What happens when you stop writing?
or the June 2024 volume
Hello friends,
Is June really over? I suppose it is.
In years past, June has been my quiet month. The school year finishes, and I slowly slide into a gentle routine: waking up without an alarm, mornings in the garden, afternoons writing & reading. Last year it was exactly what my soul needed.
This year, June was not quiet at all, but full. We went on vacation with some friends and then turned around for a long weekend, long-haul motorcycle trip.1 Not to mention evenings of play practice, tending the garden, and weekends with friends. While it wasn’t the quiet I’ve become accustomed to, it was still good.
And really, I just flip flopped months. July will be my sort-of-quiet space this summer. While my evenings will be busy with the play (we open in three weeks!) my days will hopefully be spent in the garden, doing some small, organizational house projects, and getting lost in story.
But before I get to that, let’s chat about June because the month just happened to bring some good writing news.
For the last year and a half I’ve written everyday for at least 15 minutes. It was a goal I set my creativity towards last year, and then steadily kept up as the calendar turned.
Until vacation that is.
Our first night in, I found myself lying in bed realizing I hadn’t written all day—and I was so exhausted after the Florida sun and theme park that I didn’t pick up my notebook.
At first, I was discouraged because in breaking my daily writing habit, I was worried I’d stop writing complete. But as the week went on, I realized I most likely wasn’t going to keep it up every single day for the rest of my life, and vacation was a good and needed time to take a break.
That week break turned into a month as I really haven’t touched my fiction all of June.
But as I stopped writing for the last few weeks, my world didn’t end. Sure, I miss the little daily habit I’d built up, but I think my brain really needed the creative break. I’ve been a bit stuck and slow-going on my drafting, but after giving myself permission to rest from writing, I feel rejuvenated about the story. It’s just another moment in this writer’s life that shows me the ebb and flow is good. When creativity wanes, take a break and let yourself be filled.
In other news, received three more rejections for Ruby’s story. One of which I sent out earlier in the month, then promptly received a rejection for. However, I have an older query hanging out in the trenches which I hope means the agent is taking a closer look, and just last week I received my first ever full manuscript request! Perseverance really is the game when it comes to the publishing world. I first sent out this story June 26th of last year, and one year to the day an agent sent back a reply that she was really intrigued and would love to read the whole story. So I got reacquainted with Ruby as I did a quick edit read through and sent off the story. I know this request doesn’t guarantee anything, but it was the encouragement I needed, and reading through my story again just reminded me that I dearly love it. So, I’m hoping to garner some courage in July and send out at least four more queries while also maybe thinking a bit about the storyline of a possible book 2….because I have all sorts of plans for Ruby!
And the even better news of the month? I heard back from the short story contest I entered earlier this spring for the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, and while I didn’t win, my story “Penelope’s Library” was long listed which means it made the top twelve and was a contender for the finalists!
This is a story that pushed me in my writing as it’s women’s fiction and magical realism. It was a story I wrote in a season my soul absolutely needed, and this commendation feels extra special after a long year of rejection.
I think the most fun part is that because it was long listed, it made it to the second round of judges, one of whom was Jane Austen’s 5th great niece who started the literacy foundation! So now I have a fun little photo to print out and hang on my wall, and I’ll be sharing my story here later this month!
What’s ahead?
A few essays for submission. Since I’ve been writing more nonfiction, I’ve been thinking about if I should/where I can start sharing more of my writing. I found a few places where I think my nonfiction would be a fit, so I’m hoping to spend this month working on some pieces for submission.
Weekly-ish posts over at
. Lots of thoughts about my garden this season!Hopefully diving back into my MG manuscript, but even if I don’t, I’ll still be querying Ruby’s story!
June was actually a very slow reading month for me because of our our travel, but I enjoyed everything I read! Not pictured The Last Rhee Witch by Jenna Lee-Yun which was the super fun summer camp themed story I mentioned last month. It was the perfect spooky summer read that was so much like teen me’s favorite show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?
It’s an Emily Henry summer and Book Lovers did not disappoint. In fact, it’s my favorite of hers that I’ve read so far! So many good romance tropes, small town quirks, and every bookish nod you can think of. If you haven’t read any of her novels yet, may I suggest starting with this one?!
I’ve been in a quirky alien mood since we got home from Universal because my absolute favorite ride is the E.T.2 Adventure ride, so I picked up Weird Kid by Greg Van Eekhout and goodness was it hilarious! Jake just wants to be normal, but he’s actually a blob from outer space trying to fit into middle school. This is a great friendship story, and also one about belonging that’s all done with the perfect blend of middle grade humor.
I also finished
’s adult debut The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County which was a hard but good read. Fun fact: I read this on my kindle during our motorcycle trip last weekend. Don’t worry, I was the passenger! I had such a strong sense of place with this read, feeling like I was transported to the North Woods, and goodness did I love these funeral ladies. The book explores PTSD in an emotional and realistic way which was the hard part as it hit a little close to home. Nonetheless, a feel-good read about the power of community.
While I’m devouring good books this summer, I hope you are too! Don’t forget to check out my summer reading guide post because this year’s guide is FULL of recommendations and there’s still plenty of time for reading!
What’s on my TBR?
I’m finishing up the cozy mystery, The Nosy Neighbors, which is just so fun! I’m loving the mystery and the way the characters interact on the page. It’s time for my next Emily Henry read, Happy Place, and I’ve got a little catch up to do with reading the A & A Detective Agency: The Fairfleet Affair as I didn’t get to it last month. I also picked up a historical fiction called The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club from my library which isn’t usually my go-to genre, but it’s about a ladies motorcycle club so how could I not read it?
Let’s expand a little bit on last month’s craft section, and continue digging into comp titles! I have six I’ve found so far that I think could be good comparisons for the middle grade I’m working on. I doubt I will read all six this month, but I’m going to try for at least two to get started.
As you read this month, look at these stories through a writer’s eye. Take some time to jot down notes on what’s working with the story and what isn’t. Use the following questions to guide your book study.
How does it compare to the story you are writing? This could be for plot arc, character, setting, or theme.
What are some strengths of the comps? In other words, what is the book doing well? This is where you dive into the craft. Does the pacing of the story keep you turning pages? Do the characters leap off the page? Do you feel like you’re walking through the world because of detailed descriptions? Does the theme show up in the first few pages and is then threaded through the story?
Look at the specific comparisons—plot, character, setting, or theme. What can you learn from the author’s craft? Or in other words, what do the author’s strengths teach you about your own story? What do you need to flesh out or change? Should you: Round out your characters more? Cut characters? Combine them? Present more realistic dialogue? Show and not tell when it comes to the world by layering in details? Dial down your theme?
Also don’t forget to notice what you’re doing well in your own writing as you compare stories!
I’m looking forward to diving into a book study of my own this month. One of the best pieces of writing advices I believe in is that writers should read, read, read! Books can teach us so much about the craft if we just shift our perspective a tiny bit, and start looking at them through a writer’s eye!
June really was full in all of the best ways!
June faves:
Top moment: Being back at the Wizarding World. At the beginning of the month, we traveled to Universal Studios, Florida, with some friends for a week of theme park fun. My friend is a Harry Potter fan like me, while her husband is a Star Wars fan like my husband. So we spent one day at Galaxy’s Edge, and several at the Universal Parks. Even though I visited a few years ago, it was still just as magical. There’s something about walking into Diagon Alley and feeling as if I’ve really stepped into the pages of my favorite story. I loved sitting at the Three Broomsticks drinking Butterbeer with good friends, and walking the streets of Hogsmede. While I live summer, our visit made me ache for fall, and my next reread of the series.
Thing: Bumblebees in the garden! While I’ve been home, I’ve spent many mornings out in my garden weeding and checking in on things, and this year my native plants have been plentiful with their blooms which has brought bumblebees into our space! I am a friend to pollinators, and if you leave them alone they will do the work they need too for our Earth. I expanded my native plants this year, and I’m so excited it’s working. Just the other day I counted a dozen bumbles on my coneflower and bee balm, and I probably spent thirty minutes outside just watching them!
Food: Yasso bars. Listen. I’m a dessert every night kind of person, and I probably will be until I die. I will never not stop at a local ice cream place, and if I ever had my own little food truck or shop, it would be a homemade ice cream shop. A fitness doctor/dietician I follow recommended Yasso bars in our monthly meal plan, and I finally discovered them in our local grocery store. They're made of greek yogurt, but it tastes like ice cream, and I can’t decide if my favorite is the salted caramel or fudge brownie. Stock here is limited, so I still have several varieties to try, but I’m sold on this healthier version of my most favorite dessert.
Show: I never binge TV because honestly, I feel like I always have so much else to do, but a friend recently introduced me to Homegrown, a Magnolia network garden show and I can’t stop watching it. The host, Jamila Norman, runs a small urban farm in Atlanta, but the show is all about how she transforms family’s backyards into gardens and small farming areas. I spent one of our rainy days last week watching episode after episode being inspired for my own backyard garden project. It’s cozy, and inspiring, and educational all at the same time!
Listening: Out of the Ordinary podcast. I have a tendency to find things when they’re over and this podcast is no exception. It’s been on my list for awhile, but I’m usually not a huge podcast listener. Earlier this month, I started reading Roots and Sky, a memoir by one of the hosts, Christie Purifoy, which led me to finally start the podcast about “growing a daily life that matters.” I cannot stop listening. It’s been encouraging in this season, both for my faith and life, and while the show actually came to an end a few weeks ago, there’s plenty of seasons to listen to. I highly recommend it!
Movie: We implemented a family movie night this past week that I’d like to carry through summer, and our choice was Hit Man on Netflix. It’s definitely for mature audiences (our kiddo is in college) but goodness is it funny! It’s a great blend of genres with a little action, lots of comedy, and a bit of romance. It might just be my favorite movie of summer so far!
How was your June? Quiet or full? What are you looking forward to as summer moves into full swing? Any great books you’ve enjoyed? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!
It was our first time heading out long distance on our trike, but what I hope to be the first of many trips to come!
Which also happens to be one of my favorite movies ever.
Congratulations on the full manuscript request and placing high in the competition! That is such exciting news! 😁