Kim Hooper's Blog, page 28

The times they are a-changin’

I’ve been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan lately. He always strikes the right chord with me when I’m particularly contemplative, melancholy. When the country first started to shut down, I was in emergency mode. The Adrenalin was pumping. I felt almost manic as I started to sort out our new normal. Now, as we end our first month in isolation, the Adrenalin is gone and I’m just…Sad. Anxious. Overwhelmed. Uncertain. It feels a lot like grief, so I was nodding along when I read David Kessler’s interview with the Harvard Business Review: “…We’re feeling a number of different griefs. We feel the world has changed, and it has. We know this is temporary, but it doesn’t feel that way, and we realize things will be different… The loss of normalcy; the fear of economic toll; the loss of connection. This is hitting us and we’re grieving. Collectively. We are not used to this kind of collective grief in the air.”

All our daily lives have changed so abruptly and dramatically. I feel fortunate that my family unit is healthy and that we have income and a child care situation in place (I’m currently on leave from my job, which I realize is a huge privilege, so I can care for my two-year-old while my husband puts in 12-to-15-hour days for his job). I have felt the need to write like never before. Writing is my therapy. It’s my way to make sense of the world, to organize my thoughts. So much of this crisis is bringing many things into focus for me–what my values and priorities are, what I want for my life and my relationships. I NEED to write about all this. But, of course, there is so little space in the day. I put ideas into the Notes app of my phone. I go through Post-its with reckless abandon. These feel like little bursts that barely crack the surface of my psyche when what I need desperately is a violent earthquake of release.

I know other people–especially mothers who are doing what I call the juggle-and-struggle routine–feel this same angst. So many of us (especially artist types, especially introverts, especially sensitive people) need time and space for ourselves right now, and that is so hard to come by. Even if you live alone, it’s hard to feel like there is space with the way the news crowds us. It’s just all A LOT. 

I’ve been having shortness of breath for several days now. At first I was worried it was The Virus, but now I think it must be anxiety. I remember someone saying once that anxiety (or maybe it was depression?) feels like an elephant is standing on your chest, and that’s how I feel. I usually fall asleep easily (because I’m exhausted and because my doctor prescribed a sleeping medication), but I wake up at 3am with heart palpitations. If I manage to jot down some of the thoughts circling my brain, I can fall back to sleep. Without that pen to paper, there’s no hope.

I keep falling back on that tired, old cliche–one day at a time. I can think of nothing better. If I think beyond today, I can’t take a deep breath. I try to write when I can because it’s the best self-care I have, and I know if the backlog of thoughts gets too unwieldy, my anxiety will just get worse. That’s the thing–I have anxiety about the pandemic itself, and I have anxiety about being unable to do the thing that would ease my anxiety. 

I think I’ve hit my quota on the word “anxiety” for the day.

To those reading this, I hope you and yours are safe and healthy (and sane). If you feel like an anxious mess, you are most definitely not alone. 

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Exciting news!

In less than 6 months, this beauty will be released (comes out September 15), and I am so fortunate to have a publisher that is a true partner. Today, my publisher announced that my new book will be the first book under their new imprint, Keylight Books. I’m truly honored. I can’t wait for all of you to read this one.

@turnerpub

From my publisher: 
Turner is excited to announce that Kim Hooper’s ALL THE ACORNS ON THE FOREST FLOOR is the first book to be released under the KEYLIGHT BOOKS imprint. Turner Publishing has previously published two novels by Kim Hooper. Executive Editor, Stephanie Beard, says “Kim’s books are some of the best fiction available on the market, and are full of the most relatable and interesting characters that actors yearn to play. They are written with a deep sense of being and a witty humor that brings her characters to life on the page. When I read ACORNS, which is a story full of the heartfelt relationships of a ‘This is Us’ combined with the drama and intrigue of a ‘Big Little Lies,’ I knew that it was bigger than the pages it was printed on.” This first book for the new imprint will be published on September 15, 2020 and KEYLIGHT BOOKS has determined that their anticipated initial offset will be 100,000 copies. Audio rights have been sold, in preempt, to DREAMSCAPE MEDIA and a number of companies are currently reviewing the manuscript for adaptation.

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Books to take your mind off everything

It’s a good time to read (if you can manage the time between homeschooling your children and/or checking CNN every 5 minutes). Reading offers much-needed escape. That’s why I’ve always loved it. It transports us elsewhere, broadens our perspective, helps grow our compassion as human beings. 

I had a few friends ask me for reading recommendations so I figured I’d create a list for everyone (below). Feel free to share your favorite “take me elsewhere” reads too. Stay safe and sane, everyone.

Repost @turnerpub. Jhumpa Lahiri is one of my favorite writers of all time.

Here is my list…or lists.

Great characters, great voice, great storylines:
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things — Bryn Greenwood
Ask Again, Yes — Mary Beth Keane
Cruel Beautiful World — Caroline Leavitt (or really any of her books)
Little Fires Everywhere — Celeste Ng
Goodbye, Vitamin — Rachel Khong
Lily and the Octopus — Steven Rowley
Before I Go — Colleen Oakley (or really any of her books)
After You’d Gone — Maggie O’Farrell (or really any of her books)
Little Children — Tom Perrotta
Did You Ever Have a Family — Bill Clegg
Big Little Lies — Liane Moriarty (or really any of her books)
The Art of Racing in the Rain — Garth Stein

Epic stories that you won’t want to end:
The World According to Garp — John Irving
The Signature of All Things — Elizabeth Gilbert
Mrs. Everything — Jennifer Weiner
The Light Between Oceans — ML Stedman
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones and the Six — Taylor Jenkins Reid
Wonder Boys — Michael Chabon
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – Michael Chabon
The Goldfinch — Donna Tartt
The Secret History — Donna Tartt
Cutting for Stone — Abraham Verghese
The History of Love — Nicole Krauss
The Interestings — Meg Wolitzer
The Great Believers — Rebecca Makkai
The Namesake — Jhumpa Lahiri (or really any of her books)
Happy Family — Tracy Barone
A Fall of Marigolds — Susan Meissner
A Woman is No Man — Etaf Rum
I Know This Much Is True — Wally Lamb
Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Marriage Plot – Jeffrey Eugenides
The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint – Brady Udall

Books that will make you laugh (and maybe also cry, but definitely laugh):
Where’d You Go Bernadette? – Maria Semple
I’m Fine and Neither Are You – Camille Pagán
The Wangs vs. the World – Jade Change
Nothing to See Here – Kevin Wilson 
The Family Fang – Kevin Wilson
Then We Came to an End –Joshua Ferris
Truth in Advertising – John Kenney
You Shall Know Our Velocity –Dave Eggers (or really any of his books)
This Is Where I Leave You – Jonathan Tropper
Wake Up, Sir! – Jonathan Ames
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving — Jonathan Evison
High Fidelity — Nick Hornby

Thriller-ish books that will keep your attention 
Something in the Water – Catherine Steadman
The Woman in Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware
My Lovely Wife – Catherine Steadman
The Silent Patient – Catherine Steadman
The Last Mrs. Parrish – Liv Constantine

End-of-world-ish books that might hit a little close to home but are very good:
California – Edan Lepucki 
The Leftovers – Tom Perrotta
Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel

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Writing (and reading) in the time of COVID-19

The other day, I got my first shipment of ARCs (advance reader copies) for my new novel, All the Acorns on the Forest Floor (releases September 15). My excitement was tainted with some worry about the fact that the mailman cleared his throat upon presenting the box. Was it a cough? Had he washed his hands before doing his deliveries? 

Yes, these are the times we live in. These times are, in a word, crazy. My daughter’s preschool closed on Monday and I’m just starting to adjust to the reality of mom-ing full-time while also trying to do non-mom things, like write and read books without pictures in them. I happened to be on leave from my job when all the madness started, and I still am, so that’s enabled me to do the mom-ing. I don’t know how people working from home are able to actually work with children around. And what about people who still have to go into a workplace (bank, grocery store, hospital, etc)? What about their kids? It’s all a mess. I’m worried for people’s jobs. I’m worried for the economy. I’m worried for everyone’s mental health. And, of course, I’m worried about the virus itself–“a lung destroyer,” they’re saying. So many people’s lives are in danger–physically, financially, emotionally.  It weighs heavy–how could it not?

I was in the middle of a big writing project when life got turned upside down. The manuscript still has a due date, so I’m trying to focus. But, as you would expect, it’s been hard to focus. I’m writing in the early morning, before my daughter wakes up, and in the evening, after she goes to bed. I’m used to this schedule because I have a full-time job, so that hasn’t been as big of an adjustment. But I’m just taxed from everything going on. I assume everyone is feeling the same. I saw a doctor on CNN the other day saying that we have to minimize stress because stress weakens the immune system. I turned to my husband and said, “What good advice–don’t stress out during a global pandemic! Just stay calm and relaxed while taking care of a 2-year-old, juggling work, over-analyzing every throat tickle, and not having any social interaction. Easy!” 

The lack of social interaction hasn’t been as big of a deal for me. I’m so introverted by nature. Texting and phone calls are filling enough of the void for now. It is weird to not see friends or family though. I feel for the extroverts in my life. It’s a bad time to be an extrovert (for once).

One tiny pro in a sea of cons: Self-isolating means there is more time for reading. This doesn’t really apply to me because my toddler does not enjoy watching me read (the nerve!). But, if you don’t have kids, or if your kids are old enough to tolerate you reading by yourself, this is the time to stock up on books. I mean, there are only so many shows on Netflix, right? 

If you are a reader (or you’re getting back into reading now), give some love to the new releases. It’s so hard to launch a book right now. Every launch is totally overshadowed by what’s going on in the world. But the authors of these books worked for years on their novels. These are their babies. Give them some attention. 

Stay safe and sane out there, everyone. Sending a virtual, germ-free hug to all.

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Writer’s block–is it really a thing?

Whenever I do an event and talk about my writing process, I get a question about how I deal with writer’s block. And I never know what to say.

I tend to agree with Sarah Ruhl, who wrote in Poets & Writers magazine, “Writer’s block, I have always maintained, is not real. It is an invention. A self-inflicted wound. A chimera.” She goes on: “Another, more apt, phrase is something like the studious avoidance of writing. To call this writer’s block would be like avoiding exercise and calling it ‘exercise block.'”

Sarah Ruhl breaks down “writer’s block” into 13 categories:
1. The studious avoidance of writing (akin to the avoidance of exercising, as described above)
2. Waiting to write (because you don’t have the information you need, for example)
3. Walking away from the canvas (aka, taking a break)
4. Abandoning a piece of writing that is not meant to be written
5. Not wanting to write the thing someone else is telling you to write
6. Not writing something because a person you love will be angry with you or feelings will be hurt
7. Modern day distractions
8. Family life distractions
9. Starting a story in the wrong place (eg, the beginning was not really the beginning, the middle was not the middle, and the end was not the end)
10. Constant revising in pursuit of perfection
11. Worrying about what others think about your writing
12. Focusing too much on the outcome
13. General sloth

My “writer’s block” tends to fall into categories 2,7, and 8. I like to do quite a bit of research when I’m undertaking a writing project, which means I can’t start writing until I do a significant amount of reading on the topic at hand. Every day, I mourn the fact that I cannot read 7 books a day. I wish I could. It’s a lesson in patience for me to wait until certain pieces of the puzzle are in place before I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

Source: Poets & Writers

I’d say the biggest threat to my writing is category 7, modern day distractions. So often, I’ll open a Word document to begin writing, then see an email come in. I read that, then see what else is unread in my inbox. Somehow, I end up buying diapers on Amazon and an hour is lost.

Speaking of diapers, category 8 is also very real for me, though I wouldn’t say “distractions” is the right word. I’m not distracted by my toddler or husband because I do not even attempt to write during family time. I love family time. I don’t care that it limits my writing time; I’ve just had to get very creative (and efficient) with the time I do dedicate to writing.

I will say that because my writing time is so limited, I rarely feel any “block” when I sit down to write. I’m usually so full up with ideas that I can’t wait to write. But I do remember back to when I was single and childless with a whole day in front of me and I’d feel so frustrated that I couldn’t write. I think too much time is not a good thing. For me, I get up in my head and fall into categories 9-12 of “writer’s block.”

What about you? What’s your experience of writer’s block?

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The writer’s plight

One of my best friends sent me this screenshot the other day and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. It’s not that I have writer’s block (I don’t really believe in “writer’s block”–a post on this coming soon); it’s that I have so many ideas and there just aren’t enough hours in the day (especially with a full-time job and a toddler and a commute on Southern California freeways). As they say, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. I wake up each morning with a mental list of so many things I want to accomplish, and I go to bed every night with a little bit of a sense of failure. I know, I know–I need to talk to my therapist about this.

My friend asked me, “Would you have it any other way though?” And the truth is… no. I like being excited by so many ideas. I like that my biggest problem right now is managing my own enthusiasms. I have so many projects in mind. Since becoming a mom, my ambitions have tripled, which is weird… You would think that having a little person would make me want to pump the brakes. But I think having her has motivated me more. Being a mom has given me a ton of confidence. I’ve realized I am stronger than I thought; I can juggle more than I thought. And I have more and more things to say. 

My fourth novel, All the Acorns on the Forest Floor, comes out in September, and I have a nonfiction book coming out in 2021 (my first nonfiction book–more details coming soon). I have a list of essays I want to write, a children’s book idea, a young adult book idea, a screenplay idea. SO MANY THINGS. As much as this excites me, it also torments me because there’s no physical way I can do it all. That’s why I relate to what Zadie Smith says about “the never satisfied.” Even when I’m happily working on one thing, I’m always kind of grieving the idea that isn’t getting my attention. I KNOW, therapy, stat. I need to work on being in the moment. I need to meditate…or something.

I’m not quite sure how to reconcile any of this, but Zadie Smith’s words made me feel less like a weirdo. You might be reading this and thinking that Zadie Smith and I are both weirdos, and I’m okay with that. I’m okay with being in any category with Zadie Smith.

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My next book is coming this fall!

I am so excited to announce that my next book will be released on September 15, 2020! This book is different than anything I’ve written before. I’ll tell you more about it soon. In the meantime, how beautiful is this cover?!

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Books I read in 2019

Another year full of books! 88 books to be exact (well, I’m currently reading 2, so 86 completed as of today). It’s really, really hard for me to name favorites. I loved so many of these–some because of the beauty of the writing, some because of the characters, some because the story line resonated with me. Here are a few books published this past year that I think almost any reader would enjoy:
A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

I love to play book matchmaker, so if you send me an email (kimhooperwrites@gmail.com) and tell me what kinds of books you like, I can tell you which books from this year’s list might interest you.

I hope you had a happy hear of reading. Here’s to a great 2020!

Good ol’ fiction:
A Million Junes — Emily Henry
The Third Wife — Lisa Jewell
The Two-Family House — Lynda Cohen Loigman
Something in the Water — Catherine Steadman
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle — Stuart Turton*
Before I Met You — Lisa Jewell
Everything You Want Me to Be — Mindy Mejia
The Handmaid’s Tale — Margaret Atwood
The Last Time I Lied — Riley Sager
The Silent Patient — Alex Michaelides
A Woman is No Man — Etaf Rum
The Storyteller’s Secret — Sejal Badani
Daisy Jones & The Six — Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Editor — Steven Rowley
The Short and Sincere Life of Ellory James — Wendy Paine Miller
Heroes of the Frontier — Dave Eggers
The Last Mrs. Parrish — Liv Constantine
My Abandonment — Peter Rock
Baby Doll — Hollie Overton
I’m Fine and Neither Are You — Camille Pagán
The Broken Girls — Simone St. James
Where the Crawdads Sing — Delia Owens
Rainbirds — Clarissa Goenawan
Small Great Things — Jodi Picoult
Normal People — Sally Rooney
The Walls — Hollie Overton
How Not to Die Alone — Richard Roper
An American Marriage — Tayari Jones
Life and Other Near-Death Experiences — Camille Pagán
The After Glimpse — Wendy Paine Miller
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler — Kelly Harms
A Job You Mostly Won’t Know How to Do — Pete Fromm
The Language of Flowers — Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Mrs. Everything — Jennifer Weiner
Burial Rites — Hannah Kent
Those Who Wish Me Dead — Michael Koryta
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Current — Tim Johnston
Ask Again, Yes — Mary Beth Keane
Rabbit Hole — David Lindsay-Abaire**
Chances Are — Richard Russo
The Reckless Oath We Made — Bryn Greenwood
The Runaway — Hollie Overton
Whisper Man — Alex North
Defending Jacob — William Landay
I Am Watching You — Teresa Driscoll
The Monk of Mokha — Dave Eggers
The Mother-In-Law — Sally Hepworth
The Family Next Door — Sally Hepworth
Never Have I Ever — Joshilyn Jackson
State of the Union: A Marriage in Ten Parts — Nick Hornby
The Secrets of Midwives — Sally Hepworth
Mrs. Fletcher — Tom Perrotta
The Wife — Meg Wolitzer
You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories — Curtis Sittenfeld
The Escape of Light — Fred Venturini
After the End — Claire Mackintosh
The Dutch House — Anne Patchett
A Thousand Splendid Suns — Khaled Hosseini
Look How Happy I’m Making You: Stories — Polly Rosenwaike
One Day in December — Josie Silver
The Great Believers — Rebecca Makkai (currently reading)
Nothing to See Here — Kevin Wilson (currently reading)

*This was a DNF for me. Did not finish. I tried, I really did.
**This is a play, not a novel. I don’t read many plays, but this was recommended to me because of similarities to Tiny. Loved it.

Nonfiction:
All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir — Nicole Chung 
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart — James Doty, MD
To Shake the Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret — Jedidiah Jenkins
The Only Girl in the World: A Memoir — Maude Julien
One Doctor: Close Calls, Cold Cases, and the Mysteries of Medicine — Brendan Reilly, MD
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South — Radley Balko, Tucker Carrington
No Happy Endings: A Memoir — Nora McInerney 
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed — Lori Gottlieb 
Once More We Saw Stars: A Memoir — Jayson Greene
The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After — Julie Yip-Williams
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations — Mira Jacob
The Happiest Toddler on the Block — Harvey Karp
Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood — Michael Lewis
The Brink of Being: Talking About Miscarriage — Julia Bueno
Three Women — Lisa Taddeo
High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life — Tiffany Jenkins
On Being Human: A Memoir of Waking Up, Living Real, and Listening Hard — Jennifer Pastiloff
The Valedictorian of Being Dead: The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live — Heather B. Armstrong
The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness — Susannah Cahalan
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me — Adrienne Brodeur
We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast — Jonathan Safran Foer
Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother — Alexa Bigwarfe (editor)
There Is No Good Card for This: What to Say and Do When Life is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love — Dr. Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell
Life Will Be the Death of Me…and You Too! — Chelsea Handler

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The future of fiction

I was just reading my beloved Poets & Writers magazine, which includes a great section on the future of independent publishing. I’ve been with a “Big 5” publisher (St. Martin’s) and an indie publisher (Turner), so I’ve had a range of experience. 

Nerd alert: I underline my Poets & Writers magazine.

What I’ve noticed is that, no matter the publisher, fiction books seem to be having a hard time. There are a ton of books published every year, but it seems like the majority of them get lost in the shuffle. I’ve wondered why this is happening and then I read an article by Molly Founder, cofounder and CEO of Serial Box. She pretty much hits the nail on the head:

“There is much talk about how fiction sales have declined over the past five years. I don’t believe that the numbers indicate a change in reader and listener appetite; the falling fiction sales are a result in the shifting landscape of book distribution. As a higher and higher percentage of book sales travel through Amazon, there are fewer points of discovery for all but the most engaged readers and listeners. And it’s much easier to find nonfiction books through a keyword search.”

This is SO TRUE. Back in the day, when bookstores were flourishing (or at least doing much better than they are now), people discovered fiction while perusing the shelves. Customers had relationships with people at their local bookstores. They got into conversations about what books they liked and received recommendations in return. Nowadays, with so many people buying books online, it’s hard to discover what’s even out there. Like Founder says, only the most engaged readers/listeners are aware of the new releases. I’m one of those engaged readers/listeners, and I find I have to make a substantial effort to stay in the loop. I sift through a ton of subscription e-newsletters discussing the latest releases to find something I might like. I talk to fellow reader-friends about what they’re reading; I actively seek out recommendations. I probably spend at least a few hours a week on this. Obviously, not everyone is able or willing to do that.

The solution is finding ways to connect fiction with the more casual readers who want books they’ll like served up to them. The key words there: THEY’LL LIKE. Nothing is more frustrating than starting a book and realizing it’s not your cup of tea. It feels like a waste of time, effort, energy, and MONEY. My daydream: a matchmaker book app, something where authentic recommendation-giving can happen. I’ve learned not to trust the “if you liked X, you’ll love Y” advertising I see on Amazon and the like. Often, those mentions are paid-for. 

Founder also mentions that publishers need to be open to experimenting with format. People are pulled into more directions than ever these days. Attention spans are shorter. I love to read in the traditional way (with a 300-page hardcover or paperback in my lap), but I’ve also come to love audio books because they fit my life well (when I’m in the car or on a run, I listen to books). The truth: Fiction needs to come to people so people keep coming to fiction.

What are your thoughts on the future of fiction? How has the way you find books changed? How have your reading habits changed?

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What’s Next: An Update

Back in July, I posted about my plan to write 5,000 words a week in order to complete a first draft of a new novel by my 40th birthday. Well, that birthday is upon me and I’m happy to say I HAVE A DRAFT DONE (nothing like pushing up against a deadline, right?). I know it needs a lot of editing, but that’s just part of the process. For now, I get to set the draft aside, give my brain some breathing room, then pick it back up in a couple weeks.  So, that’s exciting.

Something else exciting: I just signed a contract for my 4th book to come out next year! This book is completely different than anything else I’ve done before. After my daughter was born, I started writing short stories because I wasn’t ready to tackle a huge novel. But, over time, the stories became linked, characters crossed over, and it turned into what fancy people call a “composite novel.” I love, love, love it and can’t wait to share it with you. The title is not final, but I’ll share that (and the cover!) when it’s ready. 

That’s all for now. I’m off to start a new decade of life (and writing).

 This is 40.

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