Amy Makechnie's Blog, page 9
April 9, 2024
craft talk: does excellence require obsession?
I’ve come to believe that to become really good at anything, there has to be a near-obsessive amount of time and single-mindedness to that one thing. I think quite a bit about Malcolm Gladwell and his ten thousand hours theory to attain mastery (and then wrote a book about it!)
I gravitate toward balance (homeostasis for you body nerds!) Sure, I can get fixated on topics from the important to the very unimportant. I like routines and a schedules, but can also go with the flow.
It’s fine is one of my go-to life mantras. Go ahead and choose the restaurant, I really don’t care (mostly).
There are exceptions. I will obsessively pick out all of the raw onions in my salad, edit this newsletter enough times to drive me mad, and if I hurt your feelings, I will obsess until we are okay - and if it doesn’t feel okay…I will obsess.
Miriam Webster: obsessed; obsessing; obsesses
: to haunt or excessively preoccupy the mind of
Are great writers prone to obsessive personality traits? E.B. White’s lifelong preoccupation with words and animals produced some of our favorite children’s stories (and even E.B. White was overwhelmed by his inbox!)
I on the other hand had a terrible time picking a college major. Picking one thing was a little obsessive, wasn’t it? Couldn’t I be a heart surgeon, teacher, journalist, actress, and professional ballroom dancer all at the same time? (I mean, okay, I was never going to be a heart surgeon).
There are regrets.
Exhibit A: running. I run multiple times a week, have an extensive and delightfully bright Saucony shoe collection, track my mileage on Strava, and many of my daily texts are arranging where and what time to meet. I suppose it preoccupies my mind a great deal, but I wouldn’t say it’s obsessive. Therefore, I’m destined to be merely good, but not great. Deep down I believe that if I had cared more, obsessed more, especially in high school, I could have been more than good.
And I’ll confess that I secretly still visualize myself running in the Olympics and playing in the women’s world cup (which science and aging would happily and easily disprove, but whatever) yet I am totally unwilling to devote more time to achieving either endeavor.
Do you think we are sometimes afraid to be obsessive because we’re actually afraid to be great? That’s a little trippy.
From Marianne Williamson:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.I don’t know.
But I do know that my brain actively rebels against the obsessive.
Therefore, will I ever be truly excellent at anything?
I’m such a non-perfectionist that I’m honestly bewildered when someone laments how perfectionism has caused a lot of problems in their inner lives, how their work is never “good enough,” how they just can’t walk away from the dishwasher until it’s emptied. What? Let me show you.
I’m afraid my cheerful SHIP YOUR WORK and “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good” might come across as very simplistic and unsympathetic.
On the other hand, I’m not the person you want to ask to put the finishing touches on your kitchen ceiling paint job. I’ll wipe off the paint, leaving a faint smudge and say, it’s fine.
It will not be excellent.
In a recent newsletter email, Cal Newport (Slow Productivity, A World Without Email, Digital Minimalism, and Deep Work) wrote about the “Slow Pursuit of Excellence.” He named three things that would help us get there:
do you like my nails? I had my first gel manicure. I might be obsessed :)Do Fewer Things
Work at a Natural Pace
Obsess Over Quality
#3 supports the first two, because obsessing over quality (which requires time and deep focus) means we must do fewer things. Which frees us to work at a slower, more natural pace. This is incredibly appealing to my often-frenzied-juggling-too-many-things-and-endless-emails brain. Can you relate?
Professionally speaking, its words that get under my skin. Perhaps they do haunt me. I’ll often wake up with the solution to my novel’s plot point worked out by those creatures upstairs. The brain, apparently, knows how to subconsciously obsess.
So I’m mulling this over. Important: it’s not merely obsessing, but obsessing over quality.
Currently, these three little steps are taped at eye level at my writing desk. I’m trying.
Do you have regrets related to obsession? Too much or not enough?
Perhaps this is our great task: knowing when to fixate more, and knowing when to let it go.
Have you found that doing less, working more slowly, and obsessing over quality is a formula for excellence? I’d love to hear.
Amy
WORD OF THE DAY: HOMEOSTASIS
ho·me·o·sta·sis (noun): the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.
Reading: Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
Listening: Pulitzer Prize winning Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. THE VOICE and writing is astonishingly good. Hoopla.com for the free audio! *Fair amount of language.
Watched: The Solar Eclipse!!! You?
Drawing: There’s struggle and beauty adjusting to newborn life. I love (and am a bit jealous of ) how is capturing his baby boy’s early days…
Diet Coke? No! Since lent, I have only had one and sadly(?), it made my stomach hurt
Onward.
Lit is 100% reader-supported. If you’d like to support my work, buy my books, host an author visit, or become a paid subscriber. Thank you!
April 2, 2024
Stalk Your Heroes and Other Fan Girl Advice
On Friday night I drove to Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, NH to see author-illustrators Shannon Hale and Leuyen Pham. I was sweating I was so excited! The excitement was equally or even more so than when I saw U2, Dave Matthews or Harry Potter on Broadway.
Hale and Pham were on book tour, having traveled all the way from Utah and California to visit schools out east to promote their latest collaboration: Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn. And if that isn’t a great name, what is?!
The bookstore was filled with giggling excited children and adults as Shannon and Leuyen read Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn out loud. They delighted us all by taking turns with the voices.
the next time I’m reading to kis, I want to wear a kitty-corn headbandShannon writes the text to the books and Leuyen does all of the illustrations. Here’s a Publisher’s Weekly interview. Their other books together include the Best Friends series (based on Shannon’s real middle-school life), Kitty-Corn series, and The Princess in Black series.
Pham is the illustrator but she had Hale draw!One of my favorite parts of the night was when Leuyen said, YOU CANNOT MAKE A MISTAKE IN ART. You can make mistakes in science and in math (two plus two always equals four), but in art, you just keep making lines and adding color and YOU CANNOT BE WRONG.
I think every adult in the room needed to hear that.
For each book signed, Shannon wrote a note and Leuyen drew a picture of YOU (with kitty-corns) right there and then - amazing. I will cherish this forever.
It was all very inspiring.
Here’s my encouragement:
GO SEE THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE AND ADMIRE.
Bookstores and libraries are constantly hosting author events for free.
Listen. Ask questions. How do the creators do what they do?!
I had been on the fence about going (Friday night, cold outside, I could be in pajamas). But I went and of course had no regrets (story of my life). Instead, I walked away empowered, inspired, sweaty, and with ideas bursting from my brain.
The more artists, illustrators, and creators (or any kind) I meet, the more I realize how possible it is for ordinary people to create extraordinary things.
Ordinary people who put in hours and hours of time to perfect a craft produce extraordinary things - things we love, words we quote, pictures we dream of.
In addition to that night, I stood in line with fellow children’s writer Kari Allen, who gave me the exact pep talk I needed.
Humans are amazing. It reminded me of the quote: we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
p.s. Please don’t actually stalk your heroes; that is not the purpose of this message.
In the spirit of ideas brimming and bursting from the brain, I thought I’d be vulnerable (hey, it’s a characteristic of SUPERCOMMUNICATORS) and show you some recent sketches. Will any of these ideas every turn into a picture book? Probably not, it doesn’t matter, but it’s still fun to create.
the bubbles are things I thought she thought when I was a child…
my mother is truly an endless writing inspiration :)Inspiration is EVERYWHERE.
That is all.
What picture book authors and/or illustrators do you stalk/obsess/fangirl over?! And what picture books DO YOU WANT TO WRITE or draw?
Amy 🌺
Happy April!
Lit is 100% reader-supported. If you’d like to support my work, buy my books, host an author visit, or become a paid subscriber. Thank you!
March 26, 2024
#9 What to Read
book header artwork by elizabethwadestudios
Hello friends. How are you?
We were hit with a monster snowstorm this weekend. Buried in snow and ice, it was the perfect reason to snuggle under the covers with the hot pad (our pellet stove also decided to die) to read, nap, and watch episodes of Gilmore Girls (unlike many in New Hampshire, we thankfully had power). These blissful activities were enjoyed with my birthday girl, Paige, who said, “this is my last year as a child.” I weep.
Every hour or so, we let the dog out to romp, shoveled (which felt fruitless because it.just.kept.snowing) but it was good exercise and, fine - so beautiful. The snow turned into icy rain which made shoveling feel like we were shoveling concrete. Bless the neighbors who came over with a tractor plow. The next morning the whole world was white and all of the trees were covered with glass. We were cold but we had books.
On that note, here is what I read (and listened to) in March….
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: a lonely teacher looking for love, a little boy looking for a mother, a mystery on Clock Island. If you love riddles, this one’s for you.
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono: Written in 1953, a narrator in the French Alps meets a shepherd who is quietly taking on the task of planting one hundred acorns a day to reforest his desolate home region. Simple. Unforgettable.
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg: How does a deeply divided jury come to a consensus? How does a young CIA officer recruit a reluctant foreign agent? Charles Duhigg (The Power of Habit) blends research and storytelling to show what and how to deeply communicate with others. I was especially intrigued by what happened in the writers’ room of The Big Bang Theory to make it such a hit (after the first pilot was a major fail). Great book!
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie: years ago as a teenager, I could be found in the Omaha Public Library trying to decide which Agatha Christie book to check out. Roger Ackroyd is one of my favorites starring “the little man” Hercules Poirot with a twist ending that my mother accidentally blurted out last week :) This was an audiobook listen through hoopla (free library app!) and I highly recommend if you like clean, brilliantly-plotted mysteries that keep you guessing - and hold up decades later.
The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale; lillustrated by LeUyen Pham: Princess Magnolia is having hot chocolate and scones with Duchess Wigtower when the monster alarm rings. A cute and action packed chapter book for those who like their princesses prim and proper and also dressed in black…Shannon and LeUyen will be at Gibson’s Bookstore (MY BOOKSTORE) in Concord, NH, this Friday, March 29th at 6:30p.m.
More books I’m excited to read:
It’s MIDDLE GRADE MARCH and I have a whole stack of great middle grade books on my bedside table I’m excited to share with you next month.
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (2017) wrote such an excellent description that this sounds like a must-read.
On All Other Nights: A Passover Story in 14 Stories, edited by author Chris Baron, Joshua S. Levy, and Naomi Milner, “is a joyful middle-grade anthology centered around Passover—from an exciting array of bestselling and award-winning Jewish creators.”
Leif Enger has a book coming on April 2! “Set in a not-too-distant America, I CHEERFULLY REFUSE is the tale of Rainy, an aspiring musician setting sail on Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, bookselling wife.” Intriguing, no? Enger’s first novel, PEACE LIKE A RIVER (2001) remains a favorite book EVER.
Mae Respicio and Laurie Morrison both have middle grade books coming on April 9!
As per usual, SO MANY GOOD BOOKS, so little time…
What are you reading?
Amy ☘️
Easter: Do you celebrate? It’s Holy Week. A family Easter plan I’m studying.
Watching: Author, podcaster, and Duke divinity instructor Dr. KateKate Bowler’s daily lent devotionals on Instagram. Short, deep, so good.
Eating: Our favorite chocolate cake recipe. Paige made me do it - it was her birthday!!!! Watch her walk into the ocean. In March. It’s a grandma tradition thing.
Not Drinking: Diet Coke. I gave it up for lent and I’m so proud of myself for not perishing. or sneaking it. The psychology of habits and “habit triggers” and “habit replacements” is so intriguing.
Price Drop: The McNifficents in hardcover has dropped to $12.99 on Amazon!
School Visits: I’ll be at Keene State College talking to a creative writing class on April 1. I’d love to visit your school, too. Be in touch, will you?!
Lit is 100% reader-supported. If you’d like to support my work, buy my books, host an author visit, or become a paid subscriber. Thank you!
#9 March Quick Lit
book header artwork by elizabethwadestudios
Hello friends. How are you?
We were hit with a monster snowstorm this weekend. Buried in snow and ice, it was the perfect reason to snuggle under the covers with the hot pad (our pellet stove also decided to die) to read, nap, and watch episodes of Gilmore Girls (unlike many in New Hampshire, we thankfully had power). These blissful activities were enjoyed with my birthday girl, Paige, who said, “this is my last year as a child.” I weep.
Every hour or so, we let the dog out to romp, shoveled (which felt fruitless because it.just.kept.snowing) but it was good exercise and, fine - so beautiful. The snow turned into icy rain which made shoveling feel like we were shoveling concrete. Bless the neighbors who came over with a tractor plow. The next morning the whole world was white and all of the trees were covered with glass. We were cold but we had books.
On that note, here is what I read (and listened to) in March….
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: a lonely teacher looking for love, a little boy looking for a mother, a mystery on Clock Island. If you love riddles, this one’s for you.
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono: Written in 1953, a narrator in the French Alps meets a shepherd who is quietly taking on the task of planting one hundred acorns a day to reforest his desolate home region. Simple. Unforgettable.
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg: How does a deeply divided jury come to a consensus? How does a young CIA officer recruit a reluctant foreign agent? Charles Duhigg (The Power of Habit) blends research and storytelling to show what and how to deeply communicate with others. I was especially intrigued by what happened in the writers’ room of The Big Bang Theory to make it such a hit (after the first pilot was a major fail). Great book!
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie: years ago as a teenager, I could be found in the Omaha Public Library trying to decide which Agatha Christie book to check out. Roger Ackroyd is one of my favorites starring “the little man” Hercules Poirot with a twist ending that my mother accidentally blurted out last week :) This was an audiobook listen through hoopla (free library app!) and I highly recommend if you like clean, brilliantly-plotted mysteries that keep you guessing - and hold up decades later.
The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale; lillustrated by LeUyen Pham: Princess Magnolia is having hot chocolate and scones with Duchess Wigtower when the monster alarm rings. A cute and action packed chapter book for those who like their princesses prim and proper and also dressed in black…Shannon and LeUyen will be at Gibson’s Bookstore (MY BOOKSTORE) in Concord, NH, this Friday, March 29th at 6:30p.m.
More books I’m excited to read:
It’s MIDDLE GRADE MARCH and I have a whole stack of great middle grade books on my bedside table I’m excited to share with you next month.
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (2017) wrote such an excellent description that this sounds like a must-read.
On All Other Nights: A Passover Story in 14 Stories, edited by author Chris Baron, Joshua S. Levy, and Naomi Milner, “is a joyful middle-grade anthology centered around Passover—from an exciting array of bestselling and award-winning Jewish creators.”
Leif Enger has a book coming on April 2! “Set in a not-too-distant America, I CHEERFULLY REFUSE is the tale of Rainy, an aspiring musician setting sail on Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, bookselling wife.” Intriguing, no? Enger’s first novel, PEACE LIKE A RIVER (2001) remains a favorite book EVER.
Mae Respicio and Laurie Morrison both have middle grade books coming on April 9!
As per usual, SO MANY GOOD BOOKS, so little time…
What are you reading?
Amy ☘️
Easter: Do you celebrate? It’s Holy Week. A family Easter plan I’m studying.
Watching: Author, podcaster, and Duke divinity instructor Dr. KateKate Bowler’s daily lent devotionals on Instagram. Short, deep, so good.
Eating: Our favorite chocolate cake recipe. Paige made me do it - it was her birthday!!!! Watch her walk into the ocean. In March. It’s a grandma tradition thing.
Not Drinking: Diet Coke. I gave it up for lent and I’m so proud of myself for not perishing. or sneaking it. The psychology of habits and “habit triggers” and “habit replacements” is so intriguing.
Price Drop: The McNifficents in hardcover has dropped to $12.99 on Amazon!
School Visits: I’ll be at Keene State College talking to a creative writing class on April 1. I’d love to visit your school, too. Be in touch, will you?!
Lit is 100% reader-supported. If you’d like to support my work, buy my books, host an author visit, or become a paid subscriber. Thank you!
March Quick Lit
Hello friends. How are you?
We were hit with a monster snowstorm this weekend. Buried in snow and ice, it was the perfect reason to snuggle under the covers with the hot pad (our pellet stove also decided to die) to read, nap, and watch episodes of Gilmore Girls (unlike many in New Hampshire, we thankfully had power). These blissful activities were enjoyed with my birthday girl, Paige, who said, “this is my last year as a child.” I weep.
Every hour or so, we let the dog out to romp, shoveled (which felt fruitless because it.just.kept.snowing) but it was good exercise and, fine - so beautiful. The snow turned into icy rain which made shoveling feel like we were shoveling concrete. Bless the neighbors who came over with a tractor plow. The next morning the whole world was white and all of the trees were covered with glass. We were cold but we had books.
On that note, here is what I read (and listened to) in March….
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: a lonely teacher looking for love, a little boy looking for a mother, a mystery on Clock Island. If you love riddles, this one’s for you.
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono: Written in 1953, a narrator in the French Alps meets a shepherd who is quietly taking on the task of planting one hundred acorns a day to reforest his desolate home region. Simple. Unforgettable.
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg: How does a deeply divided jury come to a consensus? How does a young CIA officer recruit a reluctant foreign agent? Charles Duhigg (The Power of Habit) blends research and storytelling to show what and how to deeply communicate with others. I was especially intrigued by what happened in the writers’ room of The Big Bang Theory to make it such a hit (after the first pilot was a major fail). Great book!
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie: years ago as a teenager, I could be found in the Omaha Public Library trying to decide which Agatha Christie book to check out. Roger Ackroyd is one of my favorites starring “the little man” Hercules Poirot with a twist ending that my mother accidentally blurted out last week :) This was an audiobook listen through hoopla (free library app!) and I highly recommend if you like clean, brilliantly-plotted mysteries that keep you guessing - and hold up decades later.
The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale; lillustrated by LeUyen Pham: Princess Magnolia is having hot chocolate and scones with Duchess Wigtower when the monster alarm rings. A cute and action packed chapter book for those who like their princesses prim and proper and also dressed in black…Shannon and LeUyen will be at Gibson’s Bookstore (MY BOOKSTORE) in Concord, NH, this Friday, March 29th at 6:30p.m.
More books I’m excited to read:
It’s MIDDLE GRADE MARCH and I have a whole stack of great middle grade books on my bedside table I’m excited to share with you next month.
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (2017) wrote such an excellent description that this sounds like a must-read.
On All Other Nights: A Passover Story in 14 Stories, edited by author Chris Baron, Joshua S. Levy, and Naomi Milner, “is a joyful middle-grade anthology centered around Passover—from an exciting array of bestselling and award-winning Jewish creators.”
Leif Enger has a book coming on April 2! “Set in a not-too-distant America, I CHEERFULLY REFUSE is the tale of Rainy, an aspiring musician setting sail on Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, bookselling wife.” Intriguing, no? Enger’s first novel, PEACE LIKE A RIVER (2001) remains a favorite book EVER.
Mae Respicio and Laurie Morrison both have middle grade books coming on April 9!
As per usual, SO MANY GOOD BOOKS, so little time…
What are you reading?
Amy ☘️
Easter: Do you celebrate? It’s Holy Week. A family Easter plan I’m studying.
Watching: Author, podcaster, and Duke divinity instructor Dr. KateKate Bowler’s daily lent devotionals on Instagram. Short, deep, so good.
Eating: Our favorite chocolate cake recipe. Paige made me do it - it was her birthday!!!! Watch her walk into the ocean. In March. It’s a grandma tradition thing.
Not Drinking: Diet Coke. I gave it up for lent and I’m so proud of myself for not perishing. or sneaking it. The psychology of habits and “habit triggers” and “habit replacements” is so intriguing.
Price Drop: The McNifficents in hardcover has dropped to $12.99 on Amazon!
School Visits: I’ll be at Keene State College talking to a creative writing class on April 1. I’d love to visit your school, too. Be in touch, will you?!
Lit is 100% reader-supported. If you’d like to support my work, buy my books, host an author visit, or become a paid subscriber. Thank you!
March 19, 2024
Are you ready for it?
A mix of great “life things” and “literary” stuff, too.
Listen, kids. When it comes to good writing or anything else worth doing, “it takes as long as it takes. Noticing progress is a great solution for moving forward.” Let it. -book coach
Author was at first hesitant to write about her experience with Turner syndrome and Non-verbal Learning Disorder. What others might call a “disability,” Sarah uses her experience and knowledge to write awesome kid books - fiction with neurodiversity, psychology, and genetics (I am so into this).
“A reader lives 1000 lives before he dies … the man who never reads lives only one.” -George R.R. Martin
I was so so sad to read of Sarah Turner’s passing from cancer on March 2. Her daughter, Abbey, wrote a beautiful tribute to her. Sarah’s enduring message of simplicity, enjoying the every day and ordinary, focusing less on materialism, getting rid of the clutter that fills up our lives has been hugely impactful to me.
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour on Disney+ is about as awesome as can be. Sit back, turn the volume way up, and soak it all in. I’m in awe of Swift’s prolific, brilliant writing - she writes all of her own songs. Unapologetically #swiftie
Ethan Unkleby’s Substack writes (almost) daily Mormon poetry and it’s so deep, so good. Subscribe here:
How to successfully throw a failure party. Children’s author knows how to have fun - FAIL and talk about it. I must have my own failure party asap (and he’s got a new book for us to pre-order).
Last week during spring break, my daughter Paige oh-so-casually walked into the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of March, dunked, and walked back out. Like, for fun. This can be our secret: she’s actually part-mermaid.
She’s 13+ years older now and still walking into the ocean. I stand on the shore with my winter coat on. Because it’s MARCH and COLD.We went to New York City to tour NYU and see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. It was fantastic. Not a musical, but lots of music and wonderful acting. Lesson: try new things! NYC is intimidating to me. I only live five hours away, but had NEVER seen a broadway show before. You know what? It’s not hard. Download the TIX app, Use Google maps, ask other people lots of questions (my cousin Clin), and go places you want to go! WE ATE SO MUCH.
Before the theater was packed for HarryWANT TO SEE: Hadestown with Lola Tung (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and The Great Gatsby with Jeremy Jordan (Iisten to this and never be the same :)
I’m really looking forward to April and May school visits. I love visiting classrooms and am now booking for fall. BE IN TOUCH and let’s have a book party at your school or library! amy.makechnie@gmail.com
Hope you wore your green yesterday and didn’t get pinched!
And may the luck of the Irish rise up and meet you…
Amy ☘️
p.s. Stay tuned for book recommendations next week - I’ve got good ones!
Lit is 100% reader-supported. If you’d like to support my work, buy my books, host an author visit, or become a paid subscriber. Thank you!
March 12, 2024
Demons Hate Fresh Air
Lin Ullman was the daughter of the famed Swedish filmmaker, Ingmar Bergman, and had this to say about her father’s routine and discipline.
I love the phrase, “demons hate fresh air” and may have recommended it to a couple (or all) of my children during this last month.
I am so on board with the life advice: Get up, Get out, Get to work.
Repeat.
Nature has a way of healing us from the inside out.
Last week I recommended writing a psalm as a way of healing. This week I encourage you to get outside…
climb a tree
walk
run
marvel at icicles
watch for green shoots pushing up through the dirt
see a sunrise
kiss during a sunset
chase a rainstorm
close your eyes and feel the wind
polar plunge
hike
stand at the edge of a cliff
sit on the porch
lay on the wet grass
watch clouds…
…and see if you don’t feel better.
Demons hate fresh air.
Amy ☘️
Lit is 100% reader-supported. If you’d like to support my work, buy my books, host an author visit, or become a paid subscriber. Thank you!
March 5, 2024
How to Write a Psalm
I read a lot about happiness. I’ve read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, and done my own (it’s fun), I follow and read Arthur Brooks, and I’ve taken Dr. Laurie Santos’ class “The Science of Well Being” (or: this is how to be happy) which is the most popular undergrad class at Yale.
Everyone wants to feel happiness. Recently my father asked me what the best thing in the world was. I said Love. He said Peace. The more I thought about this, the more I agreed, while also believing that if you feel peace, it is because you feel love in your heart for all creatures great and small…and this surely, is what happiness is akin to.
Yes, I enjoy a good science-y happiness read, podcast, and Mel Robinson reel and discussion as much as anyone.
But here’s another suggestion: try writing a psalm.
I’ve recently discovered their POWER. And I do not say that lightly. Writing and discussing a psalm’s story structure has transformed my thinking, and therefore, inner peace.
My poor children. In the past month, when they’ve expressed frustration or sorrow, I have just had to blurt out…PSALMS ARE THE ANSWER!
A psalm is defined as “an inspired hymn or poem.”
A psalm is different than a lamentation, which comes from a place of sorrow, complaint, or lament.
A lamentation can be a psalm, but a psalm, by definition is not a lament.
Perhaps the most well known Psalm is Psalm 231, which comes from the King James Version of the Old Testament:
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
So beautiful.
The Old Testament psalms continued on in the New Testament and can be found amongst all sacred literature. Psalms are most often religious, but not always. They are often universal = mortals living in hard world send help please and thank you!
It wasn’t until I tried to write one (Googling their structure helped) that I discovered the pattern - and the power of writing one’s own (do this with a group of students and be AMAZED at what they come up with).
The pattern of a Psalm:
Introductory Cry (who are you addressing? Most often, it is the Lord, Jehovah, a divine and/or higher source of power/universe)
Pour Out (what is the problem? Situation you find yourself in? Sorrow? List it!)
Remember or Recall (when have you felt deliverance or relief? When has God/peace/higher power shown up in your story before?)
Rejoice (praise and thanksgiving)
I find this pattern so intriguing. We all get stuck in the sinkholes of pain and sorrow. We cannot skip over grief. There are times to sorrow and lament and acknowledge pain. Avoidance does us no good.
But we don’t want to stay in the pain.
How do we actually see the light when it’s so dark? How do we get to the other side?
How do we get to a place where we can praise and feel thanksgiving (step 4)?
Here’s the miracle of it all: by remembering and recalling past deliverance (step 3).
Any happiness guru, psychiatrist, teacher will tell you of the power of gratitude. “List ten things you’re grateful for at the end of every day” or “write down three things your grateful for,” or let’s play “thorns and roses.”
It’s all the same thing. You are REMEMBERING the good things of the past so that you can have hope in the future - that those good things will come around again (another reason to keep a journal or record of good times).
This is EXTREMELY powerful.
Thousands of psalms have been written and recorded as song.
My own contemporary favorites include:
Amazing Grace (this version in particular, is wow!)
Ain’t No Grave (shame is a liar; a remake of the Johnny Cash hit and I love it)
Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat (a psalm in Guys and Dolls?! thanx )
It is Well With My Soul (listen to Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abby fame tell the story of this song and I dare you not to cry…I CAN’T DO IT)
When my sister-in-law, Cassie, died very suddenly and unexpectedly, my uncle Ray started sending me psalms. And when his own son died a few years later, he wrote more. And again last year, during a rough time, he sent me more. They felt like a lifeline (keep writing psalms, Ray!)
Psalms are a lifeline. And we don’t skip to the “everything is going to be okay part” until we acknowledge the distress.
The pattern is simple, though not easy. I’ve started, crossed out, and crumbled up my many attempts in the last month. Mostly because I am extremely judgmental of my own writing.
They are hard because you have to dig deep, and that can feel extremely uncomfortable - but that is also why they are so good.
Here is a writing exercise:
Reach for a pen and begin to write
What or to whom is your introductory cry?
What is your pain, problem, situation, dilemma? (a good time to cry and/or scream).
and then…
Remember and recall past deliverance and goodness. It is there - can you see it? Acknowledge it.
The more you start to see, the more you see.
And this is how we get to the praise and thanksgiving.
Isn’t that amazing?
See how this writing exercise makes you feel. Does it have the power to lift you out of discouragement and despair, even momentarily? Where does it take you? What exactly is “the promised land” or “deliverance? Is it peace, metaphorical milk and honey?
You do not have to be particularly religious or even spiritual to write a psalm. The neurologist and writer, Oliver Saks, who once described himself as “an old Jewish atheist”, wrote a collection of essays that was compiled into a book called Gratitude. Look at how he follows the steps of a psalm:
I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and travelled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.
There is not an introductory cry to God, but he is clearly writing to someone. Us, perhaps, humanity. There is the problem of fear and death, then the acknowledgement of all that he has loved and received in life, and the end reads to me as a form of “thank you.”
Or, how about the poem “Loneliness” by Mary Oliver? Her introductory cry comes halfway through the poem to Mother earth. The problem is loneliness, but she is able to recall and remember comfort and quickly get to a place of praise.
Dear friends, when you are trying to get past or through the pain, there are a myriad of things that might help. Sleep, moving, nature, nutrition, anti-depressants, therapy, gratitude, food, friends, journaling…
You could also write a psalm.
Because the connection of asking, acknowledging a higher power continually showing up in our stories, and gratitude has boatloads of science (and happiness) behind it.
Hallelujah.
Amy ☘️
Starting off March with…Reading: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Traveling: to NYC this week
Kids Are Reading Less: Shelves of material await today’s young readers, but electronic devices get in the way first.
Listening: My daughter played me Pitbull singing with Dolly Parton - I was pleasantly pleased and may have danced while driving
Let’s Launch This: The McNifficents is out in paperback in five months (with five star reviews!) Want to read and review a copy? Let me know!
Happy March ☘️
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February 27, 2024
#8 What to Read
I will tell you about the cookie, but first the books:
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See: According to Confucius, "an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian was raised to be of use. Based on the true story of the first female physician in China during the 15th century, Tan learns the ways of medicinal herbs and the “Four Examinations” (looking, listening, touching, and asking) that men can never do with a female patient. This is an absorbing, fascinating and inspiring history (though the arranged marriages and foot bindings will haunt me…)
What Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire Swinarski? An unputdownable middle grade suspense novel! When podcast enthusiast Anna, moves to a new school in the eighth grade, she can’t figure out why no one will talk to Rachel Riley, formerly the most popular girl in the seventh grade. Something happened, but no one will talk. When they do, stories keep changing. This wasn’t just a “cozy” mystery either. There are some really good questions in this book, like when we should let things go, and when we should speak up and stop being complicit…I’m still thinking about it…
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto: There has been a murder, and Vera Wong Zhuzhu, age 60, has found her calling in life: to solve it! Vera can’t remember the last time she had so much fun. People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often. It’s fun, compulsively readable, suspenseful, and has lots of “heart.” Really good (and recently acquired by Warner Bros, Oprah and Mindy Kaling producing…!) I love Vera’s voice.
Big by Vashti Harrison: In the author’s note for this superb picture book, Harrison writes, “In childhood, big is good. Big is impressive, aspirational. But somewhere along the way, the world begins to tell us something different: That big is bad. That being big is undesirable.” Don’t we all need to read more picture books? Winner of the 2024 Caldecott Award, Harrison is both author and illustrator!
Authors and recently wrote a post about how to read 50 (or more) books a year. I’d love to read more, but I don’t take the time until it’s bedtime and I’m nearly passed out. I’ve always viewed reading during the day as a luxury, but maybe that’s not true…I’d like to change my ways.
Two questions:
How do you make time for reading and what did you read in February?!
Amy
Writing News and Publishing Update:I wrote a fast first draft of my next novel in November and December (boarding school mystery!), then put it away for a few weeks while my literary agent read it. She gave it back to me in January with some suggestions (pacing!). I’ve been working hard on it and hope it’s almost ready to *pitch it to my editor…fingers crossed.
My mom and I wrote a middle grade “Halloween Witches Land on Children’s Lawn; Summer Adventures and Mishaps Ensue” book, but it has not (yet) been acquired. I continue to mull what to do with this story that has taken YEARS to write.
I *pitched a picture book the other day. It’s the story of my brother-in-law coming to America on three small fishing boats when he escaped the Vietnam War as a child.
What else in Rejection Land? Well, I just want you to know that I’m in the trenches with you. Write on.
*when I say “pitch” that means sending my manuscript and most convincing email to an acquiring editor (with a big dose of hope and touch of desperation. yay.)
World Read Aloud Day……was super fun! Here’s one of the pictures a class sent me from Texas.
I also spoke to a group of second and third graders. When I told them The McNifficents was a story told from the point of view of the dog, a little girl became extremely excited and said “my mom is reading a story and the dog is the…” narrator? the teacher asked. “Yes!” and we finally figured out it was Lessons in Chemistry. Made my day. I would not have thought to pair the two…speaking of…
And:Watched: Lessons in Chemistry. You must read the book, but I enjoyed the adaption, esp the early episodes. Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott is sensational; I love her brain and her composure.
Eating while reading: Okay, I made King Arthur Flour’s Recipe of the Year: Supersized Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie…and was NOT disappointed. YUM.
Eating while writing: I’m a little sick of my go-to nuts and dried fruit snack. Chips and chocolate are not serving me well. Send suggestions, PLEASE!su
PhD: Enough of you know my daughter, Cope, so I’ll share her big news…she was accepted into the PhD program at Cambridge. She’s waiting for news on funding so she can continue studying the dead queens (it’s actually Anglo-Saxon, Celtic Norse). Congrats!!! Confucius was so wrong. An educated woman is a very useful woman.
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February 20, 2024
Sometimes, all we need is that one thing
Hello February Valentines,
Can we live on red hearts and cut-out sugar cookies a little longer?
Here are ten things I’ve recently enjoyed and hope you do, too…
"I think readers are interested in technical details of a world they don’t know very well…” Doctor at Stanford by day, author by night, Abraham Verghese speaks to verisimilitude (“the appearance of being true or real”). Isn’t verisimilitude a GREAT WORD? Try using it today.
What can the First Lines of the last 30 Newbery Award Winners tell us? WE WANT TO KNOW.
We don’t need to excel at everything. Sometimes, all we need is that one thing. Here’s on Eminem’s notes and song writing process (and his early love of the dictionary). A reminder: Getting really good at something requires a relentless focus ON THAT ONE THING.
“Your dead people are always here, always watching (note to self: stop picking your nose, Aaron really hated it!). The ones you love still love you. Are always sending you little signs and messages that you are loved. You are — believe it or not — going to be okay.” Hello from the Other Side
“What I do know is that those voices are paralyzing, and if we listen to them, we’re likely not to write anything at all. And that’s not a good outcome.” Written weeks ago, I’m still thinking about this terrific read by and how I contort myself and my writing to avoid even potential criticism…
“I am fascinated by the way ideas change society, and I am especially interested in the gap between what people believe and what is actually happening in the real world.” interviews President Biden. Why does he have such faith in the American people?
My husband (Coach Carr) and youngest daughter (Gretchen Wieners) were in Mean Girls this past weekend. Have you ever been in a musical with YOUR DAD? Mean Girls is brilliant satire, but features some of the worst of teenage culture, ugh. Regardless, loved seeing them on stage together.
dang, he’s no longer wearing those short shorts8. WOW writing. In Tuck Everlasting, the author Natalie Babbitt wrote:
“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color.”
Is it possible to forgive and reconnect with an old friend? “Even hearing her name back in the day put a pit in my stomach and made me ashamed, angry, regretful, and sad because ultimately, I really missed her.” This is the most downloaded episode from ‘s friendship podcast, AND…I had totally forgotten I had recorded myself reading a reader dilemma. You’ll find it at the end. My voice doesn’t sound like I think my voice sounds like. Weird.
“It took 1200 chocolate chip cookies to perfect our new recipe of the year.” I made the King Arthur Recipe of the Year: Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are chilling in the fridge as I write this (b/c you have to WAIT to bake). Are they really THE BEST chocolate chipe cookie ever? I’ll let you know!
Amy 💜
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