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Today, you will write.
Today’s newsletter has been generously created by the incredibly talented author Emily.
Find her instagram here.
Today you will write. Or you will think. Or dream. Or engage in lengthy debates with characters gone rogue.
Today you will write. Or make a collage, or a playlist: a little offering to your story outside written word.
Today you will write. Maybe just scribble. A few words on sticky notes that will lie forgotten.
Today you will write. Or not. That’s ok. Consistency is hard. Persist anyway.
— Emily
See you tomorrow x
— Loren @ Paperbacks & Co.
Today’s Writing Prompts
Journaling Prompt – What is your writing process outside physical writing? When do you do your best thinking?
Fiction & Poetry Prompt – A person is faced with a difficult moral decision.
Use the artwork at the beginning of this newsletter as a visual prompt to inspire some writing – whether a personal essay, or fictional short story, or poem…
An Interview with Author Emily
How do you deal with imposter syndrome?
Poorly. I almost withdrew from this exercise. I also recently almost quit my novel after my first time submitting work for peer review. It was the submission itself that tipped me over the edge. There were tears, there were sleepless nights, there were nasty words from me to me. It took my amazing community of writers on the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course, and supportive words from a parent, to pull myself out of this specific imposter doom spiral. By the time I received (positive) feedback on my work I was already fine. For me, imposter syndrome is an inevitable symptom of being outside my comfort zone. I’ve experienced it throughout my career, and it’s usually when I’m learning and developing the most. So best to crack on, and lean on community.
How do you face fear in general as a writer?
With crippling anxiety, inadequate sleep, hours of internal debate, and a shit tonne of editing. Yes, I know we're not meant to edit heavily as we write. I do it anyway. It may be a crutch, but it helps me to manage my fear and is part of my process.
How many words or minutes would you recommend an author to write daily?
This is a deeply personal question. In short: I wouldn’t. Find what works for you. It’s ok if it changes. Just keep chipping away at it and try to be as consistent as possible.
As a neurodivergent woman with a very intense full-time job, I negotiate with myself every day. I try to set realistic goals that vary in metric and quantity depending on my other commitments and headspace. It’s hard. It’s slow. I often fall short. Shame doesn’t make me work faster.
🥳 Celebrating Our Wins 🎉
Did you get some writing done today? Why not share your progress in the comments?!
Link to your blog post, share your word count, or even just jump in with a little text celebration…
Know a writer who could benefit from a little extra motivation? Why not gift them £5 membership here?