Hi, Linda! I've been in a writing slump. I have half a dozen stories unfinished and my newsletter is late. I'm also a little tired of shoveling snow. On the bright side, I'm not in Texas.
Well at least it's not just me! I have over 50 drafts in Medium. The grocery store here just got hyacinths. They're tiny 4 inch pots that smell like heaven. I wish I could send you a dozen of them. It would be like sending you spring. Hang in there, the tides always turn if nothing else. :)
I loved your story about the oyster + pain + creating a pearl and a muscle around it. It was the perfect metaphor for how I've been feeling for a long time now. I did suffer for a long time, years, then got just what I wanted. Now I'm still - I guess making that pearl around the old pain. It's seeming to take too long. You know.
Here's what I started and trying to continue on with. A romance during the pandemic. I have my characters, good backstories, some plot points (even though I'm a pantser). It's stopped for now. I want it back, the juice for it.
I look for inspiration - that you always bring. Even saying it's -30 where you are cheered me up a little. It's 21 in Denver, so your news warmed me up! Thanks, Linda! And congratulations on your Gold Stars!!!
Oh Dana, I love that you're a pantser. It reminds me of Ray Bradbury saying he can't plan his stories, he just has to chase the characters and do his best to get it all down. I have a suggestion that might help. Read the part up to where it stopped. Seems to me it's always stuck with one character. From writers I've worked with, often it's something missing in the backstory of one of them. I like to joke that it's something they didn't tell you. lol. Grab a pen and notebook and start writing about the character that feels stuck. You'll find your way again, I promise you. Bradbury once called it "losing the thread" but he always found it again. You will, too. It's what pantsers do!
I am stuck with one character! And she's hiding a secret - really well. And I just bought myself a little time - to re-read what I've got so far. Her backstory was very skimpy, too! Then to write about her. Thanks so much!!!
You're very welcome. Maybe as a little writing exercise you could start her journal. Bet she'll show up to correct you. Most of the writers I know are pantsers, and I've heard the most delightful tips. That's one of them. :)
Zada, thank you! I hear you on the snowpocalypse. So much I barely know where to put it when I shovel the driveway. It's piled almost as tall as me along the sides of the fence already. Thanks for taking a minute to say hi! :)
Dear Linda, I am in Texas and hanging in there here in Austin. No hot water and drinking water needs to be boiled. Sigh...but this too shall pass. Thank you for this week’s wonderful reminder about connecting with the heart. Very powerful. I have emailed you but now I know why I haven’t heard from you. So sorry something capital-U ugly is tying you up. Hope it resolves very very soon!
Oh God, Kerry, I did not know you're in Texas. Sending a piece of my heart your way. I hope it resolves soon, too, but it involves lawyers and as my client says, they like billable hours. Can't say much more until I am free to write about it, but I will dig into my email over the weekend when I have a couple of breathing days. Please take care of you. The world needs your work.
Hello from Yorkshire, UK. I look forward to your emails on a Friday. We're in Lockdown #3. It's not so bad for me as we've got a garden. Also it's given me a launch pad to get on with my writing. I've finished a novel and started another. Just got the tricky bit of publishing now. Have a good weekend y'all.
Oh, you're so lucky! I can hardly wait to garden again. Congrats on finishing an entire novel. Wow. That kind of lights a fire under me to get my butt in gear. lol
I feel like a dinosaur. I finally figured out Medium and now I'm realizing I don't understand Substsack at all. Argghhh...So your article definitely got me thinking/moving/frustrated lol. Do I post the same stories on both Medium and Substack? Are there "rules" on Substack that are similar to Medium? I typically post on Medium and then to my website mailing list. Do I take the same stories and post them on Substack? If you can direct me to a link that explains some of this I'd be beyond grateful!
Substack is just another mailing list tool, really. The difference is that it's online too, so new readers can find you by poking around substack, too. When I write my Friday letters, they're posted on Substack and go out via email, too.
Honestly, you can use Substack however you want. Some people post their stories, which go up on the site and also go out by email. I think of it like my happy group of pen-pals, so I send y'all a letter and then link to some of my stories. I think I'll write about Substack on Medium, because I'm sure if you're wondering, others must be, too.
I haven't done much writing lately - it's not a slump, but rather too much volunteer work. I'm on the Vestry at my church and the Finance Committee. I decided to offer up my services to be the Church Treasurer (we've been paying a bookkeeper to do much of what the Church Treasurer would be doing and paying her handsomely for her skills). So, I'll be learning Quick Books and some other software in the very near future, with the help of this lovely woman named Pat who has been our bookkeeper. Why did I volunteer? We're looking at aa $65K deficit in our budget...
I am also working with a team of 3 other women on writing some grants for the church! It's a little tedious, but much of life is just that! The first grant is due March 1st. That deadline is eating up a lot of my time.
You already know some things about me: volunteer at the E. A. Poe House (when it was open before Covid). I really miss being there and the social interaction with visitors from around the globe (six of the 7 continents: no visitors from Antarctica, though; smile). No idea when that building will re-open. Four of the other buildings at Independence National Park re-opened in January for the second time since Covid struck last winter here in Philadelphia.
During the summer months I was writing more and taking 2-3 mile walks a day. Now, I get on the stationary bike for 15-25 minutes (on alternate days) since walking outside in colder weather makes my arthritic knee scream, so to speak. I have a yoga class on Zoom 2 days a week and do floor exercises from the physical therapy that I had 3 years ago for that cranky knee (I guess since I'm talking about skeletal issues, someone reading this will assume I'm old. Nope, I'm a young 69 year old!
I've been doing a lot of cooking...the dishwasher gets run every other day with all the meals we eat at home.
We bought a condo in Asbury Park, NJ in September, which I mentioned to you last month. Tried taking a picture from the only window in that unit where you can see the ocean, but it was through a screen (which cannot be removed, as it's a full window screen). The photo, shot with my iPhone, was just terrible!! So, you'll just have to come and visit the next time you're here on the east coast of USA and decide to see the Poe House (remember that I offered to give you a tour some time ago when I wrote at Medium about being a V.I.P. - volunteer in the park - at the Poe House). I was serious about that tour. I'm a gracious host in our home. The condo is about a 1.75 mile car ride from the Poe House!
Here's something I wrote at Medium for Dog Tales (I'm one of the editors) a few years ago. It's about some of the parties we used to have at our home when we were much younger! Well, my dog Cindy actually wrote the piece, not me...that's the "hook" with Dog Tales.
Hi, Linda, Karina here, living in San Diego but I’m from Austin so I’ve been tracking my Texas peeps who came out mostly ok, just one totally flooded apartment.
I had written more in 2020 than ever before, but only really started in earnest with prose in 2019. Apparently the muse only strikes when I WANT something. I was doing a Medium piece a week in 2019 and recursive narrative the rest of the time, then got more refined in 2020. I had a brief slump which was rebooted by NaNoWriMo in November.
But now I have multiple projects in various states of pantser completion and I can’t even pull them up to stare at them. It’s not the screen time, though my chair could be better, it’s just...I just want to consume other people’s narratives.
I’m reading your tips below but I have run out of energy in all things: reaching out to friends, writing, taking walks, it’s all too much. My antidepressants give me insomnia but maybe it’s time to get back on them?
I enjoy your newsletter for its writing inspiration and gratitude and general positivity, and I thank you for being out there, giving us your energy!
Hi Linda, terrific article btw, totally spot on Thank you!!
Since you asked , have been in a lighthearted state of mind, writing about sights & sounds of yardi gras & housefloats in Louisiana with my dog...
The sights and sounds are topped off with a recipe for ‘hunker down Bread Pudding’ for an ice Mardi Gras week, with ingredients you may already have at home....
Sometimes I write jokes to cheer people up. Here are two.
Did you hear about the Saudi prince who got so bored with his luxury lifestyle he started a new designer trend? Shabby Sheik.
Did you hear about the reservoir that flooded so badly it unmoored a community's third convenience store in three years and swept it away? It was just more Wawa over the dam.
Hi Linda, FIrst, I really enjoy your writing style. It's informative and engaging. You asked to learn more about those who read your work. Is there an award of some sort for being the most unusual? Here we go. I recently underwent open-heart surgery to replace a worn-out aortic valve. I'm told I was a 'ticking time bomb'. I stopped at the Mayo in FL while sailing down the east coast for a routine check-up. It turned out to be anything but routine. My goal is to sail around the world. I had planned to begin my journey by sailing to Spain this summer. I'll miss the 'weather window' for 2021 due to a lengthy recovery. I spent much of my corporate career trying to inspire others to reach their potential. I now hope that my writing and personal journey can serve as inspiration for others to chase their dreams - regardless of age or other challenges. In so doing, I hope to bring value to the balance of my life. Sound crazy? I hope so. I believe dreams should be audacious, attainable, and serve a purpose. That's my story. Thank you for asking. Feedback is of course most welcome. Stay warm!
I always enjoy your newslettes. I put a star so I can find them lol. So lots of stars here too!
If you could write a piece about people publishing their first book on KDP and some of the hidden gems in marketing, that would be awesome. Or refer to a link if you already have written one. Most appreciated. And things to NOT DO, as a a novice? :).
I am so glad you haven't been hit hard and that you're fine. I cannot even imagine 34 hours without power. A couple of weeks ago, our power was down for a couple hours and it's astounding how fast the house lost heat. In our case, it was just a tree that crashed into power lines because of 100 km/hour winds and they got it back up pretty quickly. I will definitely keep you in my warm thoughts. Hope it all clears up soon.
Wow, that's still cold for Texas, isn't it? I get the guilt. When we had an outage, when mine finally came back I checked with my kiddo to see if hers did. Nope. She was still sitting in the dark and cold and I felt guilty, too.
Hi, Linda! I've been in a writing slump. I have half a dozen stories unfinished and my newsletter is late. I'm also a little tired of shoveling snow. On the bright side, I'm not in Texas.
Well at least it's not just me! I have over 50 drafts in Medium. The grocery store here just got hyacinths. They're tiny 4 inch pots that smell like heaven. I wish I could send you a dozen of them. It would be like sending you spring. Hang in there, the tides always turn if nothing else. :)
As they say in the Regency novels, "I should like that above all things!"
lol. If we did marks on the wall, that one's yours.
I loved your story about the oyster + pain + creating a pearl and a muscle around it. It was the perfect metaphor for how I've been feeling for a long time now. I did suffer for a long time, years, then got just what I wanted. Now I'm still - I guess making that pearl around the old pain. It's seeming to take too long. You know.
Here's what I started and trying to continue on with. A romance during the pandemic. I have my characters, good backstories, some plot points (even though I'm a pantser). It's stopped for now. I want it back, the juice for it.
I look for inspiration - that you always bring. Even saying it's -30 where you are cheered me up a little. It's 21 in Denver, so your news warmed me up! Thanks, Linda! And congratulations on your Gold Stars!!!
Oh Dana, I love that you're a pantser. It reminds me of Ray Bradbury saying he can't plan his stories, he just has to chase the characters and do his best to get it all down. I have a suggestion that might help. Read the part up to where it stopped. Seems to me it's always stuck with one character. From writers I've worked with, often it's something missing in the backstory of one of them. I like to joke that it's something they didn't tell you. lol. Grab a pen and notebook and start writing about the character that feels stuck. You'll find your way again, I promise you. Bradbury once called it "losing the thread" but he always found it again. You will, too. It's what pantsers do!
I am stuck with one character! And she's hiding a secret - really well. And I just bought myself a little time - to re-read what I've got so far. Her backstory was very skimpy, too! Then to write about her. Thanks so much!!!
You're very welcome. Maybe as a little writing exercise you could start her journal. Bet she'll show up to correct you. Most of the writers I know are pantsers, and I've heard the most delightful tips. That's one of them. :)
That is a delightful tip! Thanks again. <3
I just wanted to thank you for being you.
Your positivity and happy tone are always a highlight in my inbox, especially amid a pandemic and snowpocalypse.
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Zada, thank you! I hear you on the snowpocalypse. So much I barely know where to put it when I shovel the driveway. It's piled almost as tall as me along the sides of the fence already. Thanks for taking a minute to say hi! :)
Dear Linda, I am in Texas and hanging in there here in Austin. No hot water and drinking water needs to be boiled. Sigh...but this too shall pass. Thank you for this week’s wonderful reminder about connecting with the heart. Very powerful. I have emailed you but now I know why I haven’t heard from you. So sorry something capital-U ugly is tying you up. Hope it resolves very very soon!
Oh God, Kerry, I did not know you're in Texas. Sending a piece of my heart your way. I hope it resolves soon, too, but it involves lawyers and as my client says, they like billable hours. Can't say much more until I am free to write about it, but I will dig into my email over the weekend when I have a couple of breathing days. Please take care of you. The world needs your work.
Hello from Yorkshire, UK. I look forward to your emails on a Friday. We're in Lockdown #3. It's not so bad for me as we've got a garden. Also it's given me a launch pad to get on with my writing. I've finished a novel and started another. Just got the tricky bit of publishing now. Have a good weekend y'all.
Oh, you're so lucky! I can hardly wait to garden again. Congrats on finishing an entire novel. Wow. That kind of lights a fire under me to get my butt in gear. lol
I feel like a dinosaur. I finally figured out Medium and now I'm realizing I don't understand Substsack at all. Argghhh...So your article definitely got me thinking/moving/frustrated lol. Do I post the same stories on both Medium and Substack? Are there "rules" on Substack that are similar to Medium? I typically post on Medium and then to my website mailing list. Do I take the same stories and post them on Substack? If you can direct me to a link that explains some of this I'd be beyond grateful!
Substack is just another mailing list tool, really. The difference is that it's online too, so new readers can find you by poking around substack, too. When I write my Friday letters, they're posted on Substack and go out via email, too.
Honestly, you can use Substack however you want. Some people post their stories, which go up on the site and also go out by email. I think of it like my happy group of pen-pals, so I send y'all a letter and then link to some of my stories. I think I'll write about Substack on Medium, because I'm sure if you're wondering, others must be, too.
I thought I already posted this but just in case. I really appreciate your response. I tend to figure that if I’m confused other people are as well.
I haven't done much writing lately - it's not a slump, but rather too much volunteer work. I'm on the Vestry at my church and the Finance Committee. I decided to offer up my services to be the Church Treasurer (we've been paying a bookkeeper to do much of what the Church Treasurer would be doing and paying her handsomely for her skills). So, I'll be learning Quick Books and some other software in the very near future, with the help of this lovely woman named Pat who has been our bookkeeper. Why did I volunteer? We're looking at aa $65K deficit in our budget...
I am also working with a team of 3 other women on writing some grants for the church! It's a little tedious, but much of life is just that! The first grant is due March 1st. That deadline is eating up a lot of my time.
You already know some things about me: volunteer at the E. A. Poe House (when it was open before Covid). I really miss being there and the social interaction with visitors from around the globe (six of the 7 continents: no visitors from Antarctica, though; smile). No idea when that building will re-open. Four of the other buildings at Independence National Park re-opened in January for the second time since Covid struck last winter here in Philadelphia.
During the summer months I was writing more and taking 2-3 mile walks a day. Now, I get on the stationary bike for 15-25 minutes (on alternate days) since walking outside in colder weather makes my arthritic knee scream, so to speak. I have a yoga class on Zoom 2 days a week and do floor exercises from the physical therapy that I had 3 years ago for that cranky knee (I guess since I'm talking about skeletal issues, someone reading this will assume I'm old. Nope, I'm a young 69 year old!
I've been doing a lot of cooking...the dishwasher gets run every other day with all the meals we eat at home.
We bought a condo in Asbury Park, NJ in September, which I mentioned to you last month. Tried taking a picture from the only window in that unit where you can see the ocean, but it was through a screen (which cannot be removed, as it's a full window screen). The photo, shot with my iPhone, was just terrible!! So, you'll just have to come and visit the next time you're here on the east coast of USA and decide to see the Poe House (remember that I offered to give you a tour some time ago when I wrote at Medium about being a V.I.P. - volunteer in the park - at the Poe House). I was serious about that tour. I'm a gracious host in our home. The condo is about a 1.75 mile car ride from the Poe House!
Here's something I wrote at Medium for Dog Tales (I'm one of the editors) a few years ago. It's about some of the parties we used to have at our home when we were much younger! Well, my dog Cindy actually wrote the piece, not me...that's the "hook" with Dog Tales.
https://medium.com/dog-tales/dog-tales-cindys-christmas-newsletter-bfc42bfee705
Thanks for asking. Stay warm.
Hi, Linda, Karina here, living in San Diego but I’m from Austin so I’ve been tracking my Texas peeps who came out mostly ok, just one totally flooded apartment.
I had written more in 2020 than ever before, but only really started in earnest with prose in 2019. Apparently the muse only strikes when I WANT something. I was doing a Medium piece a week in 2019 and recursive narrative the rest of the time, then got more refined in 2020. I had a brief slump which was rebooted by NaNoWriMo in November.
But now I have multiple projects in various states of pantser completion and I can’t even pull them up to stare at them. It’s not the screen time, though my chair could be better, it’s just...I just want to consume other people’s narratives.
I’m reading your tips below but I have run out of energy in all things: reaching out to friends, writing, taking walks, it’s all too much. My antidepressants give me insomnia but maybe it’s time to get back on them?
I enjoy your newsletter for its writing inspiration and gratitude and general positivity, and I thank you for being out there, giving us your energy!
Hi Linda, terrific article btw, totally spot on Thank you!!
Since you asked , have been in a lighthearted state of mind, writing about sights & sounds of yardi gras & housefloats in Louisiana with my dog...
The sights and sounds are topped off with a recipe for ‘hunker down Bread Pudding’ for an ice Mardi Gras week, with ingredients you may already have at home....
Www.foodlovingroadtripper.com
Kind Regards
Sarah
Sometimes I write jokes to cheer people up. Here are two.
Did you hear about the Saudi prince who got so bored with his luxury lifestyle he started a new designer trend? Shabby Sheik.
Did you hear about the reservoir that flooded so badly it unmoored a community's third convenience store in three years and swept it away? It was just more Wawa over the dam.
Hi Linda..
u surely have that knack of pulling readers all d way here. Wonder how that really helps.. also for fun may be?
Well, me from India, 68, post retirement engaging in writing n gardening. Have been reading your stories on Medium and like them so much.
Me too have put up a few stories since i began in Sep20. You can find them all linked in
https://link.medium.com/NZ1Wckia2db
Will be great to learn your honest opinion and advise.
Ofcourse i have a truly long way to go to make it like you. Hope to be there not before long, thanks to encouragement from guys as you.
Take care..
Mahesh Shroff
Mumbai, India
Hi Linda, FIrst, I really enjoy your writing style. It's informative and engaging. You asked to learn more about those who read your work. Is there an award of some sort for being the most unusual? Here we go. I recently underwent open-heart surgery to replace a worn-out aortic valve. I'm told I was a 'ticking time bomb'. I stopped at the Mayo in FL while sailing down the east coast for a routine check-up. It turned out to be anything but routine. My goal is to sail around the world. I had planned to begin my journey by sailing to Spain this summer. I'll miss the 'weather window' for 2021 due to a lengthy recovery. I spent much of my corporate career trying to inspire others to reach their potential. I now hope that my writing and personal journey can serve as inspiration for others to chase their dreams - regardless of age or other challenges. In so doing, I hope to bring value to the balance of my life. Sound crazy? I hope so. I believe dreams should be audacious, attainable, and serve a purpose. That's my story. Thank you for asking. Feedback is of course most welcome. Stay warm!
I always enjoy your newslettes. I put a star so I can find them lol. So lots of stars here too!
If you could write a piece about people publishing their first book on KDP and some of the hidden gems in marketing, that would be awesome. Or refer to a link if you already have written one. Most appreciated. And things to NOT DO, as a a novice? :).
I am so glad you haven't been hit hard and that you're fine. I cannot even imagine 34 hours without power. A couple of weeks ago, our power was down for a couple hours and it's astounding how fast the house lost heat. In our case, it was just a tree that crashed into power lines because of 100 km/hour winds and they got it back up pretty quickly. I will definitely keep you in my warm thoughts. Hope it all clears up soon.
Wow, that's still cold for Texas, isn't it? I get the guilt. When we had an outage, when mine finally came back I checked with my kiddo to see if hers did. Nope. She was still sitting in the dark and cold and I felt guilty, too.