Amy Makechnie's Blog, page 12

and lastly…

Yesterday I spoke to Warren-Walker Middle School in San Diego. They chose Ten Thousand Tries as their “one book” read. What an honor.Would your school like an author visit? Hit reply and we can chat!

Lit With Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Published on September 19, 2023 03:01

Craft Talk: Bird by Bird

If you’re a writer, you’ve undoubtedly heard this Ann Lamott wisdom many times:

“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he'd had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

No matter your project, this simple advice is always prescient and always worth revisiting.

If you are writing a short story, remember: bird by bird

If you are writing a novel, remember: bird by bird

(aka: word by word!)

As for life:

If you are hanging pictures on a wall, painting your bedroom, writing a report, want your dog to stop jumping on company, need a medical diagnosis, navigating a foreign country: BIRD BY BIRD.

We either procrastinate or start with great zeal. But all too quickly, when the zeal has worn off and we get to that “muddy middle,” we become overwhelmed, have no idea what’s supposed to happen next, and our brain - which is there to protect us - can be most unhelpful.

And we quit, never fully realizing the greatness we could have created! (Or the bedroom wall that could a beautiful sailcloth cream instead of the sage green you’re entirely sick of).

If you are creating, you will feel like an imposter. It’s a guarantee. But listen carefully: This is a lie.

For some reason, my imposter sounds like Gilbert Blythe saying (with a laugh in his voice), “Anne Shirley, what the heck are you doing?”

And I love Gilbert Blythe. (This mirth is the scene where he rows by and rescues Anne after she has been reenacting The Lady of Shalott and her canoe springs a leak).

He is only teasing Anne. But after Gilbert, my inner imposter has slightly more of an edge.

So Gilbert, your brain, sometimes needs you to say, “LISTEN - BIRD BY BIRD, DUDE!”

Bird by Bird is a phenomenal book (97, 706 ratings on Goodreads!) and continues to rank as my #1 writing book. It’s up there for life, too.

It was given to me many years ago by my husband’s former English teacher (after I had quietly and unconfidently confessed I was writing a book…the terror).

The next day I found the book in my mailbox. It was red and missing it’s paper cover. It was very well used, and had handwritten notes, underlined passages, and highlighted descriptions throughout, as if she had taught from it or referred to it often to write her own stories and poems. What a treasure!

BIRD BY BIRD: SOME INSTRUCTIONS ON WRITING AND LIFE by Anne Lamott.

Interesting. Birds. Writing. Life.

To write, one must put one word after another. And then another and another.

To write, you must simply open the laptop and begin. Or scratch something out on paper.

Day by day, a word become a sentence. Sentences become paragraphs, which become chapters. Which become - a story!

To live, to become, one must do the same.

Break the big into small, attainable steps.

One small thing. And then another and another.

Tomorrow, repeat.

Are you procrastinating hanging an assortment of picture frames on the wall?

Break the project down into teeny tiny steps.

Day one: FIND THE HAMMER

Day two: drive to the store and buy the nails

Keep going.

In Atomic Habits by James Clear (another favorite) writes:

"All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.”

It’s the smallest, daily habits that makes dreams come true.

Find the hammer.

Open the Google doc.

Type a title.

Tomorrow, write for five minutes.

The next day, do it again.

And again and again.

Pause to acknowledge what you have done. BRAVO!

I’ll leave you with my painting of a bird:

The top pictures is the original card (I do not know artist, so sorry). I painted the bottom picture by copying the original (a great way to start anything; you’ll find your style and voice in time). You can see my bird body is a little off, too long, less realistic. Same with the feet. Regardless, I wanted to learn to paint and when Covid hit, I just started -literally - BIRD BY BIRD!

Bird by bird, my friends.

Happy September! A time of year where I like to take stock of where I’m going…

What are you up to? What “Bird by Bird” projects do you have going? I would love to hear.

Amy

p.s. I made a title change to the newsletter to reflect what this is all about. I hope it makes you feel…lit!

Lit With Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Currently:

Reading: THESE PRECIOUS DAYS: ESSAYS by Ann Patchett. Oh, she’s so good.

Viet Thanh Nguyen: From The New Yorker: Read this and weep. My brother-in-law is a Vietnamese refugee; it hits home.

Thank you, Toadstool Bookshop: I had a great visit in Peterborough, NH last Saturday. Thank you for coming to see me. Sy Montgomery will be presenting 9/19/2023, featuring her new book about TURTLES!

Booking School Visits! If you are in the Utah or Phoenix area and would like a school visit, I’m headed west around January 12th. Please be in touch or pass this message along to your UT/AZ friends, teachers, bookstore owners, librarians...

Empty Nest: My youngest is on Ocean Classroom for a semester, and I’m driving my oldest to the airport today as she heads to Cambridge University in England. I’ve decided I will read many books so I won’t be so sad with all the children gone…have you got reading suggestions for me???

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Published on September 12, 2023 03:02

Noted

If you’re an obsessive notetaker like me, or simply fascinated by the notes of our most beloved writers, then let me recommend the newsletter Noted by English Professor

Each week, Jillian writes a post on what she’s learned from the personal notebooks of writers like Virginia Woolf, Beatrix Potter, Kurt Cobain, John Lennon and Emily Dickinson (to name only a few). Her latest post is about her own notebooks and note taking habits.

There are few things I love more than seeing other people’s journals and notebooks (and the pens they use). I’m both curious and nosy.

Shout-out to Jillian and also, this is a love letter to note taking.

I thought I’d show you the notebook I used while conducting an interview in 2011. Because of this interview, Guinevere was born.

My intention wasn’t a novel, but to write a nonfiction narrative piece that was scientific, and also a story about love.

I grew up hearing about my mother’s physical therapist, James, whose wife had had a totally unexpected and life-changing medical event: her heart stopped (undiagnosed QT Syndrome). When she lost consciousness, she happened to be at church surrounded by several medical students. It was a miracle they were able to get her heart started again, but minutes had gone by. How many? Six? Seven? Eight?

Think of the neurons in the brain like the branches in a tree. They branch out to communicate with the body. Without oxygen they start to shrivel and die.

The longer the brain and neurons go without oxygen, the more brain “tree” damage there will be.

A quote from THE UNFORGETTABLE GUINEVERE ST CLAIR:

How long can a person go without oxygen? I’ve experimented. My longest time ever is one minute and twenty-three seconds, which is pretty long, but I almost fainted, and my face turned a scary purple color. At five minutes brain cells begin to die. The tree branches shrivel.

Extraordinary efforts were taken to save Mama’s life that day…but it wasn’t enough. She was taken by ambulance, my father beside her. Paddles were applied to her chest, an electric shock was delivered. She was given numerous IVs. Still the heart did not pump. Six minutes without oxygen turned into eight. Nine. Ten.

In real life, Laura medically died, but due to the medical students and their lifesaving efforts, her heart was restarted.

Four months later, she awoke (“which is nothing like the movies”).

The brain was damaged in a way that she remembered nothing after the age of thirteen. She did not remember she was married, had two children, or that her father was gone.

Her short term memory was also damaged, so every time she was told who she was and what had happened, it was like the first time she was hearing it. Shocking and devastating.

James and I spoke over the phone for over two hours. I still had a flip phone. I sat on the kitchen floor scribbling notes into a blue spiral bound notebook. He spoke extensively about the heart and the brain and neuroplasticity (recommending that I read THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF by Dr. Norman Doidge, which I did). He also spoke emotionally; the wife and the life they had known were gone.

Here are some pictures from my original notes:

When we hung up the phone, I pondered this mountain of information. How could I most powerfully tell this story? And I very much wanted to tell it. It felt like more than an article.

With James’ permission, I began to write a fictional story based on real events. In the book, Guinevere is the 11-year-old daughter of the fictional Vienna. I wrote from Guinevere’s Point of View: what would it be like to literally be forgotten by your mother?

The title reflects that question (a change from my original title, by my editor; and it’s better).

Many drafts and many years later (seven!), with constant reference to those scribbled notes, the book was published.

Every once in awhile, I’ll flip through this notebook and recall that conversation with great gratitude. It changed my life.

What about you?

I would love to hear about your note taking habits.

Miraculous and life changing stories are all around us - I hope you are taking notes.

Amy

Lit with Amy Makechnie is a reader-supported publication. Thank you for supporting my work.

and lastly, my darlings:

ICYMI: Last day to enter the three-book McNifficent giveaway. Tell your teacher and library friends!

Peterborough, NH: If you’re near Peterborough, New Hampshire on September 9th at 11am, I’ll be speaking at the public library and signing books. Would love to see you.

A Movie: Last night I watched Without Limits, a movie about Steve Prefontaine. Have you seen it? I’ve seen it many times and I’m always inspired…it’s a story.

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Published on September 05, 2023 03:02

#4 What to Read

First of all, hello new subscribers! I’m grateful you are here. Now picture me incredibly giddy if you’ve become a paid subscriber. Imagine me getting that email - I have patrons, what? It’s incredibly validating. I’ve never made a full-time living as a writer, but that is my goal - and YOU are helping me see that it’s possible. THANK YOU.

Now, WHAT TO READ NEXT…

I finished just one book this month, but it was an outstanding one.

Author Ruta Septys is such a good storyteller. Last summer I had the opportunity to listen to her speak about her family’s escape from Lithuania - with no notes - and, along with the rest of the audience, was mesmerized. She’s also a very kind human.

Ruta writes Young Adult Historical Fiction, and they are all good, but I MUST BETRAY YOU was especially gripping and has become my new favorite of hers.

The setting: 1989, Romania.

When I was 14, the only thing I knew about Romania was the famous Olympic gymnast, Nadia Comaneci.

But in 1989, something else was happening.

The world did not know what the communist tyrannical dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu was doing to his fellow Romanians.

“Had the world forgotten us? Or had Ceausescu ingeniously built a fence of national communism that was impenetrable from the outside as well as the inside?

He had stolen us from ourselves, for himself. He had broken the soul of Romania and parched a beautiful country into an apocalyptic landscape of the lost.”

💫Historical fiction at its best

💫For teens and adults

💫Brilliant, compulsively readable, and a hugely important story

I hope you’ll pick this one up.

If this sounds good, let me recommend a few other historical fiction favorites: The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan (my favorite Amy Tan book), or be wowed by the matriarchs in The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, and of course the classic Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (apparently I really like Asian historical fiction). And if you’re a fan of middle grade historical fiction, I highly recommend The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (also a very kind human. Must be a writer thing?)

What are your favorites? Leave a comment:

Thank you for your support! Come Along With Me is free to read. If you’d like to become a paid subscriber, fabulous.

Your Letters:

I received four letters this month. Thank you! They always make me happy, even when they’re a little sad.

Here’s one from S:

Dear Amy,

How are you doing? I like your book The McNifficents and I’m almost done reading it. I don’t go swimming to much because the pool water keeps turning green…I’m also really scared to go back to school. I’m starting 6th grade and that’s middle school in Phoenix…also we’re getting a new dog that looks exactly like *Sally. It’s going to replace her and no one cares. I just want *Sally more than anything in the world…I hope your doing better than I am.

Sincerely, S

p.s. I hope Tenny is all right.

*name change

I’m going to write S back (she’s going to do GREAT at middle school) and will have to tell her that we had to say good-bye to our sweet Tenny boy last week, too (yes, the Lord Tennyson that inspired our McNifficent book).

Another postcard from North Platte, Nebraska made me laugh out loud:

Amy, I have no idea how you survived living in Nebraska. We just drove through…and there is entirely too much corn.

Ha. I grew up in Nebraska, and WELL REMEMBER the August humidity…and the corn. Alas, I will always have a fondness for my fellow cornhuskers.

and lastly, my darlings:

FOR YOU: A 3-book-classroom/library-giveaway of The McNifficents!

A Poem: I saw Emmett Till this week at the grocery store (thank you) because yesterday, August 28th, marks the day Emmett Till was killed in 1955.

School Visits: Now booking school visits for fall - hit reply and let’s make a plan

Peterborough, NH: If you’re near Peterborough, New Hampshire on September 9th at 11, I’ll be speaking at the library and signing books. Would love to see you.

Pep Talk: You’re not for everyone. and that’s okay (thank you )

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Published on August 29, 2023 03:00

#4 What to Read Next

First of all, hello new subscribers! I’m grateful you are here. Now picture me incredibly giddy if you’ve become a paid subscriber. Imagine me getting that email - I have patrons, what? It’s incredibly validating. I’ve never made a full-time living as a writer, but that is my goal - and YOU are helping me see that it’s possible. THANK YOU.

Now, WHAT TO READ NEXT…

I finished just one book this month, but it was an outstanding one.

Author Ruta Septys is such a good storyteller. Last summer I had the opportunity to listen to her speak about her family’s escape from Lithuania - with no notes - and, along with the rest of the audience, was mesmerized. She’s also a very kind human.

Ruta writes Young Adult Historical Fiction, and they are all good, but I MUST BETRAY YOU was especially gripping and has become my new favorite of hers.

The setting: 1989, Romania.

When I was 14, the only thing I knew about Romania was the famous Olympic gymnast, Nadia Comaneci.

But in 1989, something else was happening.

The world did not know what the communist tyrannical dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu was doing to his fellow Romanians.

“Had the world forgotten us? Or had Ceausescu ingeniously built a fence of national communism that was impenetrable from the outside as well as the inside?

He had stolen us from ourselves, for himself. He had broken the soul of Romania and parched a beautiful country into an apocalyptic landscape of the lost.”

💫Historical fiction at its best

💫For teens and adults

💫Brilliant, compulsively readable, and a hugely important story

I hope you’ll pick this one up.

If this sounds good, let me recommend a few other historical fiction favorites: The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan (my favorite Amy Tan book), or be wowed by the matriarchs in The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, and of course the classic Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (apparently I really like Asian historical fiction). And if you’re a fan of middle grade historical fiction, I highly recommend The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (also a very kind human. Must be a writer thing?)

What are your favorites? Leave a comment:

Thank you for your support! Come Along With Me is free to read. If you’d like to become a paid subscriber, fabulous.

Your Letters:

I received four letters this month. Thank you! They always make me happy, even when they’re a little sad.

Here’s one from S:

Dear Amy,

How are you doing? I like your book The McNifficents and I’m almost done reading it. I don’t go swimming to much because the pool water keeps turning green…I’m also really scared to go back to school. I’m starting 6th grade and that’s middle school in Phoenix…also we’re getting a new dog that looks exactly like *Sally. It’s going to replace her and no one cares. I just want *Sally more than anything in the world…I hope your doing better than I am.

Sincerely, S

p.s. I hope Tenny is all right.

*name change

I’m going to write S back (she’s going to do GREAT at middle school) and will have to tell her that we had to say good-bye to our sweet Tenny boy last week, too (yes, the Lord Tennyson that inspired our McNifficent book).

Another postcard from North Platte, Nebraska made me laugh out loud:

Amy, I have no idea how you survived living in Nebraska. We just drove through…and there is entirely too much corn.

Ha. I grew up in Nebraska, and WELL REMEMBER the August humidity…and the corn. Alas, I will always have a fondness for my fellow cornhuskers.

and lastly, my darlings:

FOR YOU: A 3-book-classroom/library-giveaway of The McNifficents!

A Poem: I saw Emmett Till this week at the grocery store (thank you) because yesterday, August 28th, marks the day Emmett Till was killed in 1955.

School Visits: Now booking school visits for fall - hit reply and let’s make a plan

Peterborough, NH: If you’re near Peterborough, New Hampshire on September 9th at 11, I’ll be speaking at the library and signing books. Would love to see you.

Pep Talk: You’re not for everyone. and that’s okay (thank you )

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Published on August 29, 2023 03:00

These Precious Days

I’m reading These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. It is, of course, terrific.

She writes:

“Any story that starts will also end.”

On the cover there is an adorably fluffy dog, though I haven’t gotten to the dog essay yet.

I pass the book on my bedside table and am reminded of Lord Tennyson, the great child nanny who inspired our fictional hero in The McNificents (which just celebrated two months in the world!)

We had to say good-bye to him yesterday. If you’ve ever loved a dog, then you know this sorrow.

Time is on my mind. We’re lucky to get second chances, but we don’t get do-overs. Do you want to draw? Write that book? Fun a 5k? Save for retirement? Marvin K. Mooney, will you please go start now!?

I missed writing my post last week, but I was present at our family reunion in Idaho, where all eight of my great-great-grandparents immigrated to in the 1800s. It’s a good story for another time.

My entire family lives out west and I’m lucky to see them for a few days, once a year. I often think how crazy it is to spend every day with your siblings and then - poof - one by one we grow up and move away from one another. What the heck? There are a few choice childhood moments where I’d like a do-over…

This leaving is happening in my own home, history repeating itself. For better or worse, I don’t get any parenting do-overs, heaven help us.

My youngest recently asked - “If you could go back ten years ago, would you?” No, I always say no. The thought makes me tired. My daughter? YES, because that was when she was six and “we were all home together.” I remember and my heart melts.

It was the year they all got off at the same bus stop in front of the Goody Farm. Lord Tennyson was there, so completely wrapped into their childhood.

Time lurched forward, even on the endlessly long days of motherhood, when I was frantically trying to write something during nap time or before they got off the bus.

This summer we had a very special-loud-and-crazy-fun summer where all my children were home. Alas, one by one, they will depart.

Two have already gone. The other two will be gone by September - the oldest to England, the youngest to sail on “Ocean Classroom” for a term. What a life these children lead.

Walking around our college campus last week, I asked Gregor what he would do differently: “I would have connected with more professors” (I laughed; what a very adult thing to say, don’t you think?).

As young, happy couples and friend groups practically skipped past us, I wanted to stop and look deeply into their eyes: SEIZE THE DAY AND MAKE GOOD CHOICES BECAUSE YOU DON’T GET DO-OVERS.

These young peeps spoke quickly, excitedly, touching each other, talking in each other’s personal spaces, shrieking, falling in the grass over their own hilarity - older people don’t do that. They made me wistful.

They just don’t know - none of us know - I decided not to tell them anything.

Summer in New Hampshire teaches me about time. The watermelon and corn are crisp and delicious. But the blueberries are past, soon the tomatoes, and we will greedily turn our attention to the glorious apples. Everything in its season, and nothing stays too long.

Even as we try to stay in the present we must plan ahead - and I do love my planners and multi-colored pens.

Today I worked all day on a new novel. My protagonist is young, age 13. I’ve finally figured out her name. She doesn’t know what she doesn’t know and so sometimes she’s careless.

Ironically, a novel with no colossal mistakes and trouble for our hero is the most boring novel ever…

Still. I want her to conquer, even as I make her life hard.

“Any story that starts will also end.”

Do you ever wish for a do-over? A second chance? It’s a good thing to write about.

Amy❣️

How America Got So Mean by David Brooks

A Big Thank You to King’s English Bookshop and YOU

Thank you to Rob, Alexa, Mickey, and the team at King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City. THANK YOU family, old friends, and new ones for filling the seats on a warm summer Saturday night. AND, I finally got to meet author Jenna Evans Welch (of Love and Gelato, now on Netflix!) and her signature red lipstick. She has been such a supportive friend and I am grateful.

Also, I straightened my hair because in hot, dry Utah, it stays that way. Thoughts?

This Week’s Round Up:

ICYMI: Gibson’s Has Signed Copies of The McNifficents!

Get your MBA!

Come Along With Me is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Published on August 23, 2023 18:43

Craft Talk: write music, not just words...

I thought it might be fun to have a monthly “Craft Talk” - something I’ve learned about writing (and have most likely learned the hard way.)

So here’s our inaugurul post: to keep your reader interested, vary your sentence length.

The following example is from legendary copywriter and writing teacher Gary Provost (via Nathan Baugh, on Twitter).

Isn’t that divine?

So brilliantly constructed.

May you vary your sentence length and let the reader hear your music!

(how do you think I did with those last three sentences?)

Try it and let me know.

Amy ❣️

Come Along With Me is a reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Come See Me, Chickadees!

This weekend! Sign up HERE - it’s FREE!

School Visits!

There’s plenty of summer left, right?

BUT - I want to visit you this fall! If you’re a teacher, librarian, book club, or parent who would like to book a McNifficent author visit (for any of my books!) please be in touch!

ICYMI: The McNifficent’s is for sale. Here’s a recent review so you’ll want to read it:

I Love the Science: Spirituality is good for our mental health (true story)

Let’s Play! Unsupervised free play is among the most powerful and least expensive ways to bring down rates of mental illness…

I loved playing with Barbies: Is Barbie a feminist icon? (fascinating, and also: it is SO DIZZYING to be a woman in today’s culture. Culture is constantly changing, which is why we should resist letting culture define our worth. RESIST.)

P.S. On the running front: did you know I love to run? Alas, I pulled my adductor muscle whilst playing soccer a week ago (I am ALWAYS pulling something playing soccer but I just can’t stop playing!). But after two days of rest and ibuprofen, I had a long run of ten miles with running buddy, Maryn, and it was glorious. On the rail trail, surrounded by the trees of New Hampshire. Do you like to run? Running is my drug of choice; it’s how I deal with my inner angst and work out my best plot points.

Favorite running shoes: Saucony (light and cushiony!) You?

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Published on August 08, 2023 04:42

#3 What to Read

I finished reading three books in July and listened to one audiobook, which is a lot for me. I want to read more, but the only time I actually do is right before falling asleep or in the car before getting carsick easily (I keep trying!) I once read in Stephen King’s excellent ON WRITING that he writes every morning (taking only two days off: Christmas and 4th of July) and then he reads all afternoon. What a lovely work day!

Alas, this is not my life. He also had wife Tabitha (and likely extra help) for childcare, bills, cleaning, meal planning, appointments, etc etc (she’s also his first reader and editor).

I’m the writer and the Tabitha. I’m also ignoring the state of the bathrooms as we sit here together. And before I clean them, I WILL write my next chapter.

BUT - I did read in July! Here are my recommendations -

Come Along With Me is a reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han: Admittedly, I was a skeptic, expecting fluff, but I also wanted to know how Jenny Han created such a hit. And…I was surprised at how much I liked it! If you like a YA coming-of-age love story and the complexities of childhood/teen friendships with a beach setting, this one’s for you. It’s three-book series and now a Netflix hit. This first book was published in 2009 so it’s had some staying power - with powerhouseJenny Han also behind the hit Netflix series.

Takeaway: try new books and genres!

SILENT SOULS WEEPING: DEPRESSION, SHARING STORIES, FINDING HOPE by Jane Clayson Johnson: “Using the power of story, nationally recognized journalist Jane Clayson Johnson shines a light on the desperate, dark, and lonely reality faced by those who struggle with clinical depression.

Sharing her own difficult experiences, along with those of dozens of men, women, and children in the Church who have suffered from depression, Jane offers support, understanding, and light for all who feel hopeless in the face of this devastating illness.”

I want to open a dialogue, a new level of honesty, authenticity, and hope for those who suffer with depression. We need to reach out and help each other and share our stories so that no one is alone in this struggle.

I loved it. Nearly every page is dog-eared. Everyone, especially those within religious communities will benefit from reading this.

THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse. I wanted a thriller and it was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick so it had to be good, right? The positive: I kept turning the pages because I wanted to know the ending. Detective Elin Warner has survived a childhood childhood and is now on police medical leave and can’t commit to her partner b/c of unresolved trauma. Now she’s at a sinister, isolated converted sanatorium for her brother’s engagement party - and there’s a killer on the loose. Otherwise, I didn’t connect to the characters, writing, or over-the-top plot. But I kept turning pages, so that's very interesting to me…!

SAVE THE CAT: THE LAST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING YOU’LL EVER NEED by hit screenplay writer Blake Snyder. I’ve read Save the Cat for novelists and thought I’d give this a try - wouldn’t it be fun to go all Damon/Affleck and write a great screenplay? Truly, this is a phenomenal, engaging how-to book. Snyder reads the audio (free on hoopla!) and is so captivating. There are follow-up books, websites, worksheet downloads, beat sheets, and a million blog posts because it’s SO GOOD and motivating and exciting and…!

What are you reading? Do tell.

Amy ❣️

THE MCNIFFICENTS NEEDS YOUR HELP!

I’ve linked to an article below about the state of middle grade fiction. Sales are down across the board, especially for hardcover. Big box stores are stocking fewer children’s books without seeing positive (and many) reviews. Could you help? I would be so grateful if you would leave a review on Amazon HERE or Goodreads HERE.

Reviews help readers discover a book, which prompts more reviews, which leads to the algorithm taking notice and promoting your book. This prompts the publisher to take notice, increase promotion, and increases the likelihood of extending another book contract (and I’d really like to write another book)!

If you can take five minutes to leave a review, I am so grateful. PLEASE AND THANK YOU 😚

Help these kids find their audience :)

If you’re so inclined, here are other ways to help:

*Media connections

*Invite me to your classroom, library, event

*Talk about this book on social media

*Word of mouth recommendation!

This Week’s Round-Up:

Wear your sunscreen: What’s better, Supergoop or Trader Joe’s “dupe”($30 cheaper than Supergoop)? Here’s Dr. Daniel Sugai & science-backed skin content

Price drop! The McNifficents on Amazon

The Shifting Middle Grade Market : Publisher’s Weekly & How to Sell a Book

Fueled by a Foul: Learn from Lindsey Horan’s header. Channel the anger. So GOOD I screamed! Are you watching the women’s world cup? I love it.

Messi in Miami: is now playing for the USA! You like Messi, you’ll like THIS

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Published on August 01, 2023 08:38

What I Read #3

I finished reading three books in July and listened to one audiobook, which is a lot for me. I want to read more, but the only time I actually do is right before falling asleep or in the car before getting carsick easily (I keep trying!) I once read in Stephen King’s excellent ON WRITING that he writes every morning (taking only two days off: Christmas and 4th of July) and then he reads all afternoon. What a lovely work day!

Alas, this is not my life. He also had wife Tabitha (and likely extra help) for childcare, bills, cleaning, meal planning, appointments, etc etc (she’s also his first reader and editor).

I’m the writer and the Tabitha. I’m also ignoring the state of the bathrooms as we sit here together. And before I clean them, I WILL write my next chapter.

BUT - I did read in July! Here are my recommendations -

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THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han: Admittedly, I was a skeptic, expecting fluff, but I also wanted to know how Jenny Han created such a hit. And…I was surprised at how much I liked it! If you like a YA coming-of-age love story and the complexities of childhood/teen friendships with a beach setting, this one’s for you. It’s three-book series and now a Netflix hit. This first book was published in 2009 so it’s had some staying power - with powerhouseJenny Han also behind the hit Netflix series.

Takeaway: try new books and genres!

SILENT SOULS WEEPING: DEPRESSION, SHARING STORIES, FINDING HOPE by Jane Clayson Johnson: “Using the power of story, nationally recognized journalist Jane Clayson Johnson shines a light on the desperate, dark, and lonely reality faced by those who struggle with clinical depression.

Sharing her own difficult experiences, along with those of dozens of men, women, and children in the Church who have suffered from depression, Jane offers support, understanding, and light for all who feel hopeless in the face of this devastating illness.”

I want to open a dialogue, a new level of honesty, authenticity, and hope for those who suffer with depression. We need to reach out and help each other and share our stories so that no one is alone in this struggle.

I loved it. Nearly every page is dog-eared. Everyone, especially those within religious communities will benefit from reading this.

THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse. I wanted a thriller and it was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick so it had to be good, right? The positive: I kept turning the pages because I wanted to know the ending. Detective Elin Warner has survived a childhood childhood and is now on police medical leave and can’t commit to her partner b/c of unresolved trauma. Now she’s at a sinister, isolated converted sanatorium for her brother’s engagement party - and there’s a killer on the loose. Otherwise, I didn’t connect to the characters, writing, or over-the-top plot. But I kept turning pages, so that's very interesting to me…!

SAVE THE CAT: THE LAST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING YOU’LL EVER NEED by hit screenplay writer Blake Snyder. I’ve read Save the Cat for novelists and thought I’d give this a try - wouldn’t it be fun to go all Damon/Affleck and write a great screenplay? Truly, this is a phenomenal, engaging how-to book. Snyder reads the audio (free on hoopla!) and is so captivating. There are follow-up books, websites, worksheet downloads, beat sheets, and a million blog posts because it’s SO GOOD and motivating and exciting and…!

What are you reading? Do tell.

Amy ❣️

THE MCNIFFICENTS NEEDS YOUR HELP!

I’ve linked to an article below about the state of middle grade fiction. Sales are down across the board, especially for hardcover. Big box stores are stocking fewer children’s books without seeing positive (and many) reviews. Could you help? I would be so grateful if you would leave a review on Amazon HERE or Goodreads HERE.

Reviews help readers discover a book, which prompts more reviews, which leads to the algorithm taking notice and promoting your book. This prompts the publisher to take notice, increase promotion, and increases the likelihood of extending another book contract (and I’d really like to write another book)!

If you can take five minutes to leave a review, I am so grateful. PLEASE AND THANK YOU 😚

Help these kids find their audience :)

If you’re so inclined, here are other ways to help:

*Media connections

*Invite me to your classroom, library, event

*Talk about this book on social media

*Word of mouth recommendation!

This Week’s Round-Up:

Wear your sunscreen: What’s better, Supergoop or Trader Joe’s “dupe”($30 cheaper than Supergoop)? Here’s Dr. Daniel Sugai & science-backed skin content

Price drop! The McNifficents on Amazon

The Shifting Middle Grade Market : Publisher’s Weekly & How to Sell a Book

Fueled by a Foul: Learn from Lindsey Horan’s header. Channel the anger. So GOOD I screamed! Are you watching the women’s world cup? I love it.

Messi in Miami: is now playing for the USA! You like Messi, you’ll like THIS

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Published on August 01, 2023 08:38

Love like you are running out of time

On Sunday I went to a funeral. My friend Denise spoke so beautifully about David that I asked for her remarks so I could paint them.

I’ve long observed - our greatest joys in this life are family relationships. I’ve also long observed - our greatest grief and pain come from family relationships.

Denise said that she believed David would say -

LOVE LIKE YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME

be SLOW TO ANGER

QUICK TO FORGIVE

HAVE MERCY

David wasn’t particularly religious, but he was spiritual. He had written in a red-letter bible (did you know a red-letter bible is a bible that highlights all of the words Jesus said in red? I didn’t!) that he had figured something out. If this was it - amen, David. Amen.

It reminds me a favorite poem, The Summer Day:

Tell me, what else should I have done?Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?Tell me, what is it you plan to dowith your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver

Amy ❣️