So glad I stumbled across your newsletter. So many great things to chew on, will be asking myself where the magic is in my work this upcoming month. Also, it’s so nice to find another fan of Bertino. 2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas is a yearly read for me.
Nancy, this headline caught my eye as I've been thinking a lot about worry and how it impedes my real work, the work of my Zone of Genius (which is my ability to convey in words what is in my heart and soul and connect with other hearts and souls, whether through fiction or essays or how I live my life). I write about it in my Substack newsletter this week. And when I saw your drawing of circles, I thought, yes! I need to do this, too. You see, a big problem for me is that my day job for three plus decades has been corporate writing and journalism, I see that as the "work" and my fiction writing/creative essays have fallen by default into the "hobby" category and that is no longer what I want. I can't bear to have what I love to do with language relegated in this default category. I am 64, divorced after a long marriage, just lost my mom who believed in my writing more than anyone--if not now, when? (As I shared in the Good Creatures interview you so kindly offered space for me to write here). I am still struggling to live in that Zone of Genius. But these May intentions--they will bring me closer. The whole idea of intentions that are ONLY dedicated to the creative writer Amy. I also write the very long to-do lists, for every category of my life. I know what's magic about my real work--this work of creating from my heart--and I have a novel that is ready, I believe, to venture out into the world. I hesitate, though, even though I've revised it seven plus times and brought in a wise developmental editor and the reviews of many trusted writer friends. Is my hesitation rooted in the work itself or somewhere inside me worry festering...that I am not good enough, that I somehow don't deserve this? Thank you for getting me to think about all this morning. May is the month I want my novel to fly out into the world, gain its wings. And worry will keep it grounded.
I'm so glad this resonated with you! I love the flying metaphors you're using here--so helpful as a counteractive to the weight of worry. I'll be thinking of Writer Amy and your novel making its way out into the world this month ❤️️❤️️❤️️
I like your ideas about writing and how to center your ideas around "work." However, please let me know if I am right, isn't the sentence "The inutterable magic of keeping one’s head down and listening only to the work." a fragment? The statement throws me off a bit as I think if the word "is" is added to the end of that statement, it would further clarify the meaning. I'm not a snark to reading about writing, but I'm just a local hometown poet that responds to sentences I have to reread over again to get the creative juices flowing. I plan to read your post and try not to worry about my work.
It absolutely is a fragment! It was part of a list in the acknowledgements -- I'd wondered if I should include more context or just let that little sparkling part stand on its own. I hope the idea comes across even if the sentence itself is a fragment 🌟
Dear Nancy: I thought about that fragment and I thought then the purpose of it might be for writers to write in that space what is important to them. Then I thought that it was genius for you to leave it like that. Some things, I believe, can curl up into their word cave and morph into something good. Joan
Great essay, Nancy. My intention for May, for my research-based narrative NF project, is to sped half of my daily writing time digging through the documents and taking notes, and the other half capturing and actually writing drafts of sentences and paragraphs inspired by the documents before they get away.
"The inutterable magic of keeping one’s head down and listening only to the work." This certainly resonates, there are too many times when distracting ’noise’ gets in the way....
My thoughts are churning after absorbing this great piece - I think I will go and draw some circles of my own. Thank you for the brilliant read! Lots to think about as I embark on revisions
So glad I stumbled across your newsletter. So many great things to chew on, will be asking myself where the magic is in my work this upcoming month. Also, it’s so nice to find another fan of Bertino. 2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas is a yearly read for me.
Ahh that's such a great book!
Nancy, this headline caught my eye as I've been thinking a lot about worry and how it impedes my real work, the work of my Zone of Genius (which is my ability to convey in words what is in my heart and soul and connect with other hearts and souls, whether through fiction or essays or how I live my life). I write about it in my Substack newsletter this week. And when I saw your drawing of circles, I thought, yes! I need to do this, too. You see, a big problem for me is that my day job for three plus decades has been corporate writing and journalism, I see that as the "work" and my fiction writing/creative essays have fallen by default into the "hobby" category and that is no longer what I want. I can't bear to have what I love to do with language relegated in this default category. I am 64, divorced after a long marriage, just lost my mom who believed in my writing more than anyone--if not now, when? (As I shared in the Good Creatures interview you so kindly offered space for me to write here). I am still struggling to live in that Zone of Genius. But these May intentions--they will bring me closer. The whole idea of intentions that are ONLY dedicated to the creative writer Amy. I also write the very long to-do lists, for every category of my life. I know what's magic about my real work--this work of creating from my heart--and I have a novel that is ready, I believe, to venture out into the world. I hesitate, though, even though I've revised it seven plus times and brought in a wise developmental editor and the reviews of many trusted writer friends. Is my hesitation rooted in the work itself or somewhere inside me worry festering...that I am not good enough, that I somehow don't deserve this? Thank you for getting me to think about all this morning. May is the month I want my novel to fly out into the world, gain its wings. And worry will keep it grounded.
I'm so glad this resonated with you! I love the flying metaphors you're using here--so helpful as a counteractive to the weight of worry. I'll be thinking of Writer Amy and your novel making its way out into the world this month ❤️️❤️️❤️️
Hi Nancy:
I like your ideas about writing and how to center your ideas around "work." However, please let me know if I am right, isn't the sentence "The inutterable magic of keeping one’s head down and listening only to the work." a fragment? The statement throws me off a bit as I think if the word "is" is added to the end of that statement, it would further clarify the meaning. I'm not a snark to reading about writing, but I'm just a local hometown poet that responds to sentences I have to reread over again to get the creative juices flowing. I plan to read your post and try not to worry about my work.
It absolutely is a fragment! It was part of a list in the acknowledgements -- I'd wondered if I should include more context or just let that little sparkling part stand on its own. I hope the idea comes across even if the sentence itself is a fragment 🌟
Dear Nancy: I thought about that fragment and I thought then the purpose of it might be for writers to write in that space what is important to them. Then I thought that it was genius for you to leave it like that. Some things, I believe, can curl up into their word cave and morph into something good. Joan
Great essay, Nancy. My intention for May, for my research-based narrative NF project, is to sped half of my daily writing time digging through the documents and taking notes, and the other half capturing and actually writing drafts of sentences and paragraphs inspired by the documents before they get away.
Ooh that's so great -- and so smart, I think, to do both of those steps (the research and the writing) alongside each other 😊
I’m still giggling about the “jazz hands” … thank YOU again for joining me. ☀️
I keep looking in vain for a jazz hands emoji, do we think this is it? 👐😂
In my heart, this one has always had jazz hands. 🤗 (Even though it’s technically “hug.”)
🤗🤗🤗
Ooh that's a great one 🤗🤯
"The inutterable magic of keeping one’s head down and listening only to the work." This certainly resonates, there are too many times when distracting ’noise’ gets in the way....
My thoughts are churning after absorbing this great piece - I think I will go and draw some circles of my own. Thank you for the brilliant read! Lots to think about as I embark on revisions