Green Highlighter
A lesson for writing but also for life
Hello!
How are you doing? Has the weather warmed up where you are? Between nicer days and later sunsets thanks to the end of daylight savings time, I’m feeling transformed. I just got back from a walk with no jacket. Bliss!
I’ll be honest with you that I’ve been having a touch of Substack Stage Fright. I read the term in a post by
, and thought, “Yes, there’s a word for it! That’s exactly I’m feeling, too.” I turned on paid subscriptions a few weeks ago and have felt a bit paralyzed since about what to write that’s worth your hard-earned money. But then I realized I love when other people write chatty newsletters that feel more like diary entries (recently loving ’s First Rodeo, which often feels that way to me) or share curated links round ups (Feed Me by and After School by are both required morning reads). So, all that’s to say, I’m still figuring things out, but let’s throw some spaghetti at the wall, shall we?As you might know, I’m currently working on my second novel (my first, The Christmas Orphans Club came out last September). By all accounts, second novels (or sophomore creative projects of any kind) are instruments of torture designed to destroy any confidence gained in writing your first book. No, seriously, everyone agrees. My agent and editor have both said this, as has every writer I’ve ever met. Even Olivia Rodrigo has talked about what a mindf•ck recording her second album was. But I think I had a breakthrough this past week, and it’s all thanks to a green highlighter.
