A writing experiment, a workshop, and an update to The Writer's Process

Hi Reader,

If you're in any part of the U.S. that has been buried in snow and frozen in subzero temperatures, I hope this email warms you.

Times are tricky indeed—which makes it more important that we write for ourselves and others. I've read many moving, personal stories of experiences with ICE and with ice this winter.

Here are three things that might help:

1. February's writing experiment, useful for anyone having trouble finding the time to write.
2. An invitation to a virtual writing workshop on underdog stories.
3. The first in a series of Field Notes from a Book in Progress—stories from revising The Writer's Process. If you're an author or a fan of the book, you might find these fun.

Free writing workshop on Tuesday, February 10

Everyone loves an underdog—why not feature them in your writing?

On Tuesday, February 10, I'm running a short writing workshop on "Underdog Stories," hosted by the Friends of the Santa Cruz Libraries. This is part of a county-wide series of events related to the book Spare Parts by Joshua Davis.

We've added a Zoom component, so even if you're not in the county or nearby, you can dial in and join us. It's happening at 6:30PM PT.

You don't need to have read the book; we're going to look at the structure of underdog stories, then I'll give you a few prompts to work with and you can start your underdog-inspired writing.

​Learn more and register here.​

Time Treasure Hunt

If you're having trouble finding time to write, this week's post might be just the ticket. You are hereby invited to try a Writing Time Treasure Hunt! See the post below or watch the video on YouTube.

Field Notes from a Book in Process

The Writer’s Process (10th Anniversary Edition)

I'm in the midst producing the 10th anniversary edition of The Writer's Process, my first and most popular book on writing. Want a behind-the-scenes look at the many decisions involved in writing and publishing? If so, you're in luck with this series, published here and on my website.

My first field note addresses the core dilemma I had when starting: how much of an update or revision should I do?

On Deciding to Do a New Edition of a Popular Book

Creating a new edition of a book is rather like planning one of those elaborate vow renewal ceremonies. There’s less risk, because you know the relationship works. But you still have to book the venue, extend the invitations, get the cake … you get the idea. Same with the new edition. You know it works as a book, but you still have to do a lot.

So I thought long and hard about how to revise The Writer's Process for its 10-Year Anniversary Edition. Should I do a small update or a major rewrite? [Spoiler: I chose the major rewrite.]

Find out how and why I made that decision in this post—the first of many in this series.

That's all for now. Stay warm and safe, and keep writing!

Anne

Need a speaker for your writer's group? Let me know. I'm happy to talk about the writing process, writing book proposals, or indie publishing.

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PO Box 66285 Scotts Valley, CA 95067

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