The weather is getting nicer (in the sporadic way it does in the Pacific Northwest) and there is a restlessness blooming.
Our oldest is graduating high school in T-minus-13 days. We still aren’t sure what’s coming next. Our youngest is learning to drive, and thus we are driving constantly. In circles. With no destination. And since they’re both musicians, we are attending seemingly endless community parades and concerts.
My husband works in the title and escrow industry, which is finally picking up after a rough couple of years. He is working a lot. I am struggling to balance my client work with my work at the store with my writing instruction with my own writing with being a mom to two teenagers who each have one foot out the door. My best friend is sick and I feel very helpless and sad.
It’s a strange time.
I’ve put a stake in the ground around writing - I write one hour, every weekday morning. But lately when I sit down, I can’t focus. I put a few words on the page, but at this rate the first draft will be done in 2050. (Okay, maybe an exaggeration?)
So this week’s Pep Talk is just as much for me as it is for you. We can do hard things. We can stay true to our creative selves during bumpy seasons. We can weave play into the work.
Here we go! 🩷
What’s your favorite way to insert play into your writing life? Click the speech bubble and let me know!
In other news...
It’s June! That means that the Book Club is on to a new book. Drumroll please… The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles. Click here for the study guide and discussion info. (And click here to see some takeaways from a great conversation in May about The Mothers by Brit Bennett.)
I’ll be speaking at the Chuckanut Writers Conference here in Bellingham, WA on June 28 and 29. If you’re nearby (or not!) I hope you’ll consider attending. Here’s the scoop.
I already alluded to how my writing has gone this week 🤪 but here’s my writing report.
📖 What I'm reading: This Must Be The Place by Maggie O’Farrell
📺 What I'm watching: Finally finished Riply (AppleTV) and it is SO good!
🎧 What I'm listening to: What Should I Read Next? (podcast)
What do you recommend reading, watching or listening to? I’m always looking for recommendations.
Around Writing Town:
My friend Nicole Meier is celebrating the release of her latest novel, City of Books. Here it is on the New and Notable Fiction table at the store where I work! 🥂
Here’s to you, whether your life is currently calm waters or rough seas. We’re in this writing thing together, and will keep each other afloat.
Warmly, Stephanie
P.S. I'll be here when you're ready.
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