At the start of July, I started documenting the fun little facts I learned every day. If I learned to create an equation on Excel, I’d write it down, include a link, and a short note on why learning this was/is important — sometimes it's not. It’s been shocking to discover how much we learn every day. There’s so much useful and useless information floating around. Sometimes, you shock yourself with information you don't know that you know. Other times, it's fascinating to learn what you thought you knew.
After the last time I wrote to you, I created a robust editorial calendar that should last till the end of the year, with a few breaks in between. While doing this, I had an epiphany and concluded that I would write weekly. Consistently. The weight of articles would differ week-on-week. On a week like this, I would share some of the interesting stories I read, listened to, or watched that week, with commentary or analysis on why it's a relevant share. I'd also share an update on what I'm learning.
I recently started writing every day to become disciplined about my dissertation, an excerpt of my YA speculative fiction ‘novel’. I put novel in quotes because I really cannot stand what I've written, and do not think it could ever be anywhere near the models I hold dear — Sula, Anna Karenina, Purple Hibiscus. 500 words here, 600 words there. On some days like tonight, I’ll stretch myself: 1000 words in my dissertation, 300 words personal essay because I’m feeling blue, 1000 words for this newsletter. It’s by no means groundbreaking; it’s a reminder that you can’t be a successful creative if you rely solely on inspiration. Inspiration is fleeting, discipline is important.
Learning to write again.
During my one-month break from writing this newsletter, I asked myself: what kind of writer do I want to be? I don't have the answer yet, but I'm obsessed with the ability to make words work for me, to use them to create any kind of story. I'm just as obsessed with becoming the best writer ever. It's no longer enough for me to enjoy writing and to publish a few good stories. I call this phase of my life chasing success. To use the popular cliché, I'm a kid in the candy store. It's not a new process. Going to school to learn how to tell stories was an eye-opener. The best part? I get to do this with people and groups who are just as keen.
What I'm doing: reading more [reading about writing]. Writing more. Studying good writing.
Recommendation: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders [My Current Read]
Small Tip #1 - The Thing About Things: I'll use things when I write because I'm too lazy to task my brain to find the right word. I also use ‘kini’, ‘thingy’, ‘thingamabob’, etc. I finally found out how this could water down writing.
Small Tip #2 - An outline might help: I like how fluid narrative storytelling is, but I'm learning that there's room to be structured. Detail the goals you want to achieve with your writing, create a checklist of the points you want to cover, including tone and voice.
Big Tip - Rewrite.
Interesting Stories:
The Ballad of the Chowchilla bus: Here's a story filled with tension. In the 70s, in a small town in the US, a bus carrying 26 children vanished in broad daylight. It's known as the largest kidnapping ever in the United States. No one knew who took the kids or why. The town, then the world, went into a panic.
The Turning: The Sisters Who Left: I just started listening to this show about the experience of women who gave up everything to follow Mother Teresa. Fascinating.
The Imagined Life: This podcast is told in second person — for the immersive effect. It allows you to enter the life of a famous person before they're famous. The best part is that you don’t know whose shoes you're wearing till the end. H/T Nana.
The New York Times Company: I have a thing for dynasties, and generally, stories that feature close-knit families and friendships example: Modern Family. The other day, I found myself reading about the Marsalis family.
I liked this for how it highlighted the role of the family in the rich history of the New York Times — you can't tell the story without it anyway. So if you're interested in media or powerful families, you want to listen to this. H/T Moyo.
A Really Bad Day: In 2003, James Frey published his memoir, A Million Tiny Pieces, the story of a 23-year-old alcoholic who was in rehab. It had such critical acclaim — being a memoir and all — that the book was picked by Oprah's Book Club. Shortly after, an investigation revealed that a lot of the stories in the book were fabrications. What happened next? James Frey was publicly shamed. This podcast talks about that experience.
Does ‘The Da Vinci Code’ Writer Have a Secret?: Every writer is bound to write a story they're ashamed of. If you're lucky, and a relatively obscure writer, you can delete it off the internet and no one will suspect a thing. If you're Dan Brown? Someone's going to find out and write about it.
At an extraordinary Olympics, acts of kindness abound: Kindness is like tender poetry. ‘The world’s most competitive athletes have been captured showing gentleness and warmth to one another — celebrating, pep-talking, wiping away one another’s tears of disappointment.’
Others:
Until next time! ❤️