What good is it if you can't tell the story?
Plus TONS of writing links/resources for now and the new year!
*For writing links and resources, scroll down.*
Nano… Now What?
Who attempted Nanowrimo this year? The goal of National Novel Writing Month is to write 50,000 words in November, which takes a lot of dedication —especially for a month with a major American holiday and a high likelihood of catching the cold or flu. But, even 50K does not a novel make (except if you’re writing middle grade). So if you “won” at Nanowrimo or didn’t quite make your goal, chances are you still have more writing to do.
So now what? Whether you’re starting at page 1 or have written yourself into the mushy middle, how do you keep going until you get to The End?
Why not try one of my courses:
Or, consider accountability coaching. After discussing your writing project and goals, we will set deadlines and I will personally make sure you meet them, ha! Subscribers to my newsletter receive 15% off with the coupon code SUBSTACK15. Oh, and ask me how you can gift accountability coaching to a friend!
I also just learned about the meet-up group called Shut Up & Write. There are in-person chapters all over the country, as well online events. Get together with other writers and crank out more words on your WIP.
You can do it! Finish that novel in 2024!
Experiencing Self vs Narrating Self
I just finished reading Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, in which he makes interesting (and sometimes terrifying) predictions about the future. Probably don’t read this if you’re feeling anxious about AI, that’s all I’m saying.
In one section, Harari talks about the two “selves” within each of us: the experiencing self and the narrating self. The experiencing self is our “moment-to-moment consciousness,” whereas the narrating self interprets our experiences and makes sense of them. The experiencing self lives in the present moment. The narrating self tells stories about the past and makes plans for the future.
(In other words, it’s your narrating self who says “I know I usually have trouble sticking to a writing routine, but I’m turning over a new leaf — I am going to wake up at five a.m. every weekday and finish my novel in three months.” But it’s your experiencing self who, when the alarm beeps at five a.m., smacks the “snooze” button and falls back asleep.)
Harari uses these two different selves as part of a larger argument he’s trying to make, but I thought it was an interesting way to think about storytelling and the human experience. Because that’s what we humans are: storytellers. We are constantly telling ourselves (and others) the story of our lives, interpreting our experiences to make them fit within the narrative we’ve created (or changing the narrative when necessary).
It’s also an interesting way to think about writing. If you are writing in first person present tense, you are perhaps writing from the POV of an experiencing-self narrator. The character is acting/thinking/feeling in the present, so they haven’t had the time or distance to fully interpret what it all means. You might be writing in a more stream-of-consiousness way, or your character (and the reader!) may be trying to interpret events as they happen.
On the other hand, if you’re writing in first person past tense, especially with a narrator who is looking back on a particular time in their life, you are writing from the narrating-self perspective. The narrator has had the time to interpret the events of the past and weave a story about them and what exactly they mean.
The importance of story
In Homo Deus, Harari offers the following thought experiment:
Suppose you can choose between two different vacations, he says. Option 1: Your number one dream vacation, whatever and wherever that may be (he gives the example of Florida, which… come on, dude, let’s dream a little bigger!). Option 2: A fairly standard vacation: nice, but nothing too exciting (he gives the example of visiting Jamestown, Virginia).
The only catch? If you choose option one, as soon as you board the plane you must take a pill that will make you forget your memories of the entire vacation. With option two, your memories stay in tact.
Most people, Harari says, would choose the option that lets them keep their memories. In other words, what good is an amazing experience if we can’t tell the story of it later?
People like my kids better than me
Hi there, it’s me, Eva, still trying to like Instagram, especially now that Twitter/X is rapidly going down the drain. (I haven’t been posting on there lately, but I can’t quite bring myself to delete my account.)
Anyway, I occasionally post my thoughts about books and writing on IG, but the most engagement I’ve gotten by far lately are two videos of me talking about funny things my kids said: how Santa’s magic works, and why Santa has a big belly. Go figure.
Writing News & Resources
For All Writers:
The Women’s Fiction Writers Association has a TON of free writing workshops, critique groups, and webinars, plus upcoming mentorship opportunities.
The 250-word Microfiction Challenge from NYC Midnight kicks off December 8. Register now!
Register now for this free NYE webinar from The Good Story Company: Rock Your Writing Goals, Dec. 31 from 2-3pm.
Check out the meet-up group called Shut Up & Write. There are in-person chapters all over the country, as well online events.
The Writer’s Atelier has a free online writing community with virtual events. If you're local to the Orlando, Florida area, they also have in-person events as well!
Thinking about going to a conference or applying for a residency in 2024? Check out the free searchable database on Poets & Writers. I found a residency on there that I just applied to, and I’m pretty excited about it!
Wild Ink Publishing has a call for submissions for several short story anthologies. Wild Ink is a small indie publisher that also publishes full-length novels, so getting a short story in one of their anthologies can be a good stepping stone to possibly publishing a book with them — see my interview with S.E. Reed. They have open submissions for:
Clio’s Curious Dash Through Time Anthology: Poems and short stories appropriate for middle grade readers (5th-8th grade). This anthology is about historical, contemporary, and futuristic materials. We would like to give readers a timeline of stories focusing on the beginning of time, through to the most fantastical futuristic idea you can possibly imagine. Deadline: January 15.
The Yale Review is accepts pitches on a rolling basis. Seeking diverse, sharp, intelligent voices on a wide range of subjects, from literature, art, history, and politics to film, television, music, & more.
Check out this12-month Group Coaching opportunity for genre novelists.
The folks at Cheshire Novel Prize host a FREE group on their private app called Writers Space where you can talk about writing, ask for BETA readers, and connect with other writers.
Ready to submit a story? Check out this list of 40 Free Writing Contests! And of course, check out NewPages for submission calls from literary magazines and journals.
Check out the Chestnut Review for stubborn artists. Their submissions are always open and they pay $120/piece. They promise to respond in 30 days, which is HUGE in the lit mag space. Free submissions in most genres and free issues online, plus paid feedback options. They also offer workshops and international retreats. Sounds pretty amazing to me.
Check out my list of writing and publishing resources — my very favorite books, websites, and podcasts on writing, publishing, and the creative life.
For KidLit Writers:
SCBWI Members (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the in-person and virtual annual conference will be held February 9-11 in NYC (and online).
Check out Literary Rambles for information on kidlit agents and agent interviews.
From Bitsy Kemper’s blog: over 100 publishers accepting unsolicited picture book manuscripts. (Updated June 2023)
Check out this incredible list of upcoming events for KidLit writers!
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For Querying Writers:
Check out this list of small publishers, most of which do not require agents.
Here’s a query letter template from agent Samantha Wekstein and lots of querying advice from agent Eric Smith.
Find a long list of example query letters on Quite the Query.
Every Friday, Operation Awesome offers one free query critique through their #QueryFriday contest.
Every month I will chose one subscriber for a FREE submission package critique. Send me your query letter and the first two pages of your manuscript, and, if you’re the winner of the month, I will send you back in-depth feedback on both. Interested in receiving a critique? Fill out the form here.
Writing Conferences & Events:
Live in the mid-Atlantic region and looking for a writing retreat get-away?
2024 Winter-on-the-Farm Creative Writing Retreat at ZigBone Farm. Just one hour from DC/Baltimore areas in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains with award-winning writer Diana Friedman. January 12-17, 2024. This retreat is for all writers who want help getting started, shaping and refining existing work, as well as time to write and bond with other writers. Maryland residents can apply for a grant to help cover costs!
The Writer’s Retreat at Good Contrivance Farm. Need to just get away and spend time with your writing? Open year-round, the only requirement for this peaceful retreat north of Baltimore is that you intend to use the time and space to work on your writing. The hen house cottage and barn loft normally book about two months in advance.
The Writing Day Workshop “How to Get Published” Conferences will held both online and in person this year. I attended one of these conferences in person a few years ago, and I thought it was fantastic. I can’t vouch for the virtual version, but there are some benefits: recorded classes, no travel expenses, attend in your comfy pants. Plus, sign up for pitch sessions with agents for $29 a piece. Check out the upcoming conferences:
Writers Digest offers loads of virtual conferences on a variety of publishing and writing craft topics.
AWP 2024 will be held in Kansas City February 7-10 2024, and early bird registration and community scholarship applications are now open!
FREE Virtual Conference from The Writer’s Workout is coming March 2024 -- sign up now to stay in the loop!
Apply for the NYC Publishing Workshop, held April 4-7, 2024, and check out the other writing workshops, retreats, and events from Writing Workshops.
Save the date for the Washington Writers Conference, being held in Bethesda, MD May 3-4, 2024.
Save the date for the awesome Gaithersburg Book Festival (in the DC area): May 18, 2024.
For more writing conferences, check out this list or the free searchable database on Poets & Writers.