Friday Reads 4.5.24

Interim Step Three: Let's Talk About ... Friday Reads 4.12.24

Friday Reads 4.5.24

It’s Friday, and you know what that means. Grab a cuppa, and let’s talk about what we’re reading!

Welcome to April—and the chaos that is spring weather. We had tornado watches on Tuesday. It is not my favorite. I love a good thunderstorm, as does Jordan, but the possibility of tornados sets off a low-level anxiety that shakes me to the core. Happily, our porch seems to be a barometer, and it said no tornados. It has yet to be wrong. I’m starting to trust it.

So that day of anxiety drove me to work on the new book, and sure enough, in my heightened state, I realized something was wrong. Did it tell me what? Of course not. So I was up most of Tuesday night thinking. I finally decided it was time for an editorial call with my agent, and we talked at length about what was bothering me. Of course, she saw the issue right away, and we talked it out, and I’ve spent the rest of the week fixing it. It’s just a character issue…but it was a big one. Sometimes, it really helps to have someone else’s brain on a problem. Don’t ever hesitate to ask your critique partner or editor or agent or friend to be a sounding board. It’s quite helpful. (If you’re part of the 22 Steps community, you can always reach out to each other in the chat…)

The reason I even landed on the issue was reading this great interview that Clay Stafford did with Jeffrey Deaver. In it, he talks about outlining. He says, “Writing from an outline might work and does for many writers, but I realized it didn’t work for me because I wasn’t getting an organic story. The characters weren’t as rich as I wanted because they were sort of set at the beginning.”

Boom goes the dynamite. Y’all know I don’t normally outline. What I realized is though I have an idea of the story, and can outline that, the joy of writing is the discovery of the character. Part of the issue I just solved was I wasn’t connecting the way I should be with the main character.

Another must-read this week comes from , talking in particular about the New York Times: Why the bestseller list should not be your goal.

I agree with this, and here’s why. You have absolutely zero control over the list. But you do have control over your work. Write the best book you can, every time. My goal is to finish. Finishing keeps you in the game — and staying in the game is what makes your career.

I finished A KILLING COLD by Kate Alice Marshall and wow. I loved this book. It’s not up for preorder yet, but when it is, I will get y’all a link. Such a great story and a compelling character to root for. (We’re in character mode this week, obviously.)

I started a superb book called THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW by I.S. Berry. It’s a debut spy thriller and has been nominated for the Thriller Award. I can see why. It’s lyrical and shocking and I am here for a female-written spy thriller every day of the week.

I also grabbed LILITH by Erik Rickstad. I’ve seen a lot of folks talking about it, and the premise is fascinating. If anyone’s read it, let me know.

I have IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME by Alex Finlay on my side table. Alex’s books are always winners, and I have no doubt I’ll devour this one this weekend. It’s getting unbelievable early press!

And I’m almost finished with SLOW PRODUCTIVITY. Cal’s book is so thought-provoking. I am trying to process how it applies to what I already do—obviously, by its very nature, novel writing is the ultimate in slow productivity—but also in how I tackle the myriad projects on my plate. Do less. Do Better. Know Why. has been my mantra for a few years now. This brings it all home.

That’s it from me. How about you? Good week? What are you reading this weekend?

PS: Kathy Branfield, you are my ARC winner of A VERY BAD THING from last week. Please send me your mailing address, and I’ll mail it to you!

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