☀️It Dawned on Me… {#18}
Writing (& other) updates; we need the one and only you @ (in)courage; currently reading, watching, listening
Hello again! 🙋♀️
Writing (& Other) Updates 📝
On May 15th, my self-proclaimed due date, I finished the first draft of my first novel. I had a goal of 80,000 words, but by the time I added a few final thoughts the next morning, it came in at just over 87K. I have no idea of the final count because there are multiple additional drafts ahead of me, but I’ve told myself the complete story now.
With nonfiction, I try to make the first draft as polished as possible. This is impossible with fiction because I didn’t know how the story would end until I finished writing it. I’m super excited about going back through the book with additional drafts, filling in all the details, because now I know my characters and where they’re heading.
Stephen King, one of many voices whose advice I’ve followed, says to take a break now: “If you’ve never done it before, you’ll find reading your book over after a six-week layoff to be a strange, often exhilarating experience. It’s yours, you’ll recognize it as yours, even be able to remember what tune was on the stereo when you wrote certain lines, and yet it will also be like reading the work of someone else, a soul-twin, perhaps. This is the way it should be, the reason you waited. It’s always easier to kill someone else’s darlings that it is to kill your own.”
I’ve left it alone for almost two weeks now and plan to hand in there for the full six. There’s the fear, especially since it’s my first novel, that it’s actual &%$#, but I would love to have the exhilarating experience he describes.
If you’re a fiction reader, at some point (probably after the second draft) I’ll be looking for beta readers to give me feedback. 😁
Our oldest son planned a family camping trip months ago and we had a grand old time in the woods without electricity of service (that wasn’t so bad, actually). Although no one saw it (or them?) and our dog slept through it and didn’t warn anyone, a bear ransacked some stuff and was very close to the hammocks were two of our daughters slept under a tarp (it rained both nights). 🐻😮
We Need the One and Only You at (in)courage 🫵
I’ve got an article at (in)courage today about living authentically and being true to yourself. Here’s an excerpt:
I want to live so authentically that I too can fill my social media feed with the things that bring me joy — highlights from my favorite team (I’m looking at you, Braves) or pictures of my dog or backyard plants — without worrying if it resonates with everyone who interacts with my account.
The burden to fit in and follow all the “proven steps to success” is one I no longer want to bear.
I can no longer carry on a conversation about best SEO practices, but I can talk all day about the podcasts I listen to, the redemption arc of one of my favorite baseball players on and off the field, or the book I’m writing — things I care about. I aspire to be more like this actor/author (whose name I still can’t spell); I want to be so comfortable in my skin that I don’t over-analyze, sanitize, or hide who I am and what’s important to me.
The older I get, the harder it’s become to pretend to be what I’m not, and the more I recognize (and try not to rebel against) who God made me to be.
Please click on over to read We Need the One and Only You or listen to the podcast!
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening 📖
It took a minute for me to get involved with First Lie Wins, but I’m glad I did. It’s currently in the top 50 on Amazon and I think I read it’s being made into a film or series. Con artist Evie Porter is being conned, but by whom?
I’m drawn to books with Southern settings, like this one. This one’s a lot of fun and was Reese’s Book Club’s January pick.
One Wrong Word wasn’t one of my favorites, but I love the cover. 🤷♀️
The Last Exchange was my first Charles Martin book and I really enjoyed it. A movie star with an unstable marriage hires a stoic Scottish soldier as her bodyguard. The book asks (and answers) the question: how far would you go to save someone you love?
I’d never read Colleen Hoover, but Ugly Love was my neighborhood book club pick for May. It was just as spicy as expected.
I’d forgotten I bought The Fireballer in December 2022; it was waiting for me on my Kindle. It’s about a pitcher with incredible speed and accuracy, and a tragic past he can’t overcome. If you love baseball, you’ll love this book.
We’re watching season one of The Resident, a medical drama set in Atlanta, on Netflix. The exterior and some interior shots of the hospital are shot at the High Museum and Alliance Theatre. I would love to hear what actual doctors and nurses think about how they’re portrayed.
At this time of year, we mostly watch the Braves. We saw our first game in person this season last night, and we’ll see our second (with much better seats!) as a combined Mother’s/Father’s Day gift from our children on Friday.
{The book I’m writing takes place in Atlanta and although it’s not about baseball, the characters are fans and there are scenes that take place at Truist Park, one of my happy places.}
Somehow I missed the 2022 Lord Huron release Long Lost, but I’m making up for lost (listening) time. I especially love Mine Forever and Long Lost (and several others; it’s just a great collection). The band says the album is intended to be listened to in order, straight through.
“Lord Huron combines country, western, folk rock, rock and roll, pop melodies, and the surf rock genres with soundtrack and new age influences to produce a sound described by The Wall Street Journal as having ‘a decidedly cinematic flair, heavy on mood and evocative imagery.’”
Agreed.
As a child, I loved Jim Croce. I’ve recently been listening to him again, especially “Walkin’ Back to Georgia,” which is on my book writing playlist (my main character is named Georgia).
What are you reading, watching, or listening to? Are you working on something creative or a particular project?
As always, thanks for reading!
Blessings,
Dawn