Writing is Rewriting...and Crying About It
In the throes of editing book 2 + my first signing event!
Hi friends. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking about my edits for Book 2. Then again, I’m pretty much always thinking about my edits these days. I’ll be eating dinner or watching a movie with my family, and my mind gets pulled into the fictional world I’m creating like it’s on a retractable leash.
Most of the time, I don’t even realize I’m doing it, but I guess I get this very specific, tuned-out look on my face because I’m always called out on it. It’s something I’m working on—I want to be present, especially during family time, but when I’m on a deadline, it’s hard to turn my writing brain off. I know a lot of people struggle with this, whether it’s writing or something else. The laptop closes, but the problems you were trying to solve still linger, along with all the anxiety about getting things just right.
Case in point, I’ve been so focused on making my sophomore effort not suck (a technical, highly objective evaluation) that I almost didn’t allow myself to fully enjoy my first-ever author event! Thankfully, it was the wakeup call I needed.
I’ve since asked for more time on my edits, which my editor very graciously granted me (have I mentioned I work with the BEST team?), and my event was better than I even knew to hope for. I had honestly prepared myself for a little meetup with my friends and family in my local bookstore, but you guys, every seat was full. In fact, some people had to stand at the back, and I was unprepared for how emotional I’d feel.
If you’ve read Any Trope but You, you know that it’s basically a love letter to the romance community. And this is why. Because romance readers are willing to take a chance on a debut author, and come out on a Wednesday night to support them, even though they could be relaxing at home in their sweats. Can you tell I’m tearing up? 🥲
My wonderful conversation partner was Liberty Hardy, the host of Book Riot’s podcast, All the Books! She asked smart questions and guided me through the interview like a pro. She let me talk about my childhood in Alaska and my illegal pet moose, Bullwinkle, and even helped me navigate a conversation about sex scenes in front of my mom and mother-in-law. Print: A Bookstore was our host, and they couldn’t have been kinder. But the best part of all was getting to meet readers. It was a lifelong dream come true, and I mean that in the truest sense. Thank you to everyone who came out, and to everyone who has purchased or borrowed a copy of ATBY. Your support means everything to me!
On a final note, here’s what I’ve been consuming the last month:
I had the wonderful chance to blurb an ARC of Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. If you’re an Austenite like me, you’re going to adore this modern, holiday Persuasion retelling. Preorder it here.
I’m currently watching season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. While I loved the previous seasons, I can’t say this one is hooking me yet.
Something that you may not know about me is that I’m a coffee snob. I adore espresso drinks, but home espresso machines are (usually) nowhere near the quality of the ones in a cafe (unless you’re willing to drop multiple thousands of dollars). Enter: The Cafelat Robot. It’s a manual press, but it lets me dial my shots down to a science. 🤌
I started tracking my meals with the MacrosFirst app. While I generally feel like I eat well, my doctor has been encouraging me to eat more protein. This has taken the guesswork out of it.
I’ve been loving my Nuuly clothing subscription. Especially during this postpartum transition, it’s been nice to order the sizes I need, knowing my measurements will probably keep changing over the next few months.
That’s it for now! If you enjoyed this post, please consider liking it. 🥰 See you next month!