Every Time You Write, It's New Again (A Love Letter)
Every Time You Write, It's New Again (A Love Letter)
New year, new ways to write
Mindset, motivation and inspiration for novelists—with a dash of instruction about writing craft added in. There’s no one approach to writing that works for everyone, but I can help you find what works for you. Subscribe (free or paid) to get the fuel you need for your writing career.
Dear lovelies,
I’m getting up and writing first thing (after grabbing a cup of coffee) in the morning, and I’m loving it. I read a post by Matt Bell (link in resources) about how he challenged his students to write 500 words a day and I figured if his students could do it, so could I. And I can and I am. Most days I write a lot more than 500 words but some mornings it’s all I can muster. But it doesn’t matter—because once I’ve hit 500 words, I’ve hit my goal.
And let me be clear that by writing, I mean writing writing. Writing a first draft of a novel. Drafting, if you will. I do a lot of other writing. There’s this newsletter. And I’m revising a book to be published this spring. And I could easily (way too easily) let that bleed over my morning writing sessions. But that’s not what I want to do then. Because what I love best is the writing writing and it had been too long since I got a good run of momentum on it.
The thing is, there’s a reason that this sudden burst of regular writing has happened. And that is because I’m allowing myself to do the writing in a different way. I’m allowing myself to write whatever scene I want whenever I want. I’ve always, always, always written chronologically. And with good reason—because stories have structure and when you write chronologically you can more easily follow the structure you’ve designed.
But what happened was that I got stalled on a novel I was writing writing at the midpoint. Totally stuck. The whole thing felt blah and boring and I didn’t know how to move forward—even though I had a lot of ideas for scenes. The first half of the novel needed rewriting (duh) but I spent much (too much) of 2023 rewriting. I wanted to write.
Finally one day I got an idea of how I could start one of the future scenes and I figured, what the hell, I might as well let myself write it. And that’s when the floodgates opened. I’m now happily allowing myself to write scenes out of order.
I had lunch with a writer friend this week and told her about this earthquake in my writing life. Her response was, “Well of course! You have to follow where the inspiration lies!” Okay, okay, I see what I’ve been missing as I’ve forced myself to slog along a straight and narrow path.
I will offer a caveat: one reason this is working for me (aka, I’m not panicking) is because I have a pretty clear idea of the overall structure. It will be easy to tie things together because I know my main character’s external and internal goals and the obstacles that will be put in her way. Okay, TBH, I’m not sure about the last half of that previous sentence. But my point is I know enough about my story to feel confident I won’t lead myself astray.
Since then, I’ve been applying this to all areas of my life, asking myself, what else am I missing? Are there other areas of my life where I could do things differently? And I invite you, dear and wonderful reader, to ponder the same things in your own life, particularly your writing. Is there an area where you’ve been holding yourself back? An aspect of writing you could look at differently?
There’s no better time to do this than now, at the start of a bright, shiny new year.
Love, light, and good writing,
Charlotte
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think. Have you experienced this? What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Leave a comment!
P.S.S.I’m so grateful to all of my subscribers. Writing this newsletter is a labor of love and has been for many years. If you get value from it, I’d be ever so pleased if you considered becoming a paid subscriber. There’s much more to come in 2024!
Books
The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon. I’d seen this book recommended with rave reviews, so when on a Christmas shopping trip our local bookstore had only one copy left, I made my husband buy it for me on the spot. (The store wrapped it so I couldn’t start it until after Christmas.) I finally cracked it open and it was the cause of the afore-mentioned incident of reading too long and missing work. Set in 1879, it is based on the real-life Martha Ballard, a midwife in Maine. The writing is a master class in beautiful but clear and never overwhelming description. Update: Yes, I’m still reading this! I don’t know why it is taking me so long because I’m still enjoying it. Maybe it’s because I’m savoring it. Yep, that’s the reason. I’m savoring it.
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. My wonderful physical therapist leant me this and I can’t wait to start it. Becky and I talk books while she tortures helps me with exercises and it’s fun to hear her recommendations. And, wait for it, this book is about the Rockettes! My sister and I have had a thing about them since we were wee babes and we actually saw them perform once. Anyway, Becky had me at Rockettes, so I’ll be reporting back on this one soon. If I ever finish Frozen River.
(Note: the above are affiliate links, which means I get a small royalty if you order through me.)
Articles and Resources
This is the most important link I’ve shared in a long time. My most wonderful coach, Camille Pagán, is seeking committed writers for her 2024 Career Novelist Mastermind. I’ve been in a couple of Camille’s masterminds and coached with her privately. I can’t recommend her enough. If you’re serious about your writing career, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
I was inspired by this post from Matt Bell to challenge myself to write 500 words a day. It’s going swimmingly. And, even though I loathe and detest spreadsheets, I’ve started using the one he offers.
The missing piece of your story. (Hint: it has to do with a deep dive into your characters.
Events
Creative writing workshops in France and Italy next year. (England is now full.) See all here. And let me just add: future you is going to be sooooo happy that you committed to a week in Céret, France, or Perugia, Italy to further your writing career and your world travels! Reply to this email if you want to learn more.
Coaching
I’m revamping my book coaching offerings and creating a website, so stay tuned. One of my plans is for a Plan Your Writing Year package. More soon, but if you’re interested in any kind of coaching, reply to this email. (Working on my website this weekend while we get a winter storm.)
