that I cherish as part of my writing life. I could not be here two years later without their support.

In the last two years, I have learned a lot about starting a business and marketing and technology. I’m challenging myself and discovering skills I didn’t know I had as well as learning new ones.

The best part?

In the last two years, I have had the opportunity to work with some fabulous writers at all different points in their writing journey.

Some have been published before and were trying their hand at something outside their typical genre.

Others were brand new and in need of guidance.

And many were in the middle and just needed a guide through their manuscript to keep them on the right path.

A few things I’ve learned in the last two years:

I love helping a writer in the revision process. It’s so fun to help a writer see their work in a new way and help them solidify their vision and make it happen on the page.
I love supporting writers and helping them find the solutions that work for THEM!
Writers are truly the best and the most eager learners. While feedback can be hard to hear sometimes, I have found that 99.9% of writers are so happy to practice their skills and get better and it’s a joy to be a part of that journey!

Creativity and connection are core values for me. This work allows me to lean into both, for which I am grateful every day.

I am so thrilled that you all have been with me on this journey. I truly value our connection whether you’ve responded to this newsletter, we’ve interacted on social media, or you simply read my ramblings and take one small thing away for your writing.

I am just so amazed to have writers like you in my life.

Thank you for allowing me to do this work that I love so much!

🚨 To celebrate my two year anniversary, from July 20-July 26 I will be slashing the price of the Revision Road Map.

This robust, self-directed mini-course walks you through how to self-evaluate your manuscript and revise more efficiently. Normally priced at $47, for one week ONLY, I will be offering it for $27.

If you have been thinking about trying the Revision Road Map, this is the time!

And as always, I’m here if you want to talk about more in-depth coaching for your work. You can always reply to these newsletters or schedule a discovery call to connect.

Thank you again for allowing me to be part of your journey as a writer. I am immensely grateful.

Happy Writing!
Monica

Featured photo above by Joy Memon on Unsplash

Writers: Know Thyself

The picture above is a peek at some of my craft books.

I LOVE craft books! Books about writing? I mean does it get better than that? Not for me.

I bet you have a shelf like that, too.

Craft books are as individual as the writer who writes them.

One book may work for me and my brain and be clear as mud to yours.

For instance, there is a book on my shelf that I loved while reading. The concepts made total sense to me. I thought for sure it would revolutionize my process.

When I applied it to my writing, however?

Let’s just say I had to rewrite that entire draft from scratch. It didn’t work for me in practice at all.

There is no one size fits all solution to writing.

Sorry.

Whether it’s a craft book or a book coach, not everything will work for everybody.

When I work with writers, I do my best to meet the writer where they are and provide the type of coaching and advice they need. Sometimes that pushes me out of my comfort zone, and oftentimes that pushes the writer out of theirs.

But other times?

We might not jive. And that’s okay.

I created an intake process where we can learn about each other, the writer’s goals, my process, and find the right fit BEFORE we invest our time and money in each other. If we aren’t a fit, it doesn’t mean you aren’t a good writer or that I’m not a good coach. It just means we aren’t right for each other.

In the same way that particular craft book didn’t work for me but helped other writers I know write brilliant books. (Seriously, I don’t know why it didn’t work for me.)

Make sure you are looking for the right fit to support your writing.

Find the craft books, the critique partners, the beta readers, the coaches, the editors, who speak your language.

BUT DO NOT look for only the ones who echo what you want to hear.

Make sure your chosen resources challenge you to make your writing better, but that they do so in a way that you respond well to.

A friend once told me about an experience with an editor who only pointed out what wasn’t working. She didn’t offer any positive comments because “you paid me to find what was wrong.” That kind of approach might work for many writers but would not be right for me (as a writer or a coach, to be honest). I learn from seeing what I’m doing right as much as from finding out what needs improvement.

Know yourself and how you work.

❓ Are you a visual or an auditory learner?

❓ Do you want a mix of positive and challenging feedback?

❓ Do you want help brainstorming solutions?

❓ Do you like to experiment and play with your writing?

❓ How much time does it take you to write or revise a scene?

❓ Do you like to dive deep on a topic?

❓ Do you want hand holding or a simple nudge in the right direction?

Once you understand what works best for you, gather as much info as you can for all the resources you allow into your life.

There is no one right way. Just your way.

Learn it. Own it. And grow from it.

Happy Writing!

Curious about book coaching and want to see if we’re a good fit for each other? I offer free, 20-minute discovery calls where we can chat about your project and get to know each other.

SCHEDULE YOUR CALL HERE

Celebrate Your Writing

As we prepare to celebrate this week with fireworks and Sousa marches and summer desserts that all deserve a luscious whipped topping, I want to ask you:

When was the last time you celebrated your writing?

Recently, I received good news about my own writing. The book I’m querying had done well in a contest. When it came to the next round, however, it didn’t move on.

I felt the sting of rejection and disappointment.

Then got angry.

Not at the contest results.

But at myself. Or rather, my conditioning.

I immediately made my initial accomplishment small by putting more weight on the negative that came after.

Ugh.

That felt icky. And unfair. After all, the initial success was a major accomplishment.

This week, we celebrate our independence day as a nation. But the day we celebrate is July 4th, 1776 – the day the congressional delegates signed the Declaration of Independence. We celebrate the start.

An entire war came next. Years and years of war. It wasn’t until 1783 that England signed the Treaty of Paris acknowledging the United States as a sovereign nation.

But we don’t celebrate September 3 (yes, I had to look it up).

So take a note from our founders.

Celebrate the day you decide to write a book, or the day you type The End for the first time (or the tenth time), or the day you query your first agent, or attend your first writer’s conference, or say “I am a writer” for the first time out loud to a stranger.

Celebrate all the things.

From the start.

Don’t just wallow in the rejections.

Because there is no end to this writing journey (beyond the ultimate one that waits for us all) and we should celebrate whatever accomplishments we can.

So this week, I am also reminding myself to celebrate my own accomplishments. I placed in the top 5% of writers who entered that particular contest. And that’s amazing. Regardless of what happened after.

And in a profession where the amazing doesn’t always happen, you gotta take it and make something out of it.

What can you celebrate in your writing life this week?

Picture it in your mind…

Got it?

Now enjoy my virtual fireworks for you!!

(When my oldest was in kindergarten (he’s now a senior in HS! 😭) his teacher would “give out” fireworks for a job well done. I loved it so much I still use it, much to his dismay!)

Feature photo above by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash

Need to kick start your revision process? Want to learn how to analyze your work more efficiently? Or find an easier way to keep track of your changes?
Check out my Revision Road Map mini-course.

START YOUR JOURNEY HERE

My Favorite Things: June 2024

My youngest “graduated” from middle school this week.

It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.

Before we had kids I used to see friend’s preschool graduation pictures and think “That is ridiculous. It’s preschool!” Then my nearly five year old donned his graduation cap and clutched a rolled up certificate and I got it.

Life is full of changes. Acknowledging these moments allows us to take the pause, to reflect on what has been accomplished or what has changed in the years since, and anticipate the new growth and change to come.

I believe doing this with our writing is important, too. We should celebrate the rough draft when it’s complete. We should reflect on how far our writing has come in the years since we started. We should look with anticipation on the growth we will make with each new project.

So congrats to all your children, siblings, spouses, parents, friends, neighbors who are matriculating through a school graduation this year. And congrats to you for moving through your next writing stage as well. We all deserve to celebrate our accomplishments – the big ones, the small ones, and all the ones in between.

What I’m Reading

Maranatha Road* by Heather Bell Adams. I love southern literature. It feels so comfortable, for one. It’s my life. Where I grew up. The people I know. The scents and tastes of home. And Heather delivers that steeped in sweet tea goodness in this tragic story of mental illness, abandonment, and regret. While typing that, I realized it might not really sell this story, but there is so much hope and determination in this story, too. It really is a beautiful novel.

We read Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story collection Interpreter of Maladies* for book club this month. I had read it years ago when it was released, but loved diving back into her gorgeous prose.

Finally, I read Kevin Wilson’s Now is Not the Time to Panic*. I am usually not a huge fan of men who write female main characters (there are exceptions, like Chris Bohjalian), but there is something about how he taps into that inner young woman despair and longing that hits the nail on the head for me every time. I also loved a coming of age story that showed us a glimpse of the adult colored by that pivotal time, the repercussions the art Frankie and Zeke made not only rippling into their community, but rippling into their futures.

What I’m Watching

Why yes I have finished the second half of Bridgerton Season 3. And Penelope’s speech in the final episode? Well, as a female and a writer, I loved it. Much like I loved Gerta Gerwig’s Jo in her version of Little Women. What can I say? I’m a sucker for stories about writers who feel they haven’t a voice.

And to all my Gen Xers out there, do yourself a favor and relive your childhood by watching Andrew McCarthy’s documentary Brats. Not only do you get to relive some of your favorite films, but see your favorite actors as they reckon with the moniker that changed their lives forever, the Brat Pack. It’s also a fascinating look at how making movies with and for young people at that time really shifted the movie industry. Something that passed my understanding as a kid at the time, but fascinates me as an adult.

What I’m Listening to

I found a focus playlist on Apple Music and let’s just say, that weird little electronic, spa-style music is working. Not sure if there is science behind it or it’s just gentle enough to keep my mind from fixating on lyrics or outside noises that distract, but it’s helping my writing sessions stay on task.

What have you been reading, watching, and listening to in June? Reply and let me know!

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Image by Elly from Pixabay