It’s been a minute since I last posted — and I’m back now with the first installment of my brand new column for Script Mag: A Leap of Wonder.
This column is meant to be a behind the scenes kind of deal — a look at my (continued) writing journey since I’ve made rather a large shift in the way I’m approaching both my writing and my coaching business.
The TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) is that I’ve spent a chunk of time redesigning my business and life (again) to make more space for my own writing.
Faith ... and Wonder
If nothing else, this requires a pretty significant leap of faith.
It also takes a leap of wonder into the world of story — and particularly with sci-fi and fantasy. This is what I love about sci-fi — the awe, amazement, and expansiveness the genre lends itself to so well.
This Big Shift got started when I taught my “Step Into Alignment with Your Writing Life” class last year. As I walked through the process myself, it became pretty clear, pretty fast, that my desperation to write more, to have more time to write, and to do that with some urgency was feeling rather pressing in a way I couldn’t ignore.
What I've Changed (So Far) & Plan to Do Next
I canceled a bunch of stuff (you can read about that in the article). I also made some big screenwriting craft and business decisions (ditto). And right now I’m in the midst of putting them into action (whilst also getting my older child sorted out for college).
You can find out more in my first article, A Leap of Faith & Wonder, at Script Mag, here or by clicking the image below. You can also read a little more there about what I expect to write about for future articles.
I hope you’ll join me for the ride.
Check out the full article by clicking here ⇣
What Else I'm Up To:
I'm still (still!) reading! Last year I posted about the resurrection of my reading habit, which has continued, though at less of a brisk pace. By the end of December, I’d read about 66 books for the full year. This year, so far, I’m at about 12, so far fewer on a per month basis. I’ve been reading John Scalzi’s books lately, and continuing my serial author monogamy, which has been fun. I have in mind to read a female author next, maybe Ursula K Le Guin or NK Jemisin or Premee Mohamed or Julie Cznerda or Annalee Newitz (they/them). We shall see! Maybe all of them.
I’ve been traveling more than I have in ages, mostly because of college touring, but I have to say, it’s pretty fun. I used to travel more, pre-kids, but lately we’ve been jumping on planes in a way I haven’t done since forever ago. This may or may not die down, depending on what happens with screenwriting (trips to L.A.?) and my college-bound child’s location.
For fun, here's what I've been watching, too. I'm catching up on the latest from Outlander, which I have mixed feelings about. I'm not up to date on the books so I don't know if it's matching the book series any longer or if it's gone off on its own track. I hesitate to look anything up because (if you know me, you know this about me) I strongly dislike spoilers and the worst kind are those I inflict on myself!
Thank you for reading, and happy writing!
In other news:
If you're looking for support making writing happen day in and day out — including regular writing sprints — check out my Called to Write Community, now available at a new lower rate: https://calledtowrite.mn.co
I've just finished a delightful edit for a lovely client and have space in my editorial calendar. Please reach out if you're needing support in the editing department. https://jennaavery.com/for-writers
* Any book links herein are affiliate links for Bookshop, which means I earn a small referral fee if you purchase from them, and which helps me keep my writing ship afloat. Thank you!
It's that time again! My December "Ask the Coach" article is live on ScriptMag. I've written this month about a tricky subject: perfectionism, and specifically within the realm of determining whether to send out work, or not. This is something many writers wrestle with, including me, so it's worth talking about how to identify when you're being a perfectionist, and real reasons not to send out work just yet.
The Question
The article is called "Am I Being a Perfectionist With My Writing??" and in it, I respond to the following reader question:
“How do I know if I’m being a perfectionist with my writing? I’ve got friends pushing me to put my spec script out before it feels ready, and I’m worried I’m just holding back when I shouldn’t be. On the other hand, I’ve seen enough under-finished work out there, I’m hesitant to send out work until I know it’s done. I want it to shine, not go straight into the slush pile.”
Exploring What Being a Perfectionist Means and What to Aim For Instead
In the article, I explore ways to identify if you're stuck in perfectionism and the dangers that brings, look at the real reasons work might not be ready to go out, and give some targets to aim for instead of "perfect."
Here's a little excerpt on that last point:
"If you’re trapped in perfectionism, begin by shifting your focus toward work that is 'excellent,' 'working,' and 'close enough' instead. (Click through to the article to read about each one of these in more detail.)
"None of these means 'perfect.' It might mean 'good enough' but in the literal sense, not in the sense of 'not good enough,' which is often code for the negative thinking we’ve internalized from parents, teachers, and the wider culture over the years.
"If your script doesn’t quite meet these criteria, it’s time to dig in and do the work. Once you’re there, it’ll be time to start querying and sending it out."
Check out the full article by clicking here ⇣
Plus, here's what I'm up to:
I'm still (still!) reading! I'm now finished reading all of Michael Connelly's Bosch-universe fiction books. I've also read the first three books of the Old Man's War series by John Scalzi, and while I'm waiting on the 4th to be liberated from Libby, I'm trying to talk myself into starting in on The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey, but so far have read a time travel story first. I'm now up to 62 books since my June 6 counting streak, huzzah.
For fun, here's what I've been watching, too. It's been pretty fun watching Pluribus and catching up on Slow Horses. Pluribus is an odd and intriguing show about a semi-self-inflicted alien consciousness takeover of Earth, and features Carol Sturka, oddly immune to the takeover and royally pissed off about it. Slow Horses is continuing series adapting Mick Herron's books for the screen. (I have to read those soon too!) My husband and I were also watching The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix but we're between subscriptions now, ha, so we'll wait to go back to that one.
It's time for a break! Over winter break, my family and I are planning to watch loads of movies (the LOTR trilogy is likely on the docket), play tons of board games (most likely Arkam Horror, Terraforming Mars, and Wingspan — plus a secret game they don't know we're getting yet!), and take some hikes. It should be restorative and restful, once the holiday dust has settled.
Thank you for reading, happy holidays, and happy writing!
In other news:
If you're looking for support making writing happen day in and day out — including regular writing sprints — check out my Called to Write Community, now available at a new lower rate: https://calledtowrite.mn.co
If you're looking for developmental editing support, I'm booked through mid-March, approximately. If you'd like to get onto my editorial calendar, let me know. https://jennaavery.com/for-writers
* All book links herein are affiliate links for Bookshop, which means I earn a small referral fee if you purchase from them, and which helps me keep my writing ship afloat. Thank you!
It's that time again! My newest "Ask the Coach" article is live on ScriptMag. I've written this month about a subject that has always intrigued me: Theme. I have found thinking about theme in my own work to be both utterly confounding and quite simple, depending on the day, week, month, or state of my draft.
Debates About Theme?
My writing friends and colleagues run the gamut too, from thinking theme is important to completely ridiculous.
Personally, I think of theme as a tool I can use or not use, as I see fit, especially because my clarity about theme varies with each story I write, though I do have common writer-centric themes I tend to explore.
The Question
Long story short, I was happy to see a question come in about theme, so I'd have the chance to explore it further. The article is called "How Do I Find the Theme For My Script?" and in it, I respond to the following reader question:
“How can I find the theme for my story? It feels complicated and confusing to identify. Maybe even above my pay grade. ;) I know the story I’m writing… but the theme isn’t obvious to me.”
Using Theme
In the article, I talk about ways to discover your theme and about ways to use it as a tool. Most importantly, I believe you can use theme to enhance your story, as well as using your story to discover your theme. (It works both ways.)
Here's an excerpt explaining more about what I mean:
"Stories should be about something, obviously. Examining theme — our underlying intention — can take us into the deeper meaning of a story. Once identified, theme can serve as a guidepost and decision-making tool for key story elements like the title, opening, climax, and resolution, the main character’s arc, and more. And while we can clarify and enhance these elements with our theme (once/if we know it), these story elements can also be used to help us identify our theme."
Finding Theme
If you’re wanting to find the theme in a story, take a deeper look at some of the following aspects of your writing. (You can click through to the article to read the details.)
Who are you as a writer?
Why are you writing this story?
What’s the main character’s journey?
What does your title reveal about your theme?
What do your opening, climax, and world building point to?
Check out the full article by clicking here ⇣
Plus, here are three fun things:
It's nearly my birthday. My formula for a happy birthday is simple: A meal out at a favorite place, a movie in a theater, and a trip to a bookstore. If it's a weekday and my family members are at school and work, I go by myself (and we go out for a separate family birthday dinner later). If my birthday falls on a weekend day, they come with me for the full day of delights. ◡̈ This year, we'll probably see two movies, one on Thanksgiving and one on my birthday, since we're celebrating T-day early. I'm looking forward to seeing the new Knives Out movie (Wake Up Dead Man) and Wicked For Good.
I'm still (still!) reading! I finished reading nearly all of Michael Connelly's Bosch-universe books other than his non-fiction Crime Beat* and his newest Mickey Haller book, The Proving Ground, which I'm waiting for from the library or Libby. Now I'm diving into theOld Man's War series, by John Scalzi. I had intended to read The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey (two writers writing as one, fun!) but I seem to be rejecting physical books (we have the whole series in print) in favor of ebooks — which are easier on my wrists and work better with my current love of reading in the dark with the screen dimmed — and Leviathan Wakeswas on hold on Libby 4-ever. I'm now up to 57 books since my June 6 counting streak, which is pretty fun but also weird. It feels like a reunion of sorts.
I had some adventures in binge watching, too. I had a small reading hiccup between October 24 and November 15 or so whilst waiting for Libby to liberate ebooks for me and banging up against the end of the Bosch universe. I instead got swept up into a little binge-watching. In addition to watching the Bosch and Bosch-related TV series with my husband, and the newest season of the Great British Baking Show with our younger kiddo, I watched the newest season of The Diplomat on Netflix... and then for good measure rewatched the whole series, ha. I also watched the newest season of Upload (didn't rewatch the whole series) and The Peripheral on Amazon Prime Video (I haven't canceled Prime, I know, I know...). The Peripheral is pretty darn cool, I have to say. I'll get around to reading that sometime soon, I'm sure.
Thank you for reading, and happy writing!
In other news:
If you're looking for support making writing happen day in and day out — including regular writing sprints — check out my Called to Write Community, now available at a new lower rate: https://calledtowrite.mn.co
If you're looking for developmental editing support, I'm booked through mid-March, approximately. If you'd like to get onto my editorial calendar, let me know. https://jennaavery.com/for-writers
* All book links herein are affiliate links for Bookshop, which means I earn a small referral fee if you purchase from them, and which helps me keep my writing ship afloat. Thank you!
• “I'd ruminate less and just get down to writing more.” • “I’d stay focused even with family distractions and self-doubt.” • “I’d be less dithery.” • “I’d stop second-guessing myself.”
My response ranged from tackling second-guessing directly to working around it to taking a more spiritual approach. You can click through to the article to read the details.
Here's a summaryof the points I wrote about:
Examine the doubts for their veracity and usefulness.
Ignore the fears and focus on structure and habit.
Trust the path, trust the writing, do the work.
Check out the full article by clicking here ⇣
Plus, here are three happy things:
It's almost Halloween!! We've stalled on putting up our decorations because of pending rain (by the time you read this the threat of rain will have hopefully passed), but this is a favorite holiday for me. We get tons of kids trick-or-treating in our neighborhood (like 300-400, which means the candy funding is intense) and go all-out on decorating, so I'm both a little in dread of the work ahead but also excited for a fun night. I've been building a fun steampunk costume over the last couple of years which makes me happy too.
My sister came over again (yay!) and we tidied my writing space. It had become the dumping ground for various "to do" items and it was really getting neglected and out of control. (Picture me writing with blinders on, surrounded by clutter, and NOT BEING HAPPY ABOUT IT but doing it anyway). Now, I'm no longer overwhelmed by stacks of paperwork and warranty registrations and kid artwork to scan and yada yada yada and IT FEELS SO GOOD! I'm massively relieved and it feels like a major Clear the Decks success. (There's a free course on this — Clear the Decks For Writing — in my Called to Write community if you want a little inspiration in this department too. I've done a lot of that work already but having my sister here helped me push into the physical clutter that had built up.)
I'm still reading! I finished reading The Martian* by Andy Weir to my younger child and we moved on to All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, which was the underlying IP for the movie EDGE OF TOMORROW starting Tom Cruise. I'm doing a LOT of on-the-fly verbal editing with that one, sheesh. I thought The Martian needed a lot. I was wrong, haha. On my own, I'm STILL reading Michael Connelly's Bosch-universe books and my book count is now up to 50 since June 6.
If you're looking for support making writing happen day in and day out — including regular writing sprints — check out my Called to Write Community, now available at a new lower rate: https://calledtowrite.mn.co
If you're looking for developmental editing support, I have space coming up in my editorial calendar for manuscript critiques and script notes in mid-October. https://jennaavery.com/for-writers
* All book links herein are affiliate links for Bookshop, which means I earn a small referral fee if you purchase from them, and which helps me keep my writing ship afloat. Thank you!
Back a bunch of years ago, I sat through a visualization connecting with my writing self in the future, and asking for her guidance. The message that came through very strongly was, "write like your life depends on it."
It was strong, resonant, and clear.
I thought I knew what it meant: "Write like there's nothing else to live for. Write like a maniac. Push, push, push. Write as much as you can and as fast as you can. Write to the exclusion of all else, no matter what."
I've felt pretty guilty that I haven't been doing that.
Instead, since then, I got married (and planned the wedding, essentially a part time job), had two amazing kids, moved three times, navigated home purchases (more part time jobs), and figured out new school systems. I've had many writing clients and run a year-round online writer's community for 14 years, developed my editing skills, and more.
I've also written multiple screenplays, hundreds of articles and blog posts (though, ha, I've killed some of them along the way), drafted two works of non-fiction (they're on the chopping block, but who knows), written some short scripts and short stories, started adaptations of two scripts, and more.
But I had still not — to my mind — lived up to "write like your life depends on it."
The other night, though, it occurred to me that perhaps I was interpreting the message incorrectly, through the lens of hustle culture, particularly here in the U.S. and the SF Bay Area.
What if, I thought, ...what if this message is actually about my entire well-being?
What if my "life depends on it" means I rely on writing to know myself.
To feel whole.
To feel expressed.
It doesn't have mean hustle, strive, push. Not at all.
It might just mean: Write because you love it.
Write because it makes you happy.
Write because it's essential to your vitality and well-being.
What a relief.
That's where the joy and love is, not the hustle-strive culture.
I can save that for the marketing part, if even there.
(Wouldn't it fun to approach marketing with joy and love too?)
Perfectly, the morning after my epiphany, I listened to Lauren Sapala describe the difference between "achievement-oriented practices" and "relationship-oriented practices."
She pointed out how achievement practices focus on striving, goals, measurement, etc., whereas relationship practices focus on the richness and depth of the relationship we have with our writing and with our characters.
In other words, a relationship-based practice comes from love.
She also pointed out how the tools of achievement practices can still be useful (goal settings, measurement, counts, tracking, etc.), but — especially for those of us who are HSPs, INF types, empaths, etc. — we don't want them to take over.
Instead, we want to create from feeling, intuition, inner guidance, relationship, intimacy, wonder, play, joy, and love.
Spot on.
And all the more valuable to me because it reinforced my own insight from the night before (gotta love a little synchronicity).
While I wish I had seen this sooner, I'm so happy to have found it now.
