Easing into a new year
Life, work and other rambles // In this letter, you'll find new novel meanderings, book release news, an excerpt from Nova Weetman about creativity & information about a writers retreat in Tuscany ...
How’s your January been? I am stumbling into 2024 if I am honest.
I enter each summer holiday thinking, yes! This is my writing season! With my husband off work and kids mooching around the house, I have all kinds of visions of me swanning off to the Sunshine House to write.
It wasn’t to be. January took me in unexpected directions; grief, loss, change. It’s been a time for bunkering down with family, keeping things simple and not trying to achieve much. While I needed to work on edits for my teen fiction, I spent most of the time huddled close to family.
We’ve had lots of relatives here over Christmas; most especially my half-sister, who visited from America with her family. We haven’t seen them for nearly five years so it was very special to reconnect. Blood is thicker than work, right?
So, writing took a back seat. And that novel I was expecting to smash out? Well, it’s only just peeking over the wall now. I think I see it, and it sees me.
After writing four novels in three years, I have learned not to panic about a lack of story. Writing is seasonal for me. I need to be in the zone.
But to get into the zone, I need to gather material.
That’s what I’ve spent much of January doing. I’ve read fiendishly, both fiction and non-fiction. I have read how to write books. While much of it’s stuff I already know, it never hurts to review. And it usually sparks new ideas. I’ve also been listening to interviews with writers and doing BBC Maestro courses.
Through all my reading etcetera I have found myself gravitating more and more towards romantic comedies. I came across a great text called Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit, which gave me some ideas for a new story. I’ve been watching rom-coms from the 90s and falling back in love with Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks and Norah Ephron.
I have also been love, love, loving Beth O’Leary’s books, especially The Flatshare. I was put off by its fluffy cover initially. But diving in, I found such warmth and humour. So often, romantic comedies fall flat for me, steering into contrived situations where you bang your head against a brick wall, yelling: Just talk to him! But Beth’s books have me so swept up in the story and characters, I don’t mind a bit of cheesy fluff.
I’ve also started a teen book club this year, so read Grace Notes by Karen Comer. We’ll meet up in the Lismore back alley gallery with bubble tea to chat about this book. I am excited to hang out with a bunch of keen young readers to hear their thoughts.
Inspired by the kids, the parents also started a book club! This month, us grownups are reading Trent Dalton’s Lola in the Mirror. There’s so much hype around Trent and this new book, which always scares me a bit. But when I let go, I did get swept up in the story and am looking forward to seeing what the other ladies think about it. Do you have a book club too? What’s your book this month?
Editing-wise, I tried something new. Because the kids were around most of the time, I didn’t want to be on my computer too much. So I printed off my young adult manuscript. I accidentally got it printed single sided double spaced so it was this huge weight of a thing! Made me feel like I actually achieved something last year. It’s amazing how many things you see, reading a story you know so well in a new format. I was able to scribble notes in the margins and kept a notebook beside me.
Eventually, I made it back to the computer. It’s always hard doing structural edits because you’re worried pulling one thread will unravel the whole thing. I think it went okay though!
And that new novel, peeking over the wall? I’ve been writing notes all month, letting the characters form in my head and playing with possible locations and situations. My agent Lori insists I try out Scrivener for this one. And you know what? I love it.
I’ve laid out the story over months of the year, created character profiles, setting profiles with pictures and set writing targets. It’s such a visually pleasing way to write. As one writer said, it’s like an online scrapbook, where everything is in one place. Now I am finding my way around it, I don’t think I can go back to Word. I especially love the corkboard, where you can see your outline laid out on what looks a bit like post-its on a board. Makes the whole project feel very doable.
The kids are back at school this week, and I’m setting aside mornings to write. As someone who’s always kept a million balls in the air and in my head, I’ve decided to be really strict and just write before lunch. Emails and all other business happens after lunch. Mentoring and teaching on Thursday.
Every year, I prioritise writing and creativity more and more; it inches up the ladder. This year, it’s way up top. I’m excited to see what this might bring …
New books
This month, a board book version of This is Love is released in stores. A perfect Valentine’s gift. I am so thrilled with this version. Might even love it more than the original! (Don’t tell anyone!)
Kyla May and I have also released our second Monsties book, A Scary Sunday. Perfect for newbie readers who enjoy humour, kindess and adventure.
Writers retreat in Tuscany, anyone?
Have you ever dreamt of writing with friends in the Italian countryside? I am in the process of putting together a retreat next year to coincide with the Bologna Book Fair. If you’d like to go on the waiting list, please send me an email.
I am also looking at a Western Australian retreat, situated in the Margaret River area this September. Let me know here if you’re keen.
Creative Corner with Nova Weetman
Each month, I’m inviting author friends to share their reflections on creativity. This month, we hear from Nova Weetman, author of many books for kids and teens, and most recently, for adults.
When my partner Aidan was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018, I started writing about it. It was my way of processing what was going on. We knew it was terminal when he was diagnosed, so his treatment for the following 18 months was only ever about extending his life. His condition worsened during Melbourne’s Covid lockdowns in 2020 which meant I had to care for him at home. He was bedbound and we were living in a rented house with stairs. He died in September that year and because of the restrictions, we couldn’t have a funeral or gatherings of people in our house. It was a lonely time.
Aidan was a playwright and much of our conversation was about story. He was the person who would fix my structure when I was struggling to write a book or come up with a new title when mine were bad. The production of his final play was postponed due to Covid and staged after his death. Opening night was a surreal experience, sitting in the audience with our children and friends and listening to his words. The theatre company had left an empty chair towards the front marking the space where he should have been. It was after watching this production that I started writing more seriously about loss and love and art. I hadn’t considered that what I was writing could be a book, until I was chatting to my agent about all the Covid deaths that had happened in her city of New York and how we were all struggling with grief in a new way.
The book was birthed out of that conversation. And unlike writing a middle grade novel with a contract in place, I had the luxury of time. For the two years it took me to finish, I was grieving and steering two children through the loss of their dad. But we were also starting to live again. The book is like a love letter. To Aidan, to our children and to me. It is not just about his death, but about the losses that we all face like our children growing up and our bodies ageing. And ultimately it is about the living we do after experiencing loss.
Love, Death & Other Scenes is out 3 April.
New membership program
Writing can be lonely work. Sometimes, it’s like swimming in an open ocean with no land in sight. If you’d like ongoing support and need to feel more anchored, join our monthly group mentoring program, where we meet on Zoom, connect and inspire. I invite special industry guests to these meetings so you can ask questions. You’ll hear all about the latest industry news including conferences and opportunities. You’ll receive guidance and support from both me and your peers.
Included in the monthly price are weekly creative prompts, discounts on courses, mentoring and retreats; plus you will be the first to know about events.
Sign up here.
Loving this Zanni! And a warm welcome to writing on Substack!
I can really relate to your comment that writing is seasonal - once in the throes of a book it can become all-consuming, and writing is like a brightly burning fire, but once the fuel is spent, I can sit with the embers for a while and other things take front seat (choose your mixed metaphor!).
Also, sending you hugs in your time of grief. I'm there, too, and can relate to just needing time with family - and alone - to let it be.