Summer is Weird (A Love Letter)
Desire rules the world. But we still have to get stuff done
Undogmatic writing advice and encouragement from an unconventional romance author. If you’re in need of instruction and inspiration for your writing, read on. Upgrade to paid for classes and access to a friendly, vibrant writing community.
Hi lovies,
Around here these days, it’s late dinners after hanging outside in the lovely long evenings, grands home for the summer and attempting to teach me to play Roblox1, walking Chip the pug as early as possible before it gets too hot, grilling nearly every night and drinking gin and tonics for Happy Hour.
Summertime. The living is easy, and I love it.
But things can get a little too easy around here. It’s lovely to rest and relax, but bills still need to be paid and clients need to be taken care of. And there is creative work to be done! So, often, I feel caught between wanting to be productive and wanting to just hang out2. This paradox blooms like dahlias during the summer when those long lovely summer afternoons beckon.
On the one hand I want to enjoy this season. But on the other hand, I have desires. I desire to finish my WIP, the one I’m having so much fun with. I desire to write a decent love letter, for you, my faithful readers. I desire to help my clients write fabulous books.
The good news and the bad news is that I’m not beholden to some patriarchal schedule or a cranky boss. The only cranky boss I have is me. That cranky boss cracks the whip a lot, but man oh man when she gets to relaxing, she is into it.
Waaaay too into it.
As I have been this summer.
But here’s the funny thing: while I’ve been happily slacking, I’ve also gotten a helluva lot done. My WIP is still crackling like fireworks. Is there a message here? Can I lean into my rest and relaxation just as much as I can lean into my productivity? Does desiring to enjoy summer somehow feed the rest of my desires?
Should I lean into to the rest and relaxation as well as the desires?
Yes, I’m pretty sure the answer is yes.
Because, desire rules the world. Which is why in every novel writing 101 class everywhere the first thing they tell you is that your character has to want something. She has to have a desire. A desire that is so strong it will help her leap over all the obstacles to come.
I might have mentioned that one of the things that distracts me is the grands. And this week I was on carpool duty, taking nine-year-old grandson Owen and his bud Felix to theater camp. I put this anecdote on Instagram and Notes, but I’m repeating it here because it bears on this topic. Here’s the anecdote:
This morning it fell to me to drive two nine-year-old boys, Owen and Felix, to theater camp.
I can’t begin to tell you how delightful the drive was.
Felix was explaining to me that his father tended to be an angry driver and he’d be picking them up after camp.
I probably made a noise of concern.
“But he’ll be fine, because he’ll have eaten,” Felix said.
Before I could say anything, he went on.
“My Dad needs a bagel, cream cheese, tech, records and his garden. And then he’s happy.”
Owen chimed in. “And he won’t go nuclear!”
On the drive home, I thought what an excellent writing prompt this would make.
So here you go: What five things does your character need in order to not go nuclear?
I have it on good authority from a couple of writers that this did, indeed, make an excellent writing prompt. But it’s also a good prompt for self-reflection. And so I ask you:
What are the five things that you need to feel happy and balanced this summer? (Your desires.) How can you get those in your life and still have time for your writing? Is one of those five desires writing?
It is for me.
Here are my five things: writing3, stitching, or knitting, time with Chip the pug, coffee, quality time (my love language—I adore hanging out with people I love, or even those I just like a lot).
Give it a whirl. Maybe getting some clarity on your desires will help you have a wildly productive summer, and a fun one, too.
Here’s a bonus desire: sharing this classic summer-themed song with you. (Dig those sideburns on John Sebastian!)
Love, light, and good writing,
Charlotte
P.S. Watch your email on Tuesday for announcement of my summer one-off coaching sessions! I have a brand new one that I’m excited about. I’ll give you a hint: it’s salty, but there are no pirates involved.
P.P.S. How’s your writing going? Drop a comment and let me know. And, remember, clicking that little heart helps more people see this newsletter.
Articles and Resources
My client and friend Kim Poovey has written a lovely little guide to writing. Check it out!
Deborah Treisman, the New Yorker fiction editor, answers questions in an AMA on Reddit. The questions are as interesting as the answers.
My friend Bonnie sent me this article, which is an ode to imperfect prose. Love it!
Fun typewriter interview with author Laura Lippman.
Books
Sandwich, by Catherine Newman. Amazon Bookshop. This was one of last summer’s big hits, about a three-generation family vacation. “One precious week: everything in balance, everything in flux.” I nabbed a pristine copy of this (don’t think the book had even been opened) at the Little Free Library we visit every day because they have milk bones for Chip the pug. Behold:
Okay so it doesn’t look quite as pristine in the picture but take my word for it.
One Golden Summer, by Carly Fortune. Amazon. Bookshop. Again, summer of reading bestsellers. Carly Fortune burst on the scene a few years ago, shooting onto the best seller list. She continues to hit it with each new release. Update: I’m like twenty pages away from finishing. Still enjoying, I just dislike the current trend for romance authors to write looooong books.
Watching
Find Me Falling. They had me at Harry Connick, Jr. He plays a fading rock star who takes refuge on the island of Cyprus after his come-back album failed. His first night in residence he learns why the cliffside house he purchased came so cheap: it’s where people come to leap to their deaths off the cliff. His life is soon complicated by quirky locals (my favorite!) and an old flame. It was slow at the start, but I’m glad we stuck with it because I ultimately enjoyed it.
Overseas Workshops
We’re pretty much full up for our France workshop (but if you beg, we may be able to accomodate you). Soon, however, we’ll be releasing dates for 2026 workshops, when we’ll be returning to both England and France. In the meantime, check out our Let’s Go Write site to get an idea what we offer.
This is a ridiculously hopeless project. All I want to do is change the outfit and hairstyle on my avatar, but that apparently is not the point.
Thank god I have the constant drumbeat urge to write or I’d be the chief slacker of all time.
And let me point out, again, that when I say writing I mean, spending time with my writing. That could be working on my WiP full out and fiercely, or it could mean journaling, or writing a Substack, or on a particularly busy day (or maybe a day I’m taking off), glancing at the last scene I wrote or scribbling some notes.
Read, enjoyed, and shared...as always! ;-) The zoom session was a blast.
Thank you, Charlotte!! I made a really good start on a doll story this week all because I learned the phrase “attention economy” from a note here on Substack. The writer was talking about all of the things out there that are vying for our attention and things that need our attention in order to make a profit. I’d never thought of that so distinctly before. Suddenly I really resisted the idea of some THING or collection of THINGS trying to gobble up my time. So, I have made a concerted effort to spend less time online. And it’s working. I’m doing more with my hands and I’ve nearly organized my studio. And I started the doll story. I like reading about your things that keep you from going nuclear. I need naps, snacks, writing/singing, makery time, and time with my people (in real life and through the ether). Hugs to you!