Just for Fun
When did you last write simply for the thrill of it?
Writing this newsletter is an act of love and joy. I am committed to delving into the beautiful, the messy and the sublime that is this act of creating through words. Ultimately, my goal is to remind you that you are Write As You Are.
You can support me and my newsletter by:
Sharing it with someone else who might enjoy it/find it helpful
Liking and commenting (the interaction means a lot and is so fun)
Checking out my mentoring offerings 💜
For the last month or so, I have been running an in-person writing workshop called The Writing Cavern, here in the sleepy little beach town where I live. I knew I wanted to create some in-person offerings as I was craving the interaction you get between people in a live writing session.
Readers, it has been such a joy! I leave every week on a high.
It's simple, we spend an hour together, I light a candle and set up the space with a few talismans and then I guide the group through different prompts, usually with a theme running through the session. We’ve looked a lot at the senses and how we can use them as starting points for writing, we’ve tapped into our inner childlike creative by starting the session remembering our favourite books from childhood. I have been so heartened by the way everyone has shown up really ready to write and to engage, asking questions, sharing insights. It’s been really beautiful to see.
It has also been such an important reminder of the joy of writing just simply for writing’s sake. It is so easy to get caught up in writing having to have an outcome— a book, a short story, an essay, publication— that we can forget the pure joy in the act of writing. That simple, yet deeply connected feeling when we spend five minutes conjuring up words just because.
When was the last time you wrote just for fun, just to play around with words, just for the story’s sake, or the writing’s sake? When was the last time you followed an idea simply because it sparked your curiosity and you let it be whatever it needed to be on the page?
Why not start now?
Here’s a prompt we had some fun with a few weeks ago. Set a timer for five minutes and see what arises.
Write a story using the words, sand, wave and boat BUT the story can’t be about the sea.
Have fun!
*I’m planning to offer an online version of The Writing Cavern. Watch this space for more details.
Recommendations
Things I have enjoyed recently…
Letting Go of Being Good: I lapped up this interview with actor Daniel Kaluuya on Rick Rubin’s podcast, running to grab a paper and pen as I was listening to write down the gems. A favourite was “I let go of being good a long time ago... I wanna be honest….It liberates me.”
Traditional vs Self Publishing: I discuss this question a lot with clients. Is it best to be traditionally published or is their book best suited for self-publishing? There is no hard and fast answer but there are some genres that do really well as self-published books and others that would likely be served better by going the traditional route. This article by Jericho is a really helpful guide that answers a lot of questions about this publishing conundrum.
Writers’ Shame: I’m really enjoying Marti Leimbach’s newsletter Great On The Page and was very struck by how candidly she talked about writers’ shame in this particular newsletter.
Family Secrets: I’ve always been fascinated by the topic of families and family secrets. I am also fascinated by the way we often write about things without knowing why, only later to see the patterns. So, this piece by Dani Shapiro Our Family Secret Was Embedded in My Writing Before I Knew the Truth was clearly right up my alley.
Mentoring
I had such an incredible response to the video about my mentoring offerings in my last newsletter that my books for February are completely full. I am very grateful to be working with so many fantastic writers, from novelists and short story writers to memoirists and non-fiction writers. What a delight this work is!
Spaces will be opening up in March (which is next week already!) for new clients so if you would like to work with me, do sign up for a free, twenty-minute, discovery call.
Ooh sign me up for that online version! One day I will visit your magical part of the world again and come in person.
Thank you so much, Susannah, for including me in these great recommendations and for being the lovely supportive person you are!