I spent countless more hours running outside alone or with my best friends, digging literal holes, pretending with leaves and berries to craft pretend potions, or just climbing any tree I could reasonably scale. And it struck me that my kids have been raised in an entirely different environment.
Going somewhat "off grid" for the last two months has made me really slow down and wrestle with my imposter demon. I realized that it's okay if I still haven't figured out the "business" of writing after a decade of paddling through this crazy market. What I'm best at is this. I'll never post a viral TikTok or Instagram and I don't think I really want to. I would rather write books, and write about books, and sometimes share something true and genuine with you.
We can't control every variable in our lives, no matter how much we plot and plan. And if you're like me, and prone to both fits of melancholy as well as fits of joy for the beauty in this world, the ups and downs are just a part of the life package.
Hello and welcome back to the blog (no one reads?), where I occasionally rant and talk about writing and life. Or more accurately, how I continue to make my way in the bookish world the hard way 😉
Hello friends, and welcome back to the blog that just won't quit - thirteen (thirteen???) years later. Yes, in the face of more popular social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Substack (probably ten others I'm too old to know about) — I am stubbornly plodding along.
It's still May 2025 and I'm frankly baffled that I have actual writing and publishing news to share with all of you today. After such a long hiatus where writing was a struggle, and words came out in trickles, I am now beyond stoked to report the floodgates have opened, y'all. Hallellujah and all that jazz!
It's May 2025 and I'm doing my best to run back up that hill after a year of struggling to stay afloat. I won't bore you with too many pesky details, explanations, or excuses. I moved into a house about this time last year, and it's taken me a solid year to grow accustomed to the new "life as I know it."
Happy 2023, friends! I am alive! Reports of my untimely demise were greatly exaggerated. Although, a part of me has been put to rest ever since I had my baby girl last May. Okay, I swear I’m not being melodramatic (no more than usual). Let me explain.
If you follow my witterings, you've probably heard me talk about the choices we make. It follows the same vein as how you make a daily habit. You put in the minutes, the time to literally do. And if you aren't doing, chances are, you aren't seeing results, right? That's how a book gets written, or you stay in serviceable shape. It's ten minutes of your day, more or less, where you put in the time. It seems so pithy, but trust me when I say it adds up.
The best advice I can offer you is to not be your worst enemy. You’ll always find someone out there who is better (or more experienced) than you are. But when you focus too much on how much better someone else seems to be or be doing, it’s way too easy to lose sight of your progress. Remember, if you’re writing, you’re constantly growing your craft. It won’t happen overnight. It’s going to take time, hard work, and little thanks in the beginning (sometimes longer).
Jennifer Silverwood 