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WRITING: After 22 months, I have finally finished my Storyworth project. I wrote about 20 essays in all, both from prompts given to me at random, and prompts I wrote for myself so I could tell the stories I wanted to tell. Storyworth makes a wonderful gift, and I can’t wait to have the essays bound in a book for the holidays. The final prompt was Tell Us the Story of Lynda, which ended exactly the same way Waiting for Adeline ends, just by happenstance. It felt like a natural close to the project. Even though I was able to write an essay this month, I am sitting with insane writers block in terms of manuscripts. When this happens, I consider daily stream-of-consciousness practice as success. Fifteen minutes with a pencil and notebook is better than nothing, right? To help me get going, I turned to this writing prompt from Anne Lamott: There was a tree…and then she says, you know which one. If this resonates with you, try it and see where you end up. It was super fun to let the brain wander on that idea. (Teachers — this might be a fun one to try with your students!) READING: What Kate DiCamillo Understands About Children from The New Yorker Magazine. Give yourself some time to read this article. It is about her life and her work, both surprising, as well as her journey to reconciliation with herself and others. Either way, you will be inspired to read more and reflect upon your own relationships. In the article, DiCamillo mentions the book On Writing by Stephen King, a book that was recently given to me by Stedman’s friend, Saurabh. This man is always thoughtfully giving away books, mid-discussion, and they are always on point. I’m about 50 pages in, and so far, King reveals his mastery of voice, hilarious anecdotes and sound advice for writers. Finally — something quick. Austin Kleon is a writer with a great Substack Newsletter. It is 10 Things Worth Sharing This Week that you can scroll through in about 3 minutes. I always find something new to click through and learn. LISTENING: When I am stressed, my heart literally skips beats. It feels awful. I was grateful when my friend Megan suggested The Knowledge Project #176 Control Your Heart, Conquer Your Stress with Dr. Leah Lagos and Joe Mazzullo. Dr. Lagos talks about how experiences “move our heart,” and then walks the listener through helpful breathing techniques to regain control. She says, “It’s not about being calm. It’s about being open, engaged and aware, and receptive to the need of the moment.” She also discusses the role of music in our decision making. Music is powerful; we may make a decision that we wouldn’t have otherwise, depending on what we’re listening to. If this is true for you, what song moves you in some way? Please share! I’m always up for making a new playlist.
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