Hi WriteByNighters, I learned a new word: Apricity. It means the warmth of the sun
in winter. Isn't that lovely? It's obsolete, so let's bring it back. Spread the word! This week, use "apricity" in something you write. (Discover its origins here and here.) Speaking of apricity, this email space has been dark and desolate in 2022. So I'm taking a new approach: Rather than one weekly (lol) long chunk o' text, I'll try to offer
bite-size nugs of writerly goodness once or twice a month. Like it? Hate it? I'd love your feedback. This space is for you, after all. Reply to this message to let me know whether you like this new thing or miss the old thing. (Or like this new thing but think
it's too long, geez.) Either way, and as always, thank you for opening and reading! This Week's Most FAQ Do I need to write a book proposal for my memoir? The short answer is: No. The longer answer is... kind of? Some agents/publishers ask for only a query letter, synopsis, and sample chapters, but many others want a full proposal. So you can
skip it if you want, but it severely limits your pool of available targets. To cover all your bases, write the proposal. Have a burning question you'd like to ask frequently? I'm here for it. What Are You Writing? I always appreciate you taking time from your busy literary schedule to read these messages. But I want to spend even more time together! Got 15 minutes to spare? Let's get on the phone so we can talk about your writing goals & how WriteByNight will help you achieve
them. Reply to this message and we'll set it up. Or if you'd rather chat by email, tell me a bit about what you're working on and what your goals are for it and I'll get right back to you. Arielle K. Jones has been a WriteByNight writing coach less than a year, but already she's a fan favorite. "[Arielle] helped open my mind to all the possibilities and roads I can take with my project!" says writer Amber H.
"Arielle is a DREAM to work with," adds Ayla A. "Her feedback was thorough, insightful, and really helped me start to understand some of the issues I was having with my writing." Given Arielle's experience & expertise, none of this comes as a surprise. You know, Arielle recently returned from the Tin House Summer Workshop. It's a huge accomplishment, being accepted to that workshop -- even once. Well, this was
Arielle's *second* time. "It was so enlivening and the lectures were great!" Arielle tells us. "I'm planning to complete a full manuscript draft by November. Fingers
crossed!"
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In case you don't listen already, I'm on a podcast about books & writing. We're called Yak Babies. (Why? Shrug.) Recent episodes include a group discussion of
The Road, an exploration of books with glossaries, and... a totally insane eight-part series where we rank the laughs from the classic children's book 101 Ghost Jokes. |
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What Am I Writing? What Am I Reading? I'm working on a couple of flash stories, one of which is for a contest. Normally I don't enter contests, but this one seems worth a shot. But with the word count capped at 1,000 and me having about 1,200 words' worth of
nonsense to say, I had to get playful. To wit: "A lotta youse're late for the one-too-many-ith time." Official word count: Eight! I'm reading Rachel Cusk's Arlington Park. It opens with four pages about clouds and rain, but I stuck with it, and I suspect I'll be glad I did. What are you reading? September Promotion: Your Top 10 You want your name on a book. We want your name on a book. But agents and publishers don't know you and don't care to. Unless you demand their attention in your opening pages. All through the month, get a beta read of your first 10 pages for only $99! We'll match you with the perfect WBN coach, who will read your words and then meet with you for 30 minutes to offer feedback, address your questions and concerns, and help you hatch a plan for moving forward. If you're interested, click the button below that says... so. WriteByNighter of the Week Ten years ago, Stacy Nakell, a psychotherapist in Austin, Texas, contacted us for help with a book she was cooking up. First in book coaching, then through a series of critiques, Stacy wrote and wrote, then rewrote and rewrote. Then edited and revised, edited and
revised. Along the way Stacy worked with seven different WBN staffers, including her original coach (hi, Cecily!), editors Adriana Cloud, Brad Tyer, and Tariq Shah, and our publishing guru, John Sibley Williams. It was a long path, but Stacy was determined to follow it to its end. And we're so thrilled to say that Treatment for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors is now available! And from legendary publisher Routledge, no less. I asked Stacy what it was like to hold a published copy of the book she's worked on for so long. "Amazing!" she said. "I love how it feels in my hands and
I carry it with me everywhere I go!" Writer: Don't ever quit. Writerly Quote of the Week "The first sentence can't be written until the final sentence is written." -- Joyce Carol Oates I'm a
*hard* disagree on this one. But I'm not the one who's written 672 books. What's your take? David Duhr
Co-founder, WriteByNight
P.S. If you know someone who might benefit from today's message, please feel free to forward this
email along. Go on, help a writer out. Resources Find a home for your creative work Carve out writing time from your busy schedule |
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