THE WEEKLY PAGE 📝 No. 217
My tips for creative writing + what to read, watch, listen to and enjoy...
As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I started working on a new creative project recently…a novel! My goal for June was to get it from 20,000 to 30,000 words and I’m closing out this week with that goal achieved:
In case you’re also chipping away at a creative project, here are a few things I’ve found helpful:
📅 Daily Sessions: I schedule a 60-90 minute (novel) writing session most days, usually each weekday afternoon. Not only does this help me prioritize it, but it has also been a motivator for me to finish my other work early and that’s been great.
🧠 Thinking Walks: I’ve been doing a lot of writing in coffee shops or public libraries — and try to pick a location that is a 30-45 minute walk away. I identify what scene I’ll be working on that day, and work through it in my head while I walk. Once I arrive and open my computer, I start writing.
💻 Offline Mode: I’ve been keeping my first draft document in “offline” mode, so that I can write and edit without an internet connection. I try to write for 30 minutes with my laptop entirely offline so I’m not tempted by distractions. After that, I connect — because there are inevitably various things I’ll need to Google (“How long do pheasant eggs incubate?” “How many miles is it from Lofoten, Norway, to San Diego, California?” for example).
📑 Chapter Breakdown: I have a spreadsheet where I organize various metrics and information. I think this is my best piece of advice if you’re writing a book! It has a dozen or so tabs, but the one I’m currently finding the most helpful breaks the book down and provides a 1-sentence summary of what happens in each chapter. As the book grows (it’s already over 100 pages!) this tab has become my lifeline for knowing how the story flows, where to go back and insert new chapters, find certain scenes quickly, etc. (note, I don’t fill this out in advance — but rather, add the summaries once the chapter is written).
😍 Pinterest Board: I’ve also found it really inspiring (and fun!) to have a (private) Pinterest Board dedicated to my novel. I pin locations that could inspire ideas in the book, outfits the characters would wear, food they would eat, things they would see in their daily life. When I feel a little writer’s block coming on, giving that board a scan usually does the trick.
📚 READ: I recently read this great interview of BoyMom author Ruth Whippman with
and thought it sounded like such an interesting book for both parents and non-parents alike. “With young men in the grip of a loneliness epidemic and dying by suicide at a rate of nearly four times their female peers, Whippman asks: How do we raise our sons to have a healthy sense of self without turning them into privileged assholes? How can we find a feminism that holds boys to a higher standard but still treats them with empathy? Whippman digs into the impossibly contradictory pressures boys now face; and the harmful blind spots of male socialization that are leaving boys isolated, emotionally repressed, and adrift.” Learn more about the book here, and see the interview here.📺 WATCH: If you haven’t yet gotten enough of the Barbie craze, get ready for Black Barbie, a documentary that debuted in 2023, ahead of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie blockbuster, and tells the story of the women at Mattel who advocated for the creation of a Black Barbie, which was first released in 1980, 21 years after the creation of Barbie. Mattel’s Barbie line is now considered the most diverse doll line on the market. Watch the trailer here (or below).
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🎧 LISTEN: European elections were held earlier this month, and in the weeks following, many headlines have lamented about the “shift to the right” taking place in Europe. But haven’t we heard this before? And is that really what’s happening? I appreciated this thorough look at the results, and enjoyed their explanation of “The Halo Effect” as it applies to racism. In this context The Halo Effect is when immigrants congregate in a geographical area — racism and bigotry in that area actually decrease, because those living in community with immigrants learn to love, appreciate, and understand them — but often communities nearby (or in a “halo” around the main area) see increased rates of racism and bigotry. Listen here.
🧡 ENJOY: We spent the early part of May cleaning up our garden and giving it a revamp — creating a great space for us to enjoy time outside. We’ve been doing a lot of grilling, and I’ve been rotating various types of salads that are easy to and add grilled protein to. Have been loving this Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Sweet Lime-Garlic Dressing.
MY RECENT ARTICLES:
Thanks for the review of Boymom. It looks fascinating. Will definitely read.
I always enjoy your Weekly Page. This week I especially enjoyed your perspective on organizing our must do's, want to do's, and need to do's. Thanks for all you do.