Dear Readers,
Many of us have plunged into winter in the last few days. This is great news for us because it’s officially reading season. If it’s cold, snowy, windy, or icy — I give you permission to curl up and read.
Or, maybe write?
A reader of this newsletter got in touch recently to ask how to start writing. She loved writing when she was younger, but wasn’t sure how to get going again.
My first answer is not to overthink. I sit down to write for a 1/2 hour for the same reasons I go for a walk; it’s a way to gain perspective, process whatever is going on, and understand what I think.
My second answer, for people who are interested in writing more, or want to work on something longer, is a new book called 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. It’s by my great friend Jami Attenberg (we met in Nashville years ago and have traded early drafts ever since).
Here’s the secret: I don’t actually believe in writing advice. Every writer is different. There is never one way to write.
For me, every book is a completely new beast. A trick that worked while I was writing The Bear (playing a song by Abigail Washburn to find my way back to the voice) wasn’t right for The Last Neanderthal (I needed to stare at skeletons). The only way to find these things? Sit down and figure them out.
What I love about Jami’s book is that it focuses on making a habit.
In the face of a looming deadline, she had a simple idea: Sit down and write a set number of words. The next day, do it again. She started sharing this idea on social media with the hashtag #1000wordsofsummer. It grew and grew.
This idea works for writing, but the method can be applied to any creative project: find a space in your life, establish a pattern, and then keep it going.
1000 Words includes thoughts from more than 50 working writers, the best in the business, including Meg Wolitzer, Rumaan Alam (he wrote Leave the World Behind), Min Jin Lee, and Lauren Groff. They address things you’d ask if you sat beside them at a dinner party, like how they find the time to write, how they handle rejection, and where their courage comes from. It’s all friendly, warm, and constructive. Every time I pick up the book, I find something new.
I’m reading several good novels at the moment. I’ll pick my favourites and write again soon.
P.S.
This is a monthly newsletter about books I love. It’s free.
I’m interviewing Paul Lynch, author of the Booker Prize-winning Prophet Song, at the Toronto Reference Library on Friday, February 16. I’ll post a link to reserve tickets as soon as I have it.
If you haven’t seen it, the film Anatomy of a Fall is tense and French. A courtroom drama, an intelligent whodunnit, and a search for the truth — but more, it’s about the layers that collect in a marriage over time. Sandra Hüller, who plays the main character, is absolutely stunning. The film is so captivating because it puts you, the viewer, at the centre of the story. You will be perched on the edge of your sofa while searching for clues.
My latest piece, Winter, uses phrases from Reddit, an online forum, to express the mixed bag that comes with the whitest season. I’m a monthly contributor to the opinion section of The Globe and Mail. Next one is coming soon.
I just noticed @sarahnicolas has a link to Jamie’s 1,000 Words online event Thursday, Jan 18. A motivating book AND companion event in one Substack scroll! Makes my Sunday night. :)
My favourite two newsletters are yours and Jami's, not to mention your books! :)