I resisted wiping away the tears falling while I read this. And resisted copying and pasting the whole thing into my writing journal. Midlife mom of a teen who is finding her way accepting the truths about her own mother and taking off costumes that haven't fit for some time... embracing the insults of bad sentences that require just as much energy and love as the good ones... and how do you tell the difference?
Hala Alyan's words today were truly wonderful. What a blessing.
Day 5 word count: 1021
I'm getting better at sensing what 1000 words feels like. There's a calibration process that takes a few tries. For me, it's not unlike in teaching when you learn to gauge the usual length of your private lessons, classes, or rehearsals even without consulting your watch. You know when you are around the midpoint and when it's time to start circling for a landing.
Having undoubtedly jinxed myself with that claim, tomorrow is sure to be pure chaos, and I'll wildly under(or over)shoot my target!
I love this letter... I wonder if this is only for writers... that everything is the work? Or is it every art form? Also, random question, but can I ask who your favorite fantasy authors are?? I'm writing fantasy and looking for new people to explore!
I love this. Especially the idea that meandering in our writing is inherently anticapitalist. To take up space for the practice itself without always having to have an attachment to outcome is itself meditative and transformative. Thank you for that wisdom.
I love every part of today’s letter! I love the writing prompt with the shoes, and yes, I can’t wait to figure out who they belong to and why they’ve been lined up on the street for ages now. What if it rains? What then, people? What then?
And Hala Alyan’s note was exceptional! “Writing is a portal without expiration.” Profound! And noting that a writer is a writer beyond any forgone book-in-hand or award-on-the-wall spoke directly to my heart. Yes! (Can I get a halleluiah?) But maybe the one line that really punched me more than a double-shot of espresso was seeing these words: writing is an act of return. Absolutely beautiful.
I rarely gush but this morning I can’t seem to hold back.
Good morning. Yesterday I did as I planned to during this challenge and worked on the material from my novel that I will send to agents whom I am querying. This meant a Zoom with a friend who has read most of the novel and had lots of praise and super suggestions on the portion I sent her that will go out. But the phase of querying is a drag, there's no other way to describe it. Last night I had a conversation with a close friend about a post she shared on Mother's Day. She wrote about how mothering is designed to show you how imperfect you are. We talked about the grief inherent in being a parent, over the times you must let go--of the adults they become, of your failure to be the mother you want to be. It's a very real part of my life, this sense of loss. She said I should write about it. This idea hit me in that "why not?" way--I haven't composed a Substack in a long time, so I sat down this morning and let it rip. This is me, 1050 words later. Thanks to everyone for this group energy. I wouldn't be here without it.
I resisted wiping away the tears falling while I read this. And resisted copying and pasting the whole thing into my writing journal. Midlife mom of a teen who is finding her way accepting the truths about her own mother and taking off costumes that haven't fit for some time... embracing the insults of bad sentences that require just as much energy and love as the good ones... and how do you tell the difference?
Day 5, and 1075 words
Hala Alyan's words today were truly wonderful. What a blessing.
Day 5 word count: 1021
I'm getting better at sensing what 1000 words feels like. There's a calibration process that takes a few tries. For me, it's not unlike in teaching when you learn to gauge the usual length of your private lessons, classes, or rehearsals even without consulting your watch. You know when you are around the midpoint and when it's time to start circling for a landing.
Having undoubtedly jinxed myself with that claim, tomorrow is sure to be pure chaos, and I'll wildly under(or over)shoot my target!
Omg, finished my words at literally 11:59pm. What a rush.
I feel like I’m riding a squeaky-wheeled tricycle in to report 1,027.
I love this letter... I wonder if this is only for writers... that everything is the work? Or is it every art form? Also, random question, but can I ask who your favorite fantasy authors are?? I'm writing fantasy and looking for new people to explore!
Just finished: 1852 words today
These letters are really hitting!! ✨
Hello! Could you please share a fresh link to the Slack? I'm getting that expired message.
https://join.slack.com/t/1000wordsofsummer-hq/shared_invite/zt-36fzsih5z-yr2GSIBPWl~t5T1mY~6xZg
Thank you!
1117 words. Thanks Jami.
"It takes precisely as much dedication to craft to write a mediocre paragraph as an astonishing one." Let the church say "amen!"
I love this. Especially the idea that meandering in our writing is inherently anticapitalist. To take up space for the practice itself without always having to have an attachment to outcome is itself meditative and transformative. Thank you for that wisdom.
Wow, such a beautiful invitation to continue with this work! Thanks Hala! (And as always, thanks Jami!)
I love every part of today’s letter! I love the writing prompt with the shoes, and yes, I can’t wait to figure out who they belong to and why they’ve been lined up on the street for ages now. What if it rains? What then, people? What then?
And Hala Alyan’s note was exceptional! “Writing is a portal without expiration.” Profound! And noting that a writer is a writer beyond any forgone book-in-hand or award-on-the-wall spoke directly to my heart. Yes! (Can I get a halleluiah?) But maybe the one line that really punched me more than a double-shot of espresso was seeing these words: writing is an act of return. Absolutely beautiful.
I rarely gush but this morning I can’t seem to hold back.
Good morning. Yesterday I did as I planned to during this challenge and worked on the material from my novel that I will send to agents whom I am querying. This meant a Zoom with a friend who has read most of the novel and had lots of praise and super suggestions on the portion I sent her that will go out. But the phase of querying is a drag, there's no other way to describe it. Last night I had a conversation with a close friend about a post she shared on Mother's Day. She wrote about how mothering is designed to show you how imperfect you are. We talked about the grief inherent in being a parent, over the times you must let go--of the adults they become, of your failure to be the mother you want to be. It's a very real part of my life, this sense of loss. She said I should write about it. This idea hit me in that "why not?" way--I haven't composed a Substack in a long time, so I sat down this morning and let it rip. This is me, 1050 words later. Thanks to everyone for this group energy. I wouldn't be here without it.