April 20
Good morning, friends. I was debating whether to start a new nonfiction book or work on my next novel, and ended up staring out of the window and doing neither. Oy.
I guess it’s a decision I’ll be “sleeping on.”
April 25
Over the weekend, I met a beautiful white cat called Ziggy Stardust, who was all but ready to follow me home until her three-year-old owner put an end to that idea. It’s nice to know that no matter what else may be happening in my life, at least for now, I still have a way with cats.
April 29
I’ve been horrified to note that some of us here at The Wording HQ (I won’t say who) have read fewer than a dozen books so far this year.
I’ll be rectifying this travesty over the weekend by finding a comfortable spot on the beach, arming myself with cocktails, and putting in the work of reading those novels. (Someone’s got to do it.)
May 3
I’ve been trying a new tactic this week. Instead of pitching for one-off assignments, I’ve been writing to content directors of brands and asking to be put on a monthly retainer. I’ve had three people show interest so far, and two calls scheduled. I’ll let you know if anyone says yes.
May 4
A few days ago, I interviewed Angela Giles Klocke—author, friend, the first person I ever emailed way back in 2002, and the woman without whom I would not have become a writer.
Something happened after we spoke. Something shifted. Something unlocked. And I woke up one morning soon after, sure that it was time to indie publish my novels.
“It’s not about whether they hear it,” I told the women in my writing group a few days later. “They probably won’t. But it’s important that I say it. I need to know that I said it.”
I’m not sure what the next steps are, but my critique group is reading one of my novels, and I’ve booked tickets for The Self Publishing Live conference in June. Holler if you’re attending so I can say hi.
May 5
I’m down to 109 emails in my Inbox and I swear, a hundred of them are from my kid’s school. I can’t wait for the summer holidays, if only because it will lead to a cleaner Inbox.
If you’ve written to me and haven’t heard back, you will over the weekend. Sorry for being slow!
May 6
There are some weeks where you feel like all you’re doing is writing, typing, answering emails, and getting shit done, and still have crossed basically nothing off the to-do list. This week felt a bit like that. TGIF, hey?
May 9
One of the things I love most about the UK is the pubs. I’ve worked from pubs. I’ve done client calls from pubs (or outside them, if they were particularly loud). I’ve done live trainings and write-ins from pubs. In fact, I tend to find my local and just make it my office away from home.
Today, I’m writing from the pub.
May 10
I’m super excited this week because I finally have clarity around the book publishing side of things. I don’t have specific next steps or any kind of coherent strategy, but I have one piece that’s been missing for many years now: I feel good about it.
I keep saying that none of this matters if you’re not having fun. Traditional publishing may be a lot of things, but it’s definitely not fun. And you know, I’ve worked too hard and for too long to put up with “not fun.”
So I’m excited about what comes next. Can’t wait to share with you when I know what it is!
May 12
Good morning, writer friends. I’ve come to the realization that I’m excellent at keeping to my commitment and finishing books, I’m a total pro at researching and writing stories, I’m pretty damn good at working with freelance clients, I’m skilled at creating and selling products, and I’m totally and utterly shite at selling books.
I do not say this to put myself down. I say this because it is a weakness that will kill my author career if I don’t fix it.
Project “Be less shit” starts today.
May 13
My excuses for not working today:
- I can’t be bothered.
- I wrote 4,000 words yesterday.
- If I hear the words “creator economy” one more time, I will scream. Loudly.
- It’s the weekend. (Well, almost.)
May 16
Success! Some of you may know about the ongoing saga I’ve had with Amazon about my books since changing my name. I tried updating the name on all eight of my books, and while the change went through on four, the rest have been stuck. So I’ve had two different names on books in the same series for almost two years.
Last week, we finally managed to sort it out, which means that I can now officially jump back in with the series again—print versions, audiobooks, more titles, etc.
There are 7 books in the Freelance Writer’s Guide series. I intend for there to be 9. So I outlined the remaining two over the weekend.
Let the writing begin.
May 18
I have two deadlines, but they’re two and three days away. Finish them and take a day off or take a day off before getting to them?
Questions, questions.
May 19
That sound you hear? It’s the tap-tap-tap of my fingers on the keyboard. I’ve committed myself to a book (only one this time, not three) and have been working on it slowly and surely between deadlines (and this newsletter).
I’m extremely commitment-phobic when it comes to work projects and end up going out with several at a time, so this is a challenging new feeling for me.
The faster I get it done, the quicker I can move on to the next one, right? Right.
May 20
I’m struggling to stay motivated today (a never-ending to-do list will do that to you), so I’ve been trying to spice up my work day with small and achievable goals. Writing this was one of them. And now it’s done.
May 23
Sometimes I’m walking down the street, sitting by the sea, or walking by an art display and it takes me a minute to remember that I’m not on holiday, but that I actually live here. In beautiful Brighton.
I guess this is what home feels like.
May 24
“I’m unwilling to settle.” These are the words I thought repeatedly in the months before I met my now-husband-of-12-years. I was an Indian woman living in Delhi, my standards were high, and my expectations were, in the words of my mother and closest friends, “unreasonable.” Didn’t matter to me. I was finally deliriously happy with my singledom. It would take a lot for me to give up that life and that freedom.
The sense of déjà vu is strong in my life right now, because that’s exactly how I’m feeling about publishing.
May 25
The insomniac tendencies are resurfacing. I’m writing this at 3 a.m. I’m also beginning to feel the rumblings of a new novel.
Perhaps the two things are related?
May 26
This month has been the busiest, craziest, most outsized month of my career. I started it unsure of how it was all going to work out and I’m ending it with genuine excitement for what the future holds and a deep commitment to the work I’m doing.
I was reassured by writing parents repeatedly that even though it didn’t feel like it in the moment, there would come a time in my life when my son was older, that it wouldn’t feel like being in survival mode all the time. I think that time is finally coming.
May 27
A novel is pushing its way up my consciousness once more. I already have two finished novels, a first draft of another novel that needs massive rewrites, a novel that’s been outlined, and now, well, this.
I’ve been working stupid amounts lately, so I don’t know how I feel about tackling another mammoth project on top of it all. Not that I’m ever asked. The novels just show up, expect that I write them, and then either work or don’t.
I guess we’ll have to see how persistent this one turns out to be.
May 30
A content marketing client gave me the following feedback a few weeks ago: “This is so well written and exactly right, but also exactly wrong, you know what I mean?”
I (still) haven’t finished hitting my head against the wall, but when I do, it will be time to fire this client.