💌 Daily Writing Devotionals for Summer Inspiration
Dearest camerados,
We all deal with rejection and uncertainty in different ways. My book has been on sub since Valentine's Day and this is how I'm dealing with it (see photo above). I haven't had anything resembling faith in publishing since I got my first book deal, but I've never been on sub this long, and certainly not for a book I know is the best I've written. We've talked about liminal spaces before, and this is one I'm still discovering how best to navigate.Â
I had a friend tell me I was dealing with the ups and downs of this sub (got a film agent! really famous people reading the book! no one wanting a book about war right now!) with "remarkable grace." Meditation and mindfulness help me have a felt sense of impermanence that is healthy and generative for prioritizing what matters in life, but it's still hard. I know the work I continue to do with not putting my worth in the work and being in relationship with my inner critic and cultivating self-compassion is essential. All of this has allowed me to stop being that girl forever waiting on the train platform for a ride that may never come. Life is so short. I'm seeing that more and more with sick friends and family members, with everything happening in the world. I simply don't have time to give any more fucks about this business than I already have.
Does that mean I'm giving up? No way! But it does mean I have a life outside of writing now, and that I encourage my students and writers I work with to get lives, too. Actual hobbies. No guilt when you want to garden instead of locking yourself in a dark room to write. Knowing the work will be there when you are ready.
We can live lives that inspire us to write, that allow us to have joy in putting pen to paper, a love for this calling that is outside of performance or expectations or business. That's not giving up. It's putting your attention on what matters - you, the work, your relationship to the world - and rising above the fray of publishing.Â
And, what do you know? This whole loving your writing and not letting publishing be the thief of your joy is a strategy that actually helps you realize your goals...
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When I heard the news that one of my writers has just won the Los Angeles Book Prize for their incredible novel about Czech youth resistance, it's hard to lose faith in words and in the long game of never giving up and telling the stories your heart needs to tell, trends and publishers and numbers be damned.Â
Here's Lyn's testimony from back when we worked together several years ago:
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I came to Heather because I needed to get past a traumatic experience and reboot my career. Heather helped me identify what was most important to me in terms of my writing and how to let go of misconceptions that were holding me back.
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As a result, I have considered avenues that I had dismissed earlier. I’ve learned to own my values and my words, take control of my process and not cede the direction of my career to others.
As a neurodiverse author, Lyn has had to overcome so many challenges in publishing, not to mention the lack of popularity of historical YA! I remember looking at early pages of this book when she came to a revision retreat I created at Highlights Foundation several years ago....and now here we are.Â
If that isn't reminder enough that we just need to keep loving the work and doing the work and not getting bogged down by the business, I don't know what is.
Some icing on the inspiration cake: one of the writers that I talked about a few months ago in this post, Deborah Crossland, is going to be on Good Morning America this Friday talking about her new book! What?! Deb came to me during a time of major transition and she counts Writing Bingeable Characters as one of the things that has helped her most with her novel (ahem), which came out this week. You can follow her here to catch her spot on Friday.
As you read this, I'll be en route to Croatia for two weeks and I'm NOT BRINGING MY LAPTOP. People, this is huge. I have never had the courage to do that, not since I've been serious about my writing. I have a journal and pens and tiles for Zentangles and sashiko embroidery. I've got awesome books to read (don't even get me started on Elizabeth Gilbert trying to censor all writers everywhere who want to write a book setting in a certain country). Most important: I have sunscreen and my bathing suit. I can't wait to report back to you from the land of well-filling versus the trenches of the craft. I have no doubt that spending some time in King's Landing will help me with the re-boot of one of my fantasy novels that's been languishing in a desk drawer. Or maybe not. Maybe it will just help me be more me, since travel is a big part of who I am. But I still want to be connected to my words and writer self. How to do that?Â
One of the things that's supporting me falling back in love with my writing practice are what I've taken to calling "writing devotionals."
If you grew up Christian, you might remember those little prayer books that you could get at church, or the more substantial ones you could purchase in the Christian section of the bookstore. My Gram still has one that she reads every morning, not long after she wakes up. She keeps it in the bathroom, naturally. A good writer friend lamented the fact that Christians seem to have cornered the market on this concept of the devotional and we both resolved to have ones that suited our current needs. We have them in other traditions, too, but they don't seem to be as part of the culture.Â
Devotionals are great. They're meant to be read in the morning as a way to center your day around what matters most to you. They're a good way to set an intention, keep yourself honest, and not fall into the hustle-bustle of this mad world before you've even rubbed the sleep out of your eyes.Â
They're short. Some are just a paragraph. It's not meant to take forever and, in fact, the longer it is, the less likely you'll be able to keep up the practice.Â
Summer is such a tough time for writers. It's a really extroverted, outdoors time, which isn't so conducive to writing. Lots of socializing, trips, upending of routines, kids or spouses home, visitors. The push-pull writers feel in this season can be so painful. You want to stay committed to your practice, but you also want to be with your dear ones and enjoy the sunlight.Â
Permission not to write this summer.Â
Permission to write whatever you want.Â
Permission to daydream.
Permission to read all the books you want, not the ones you "should."Â
Permission to let this season of your life be what it needs to be.Â
Permission to rest, laugh, play, frolic, and otherwise enjoy your existence.Â
Permission to quit.Â
Permission to recommit.Â
Permission to be kind to yourself.Â
To that end, I've compiled a list of writer devotionals that are perfect for summer, when it's tough to get into the writer's seat but you want to remain in relationship with your words, get a little inspiration, some of that writer glow. Most have short chapters or are a single page, perfect for a cool dip into familiar and loved waters. May these be of benefit!
(For those of you who still want to make some time for the writer's seat, click below to get my free 31 Days of Writing Workbook for some summer fun.)
If you only get one book, this is the one!!! This a little-known gem that you will turn back to again and again. Mindfulness and writing in one place. Very short snippets of thoughts on writing and paying attention, good prompts if you want them, two women in conversation about the good stuff. This is something I'm forever passing along to any writer who let me evangelize to them about mindfulness. So, like, every writer.Â
I often recommend this to my writers, though this is a new version of the original book, which mostly had men. Short and snappy, each profile is sure to give you a little inspiration for your own daily rituals around creative work.Â
This is such a treasure. The podcast is phenomenal too, if you, like me, enjoy having Irish men read you beautiful poems and then tell you why they're such good pieces of writing. You can read a poem, then his short thoughts on it. Lovely!
Oh, how I love this book. I got it for Christmas from my husband because he knows how much I love Sophie Blackall. I've been sending this to dear ones since. It just makes me happy. And I re-connect to my own artist's curiosity and love of simple beauty and joys. It also make me want to write! I think because of her great attention to things we often overlook.Â
Many of you know I ADORE this book and am always shoving it into people's hands. Each chapter is short, playful, and inspiring, with tons of fun word play that you can choose to do on your own. If you're looking for the occasional writing prompt, this is great fun, too. You don't have to be a poet! You just need to love words.Â
I admit, I don't love this book, but it fits the bill in a pinch. Great quotes and fun things to think about. You can read each entry in about two minutes. Could be a good thing to just leave in the kitchen and read when the pasta water is boiling.Â
I bought this for myself at an adorable little bookshop on the shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais, MN and it has become a tonic at night. I love the images, the weird little stories, the dreamlike quality of it all. If you want something immersive and expansive, you'll love this. (Be sure not to accidentally buy the "silent" version, which is just the images and no words....I accidentally did that to a friend and was sad).Â
Here's to us all doing right by the miracle of being alive in this messy, beautiful, maddening world...and then writing about it, when we feel like it.Â
P.S.
Because I'm about to start my Master's in Clinical Social Work to help creatives even more, I'm not currently taking on any new clients for creative seasons. I also won't be teaching any live classes for a while.Â
However, I'm still doing Breakthrough Calls. They're 60-minutes and $150 per call, or you can get a package. Think of it as writing therapy. We talk your books, being stuck, strategize, get you on track, process, practice, all of it.Â
These calls are juicy and generative and have been so helpful to writers who are ready to give their work and themselves the attention it deserves. I call them Breakthroughs for a reason!
If you're ready to get some support, I'll be scheduling calls as soon as the last week of July for new clients. If you book now, you'll be able to schedule through September.Â