Happy Sunday! I hope you’re well this beautiful day. Smatterings had a nice little summer vacation, my well is almost full, and I’m getting back into my routine. Friday morning? Write up some smatterings.

I enjoyed my time away.  I’ve found it’s so vital to my well-being as a creative to take time to turn inward, to replenish my well. I read a lot of books, I wrote a lot of words, I got plenty of sleep and exercise and clean food and fresh air. When I get to the point where I feel it’s time to step away, it’s not only because my days have become unbalanced, my life has as well. The moment I realize I’ve gotten out of my routines, that’s when I take a break.

Routines are a creative’s best friend. Writing is a muscle, and must be trained and honed to work at its maximum potential. There is one thing every exceptionally successful author has in common—a writing routine. Whether that’s writing for 2 hours before the kids get up, 7am-11am, 4pm-8pm, after dinner until midnight, whatever suits your daily rhythms, giving yourself a chunk of time to be creative every day and sticking to it is vital for your growth. 

I know it’s become exceptionally hard to maintain these routines with the stay-at-home orders, the worry, the fear, but now is when routines are more important than ever. I encourage you to find a block of time that you can take for yourself and fill it with your gift. Breathe, and create.

There are a lot of links today, so off we go. Onward!

THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:

There have been some amazing stay-at-home editions of A WORD ON WORDS this season. I got to interview Emily St. John Mandel, Julia Alvarez, and Erik Larson. My cohost Mary Laura Philpott interviewed R. Eric Thomas and Lori Gottlieb. And if you missed the news: There are now transcripts available for Season 5 so you can enjoy our full conversations.

With Stores Closed, Barnes & Noble Does Some Redecorating. I am SO ready to get back to browsing in bookstores…

Raiding my Closet for Book-Inspired Outfits. Very cool to see some GOOD GIRLS LIE outfit inspiration!

Face masks from Litographs. Which one should I choose??

Yoga for Brain Fog: How Your Practice Can Clear Your Mind. It can make a big difference!

What’s Wrong With The Strong Female Character? Such a great discussion from Kristen Lepionka, Layne Fargo, and Wendy Heard.

Business Musings: Holes in the Economy. “We have no idea what the world will look like in a year. It will take a long time for all of us to figure out what’s going on outside of our little bubble of friends, family, and businesses. We have to assume that everyone is going through a rough time right now, and that their own prospects for a solid future—one they had imagined for themselves just six months ago—are bleak. We can’t keep track of it all, so we keep track of what we can.”

Awe-inspiring Book Tattoos for Literature Lovers. Very cool.

The July Newsletter went out last week, so if you didn’t get it, please check your promotions folder! Everyone who opens the newsletter the first week it’s out will be entered in a giveaway for a gift card to the bookstore of your choice.

PRETTY THINGS by Janelle Brown

 This book, friends, this book. I will be raving about it all year, I’m sure; it’s already made it onto my best of 2020 list. A con artist gets in over her head when she tries to pull a fast one on a wealthy Instagram influencer – but it’s so much more: a perfectly paced gothic mystery, a searing social commentary, a case study in how to write rich, deep characters. This one’s a winner. I can’t wait to see it on the screen, it’s one of Nicole Kidman’s next projects.

What are you reading?

That’s it from me. Make something special today, get some walking in, hydrate hydrate hydrate, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.