Writing and Reading Links
Agreed!
How a Book Club Can Make You Happier :: Gretchen Rubin
Lots of interesting insight on creativity and envy in this post, opening with this quote from Jerry Saltz: “When I was an artist, I used to walk around feeling sorry for myself, always…Oh, I was cynical. I knew why she was getting what she got and he got what he got, and I was eaten alive by this envy. Eaten alive, and now I tell young artists and writers: ‘You must make an enemy of envy today. Today. By tonight, because it will eat you alive.’”
An Enemy of Envy :: Austin Kleon
“In any creative endeavor, it’s possible to define success as the big win, the moment when your dreams match reality. Success is the end of imposter syndrome, stability and finally making it to the other side. By this definition, it’s clear that success isn’t going to happen.”
Success is not an option :: Seth Godin
“Most alarmingly, kids in third and fourth grade are beginning to stop reading for fun. It’s called the “Decline by 9,” and it’s reaching a crisis point for publishers and educators. According to research by the children’s publishers Scholastic, at age 8, 57 percent of kids say they read books for fun most days; at age 9, only 35 percent do. This trend started before the pandemic, experts say, but the pandemic accelerated things. “I don’t think it’s possible to overstate how disruptive the pandemic was on middle grade readers,” one industry analyst told Publishers Weekly. And everyone I talked to agreed that the sudden drop-off in reading for fun is happening at a crucial age—the very age when, according to publishing lore, lifetime readers are made.”
Not Lost in a Book :: Slate
“I’m a former middle school teacher and have always felt drawn to kids in those awkward, formative years when they’re finding their footing and their voices. And I’m a mother who cherished reading to my kids from birth through most of middle school. I don’t think there was ever a question I’d write for any other age group, really. The books I encountered as a young reader are the ones that shaped me. They opened the world to me and showed me myself. As I shared childhood favorites with my students and sons and as I read what was newly available, I knew I wanted to be a part of that rich legacy. This work feels like a gift and calling.”
Caroline Starr Rose’s Two Cents :: A Million Ways to Be a Writer
“How tension and stakes work together to keep readers invested.”
Your book needs compelling stakes :: Erin Bowman
Julie Falatko makes me laugh. Check out this book trailer for her latest picture book, Chester Barkingham Saves the Country, where she “interviews” various dogs on how they would do the same.