Hello Reader,

Whenever indie folk singer Chris Pureka comes to town, we try to grab tickets. This month, we got to hear Chris in a tiny venue in neighboring Carnation, Washington, and as always, it was an amazing show.

One of my favorite songs of theirs is "Back in the Ring." It's about bouncing back after a breakup and the mental health challenges that came along with it, but it's become an anthem to me when the inevitable writing rejections come into the inbox.

I'll find myself singing the chorus when I need a boost: "get up, get up, get up, put the gloves back on, back in the ring." And even though I'm not in any way a boxer, it does motivate me to come back to the work, to keep digging, to keep trying new things, even when the doubt demons are trying to use those rejections as evidence that I should throw in the towel on this writing thing.

I'll admit I haven't had the best luck embedding videos in the software I use to send these newsletters, so click this link to hear Chris sing this song if the below doesn't show up for you (and accept my apologies!):

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What do you use to motivate you to get back in the ring after a creative disappointment? I'd love to hear from you.

Get Your Manuscript Reader-Ready

Tell me if this sounds like you. Your long-held dream is to have a reader-ready manuscript, but you’re:

• Battling imposter syndrome and fighting a losing battle against your doubt demons
• Worrying you’ll never finish that first draft
• Unsure of the next steps to take
• Struggling to incorporate the feedback you’ve gotten
• Facing rejection by agents or editors – or worse, hearing nothing but crickets

And now you’re wondering…
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​Where do I go from here?

On June 5, I'll be inviting ten nine seven writers to join my small group coaching program, the Wyrd Writers Collective. A 6-month group coaching program that will help you craft the change-making stories of your heart with an experienced book coach and supportive community of writers by your side!

This program comes at a fraction of the cost of 1:1 coaching, but provides all the support, craft learning, and market knowledge you need to finally get your novel or memoir reader-ready. So if you've been on the fence about working with me, now is the time to take the leap. There's more information, and a link to the easy intake form, here: https://julieartz.com/community/​

Once you've filled out the intake form, we'll jump on Zoom to talk about whether group coaching is a good next step for you. So don't delay--I'd love to chat.

What I'm Reading

If you've been around here long, you know I'm pretty much obsessed with dragons. Ever since I first met Smaug in The Hobbit eleventy billion years ago, I've been fascinated by them.

So I was thrilled to learn about To Shape a Dragon's Breath by author Moniquill Blackgoose. Seeing some of my favorite fantasy tropes (magical academies, dragon-human bonding) through the fresh lens has been wonderful. So if you're a dragon-lover as well, you might want to check it out! The lyrical writing draws you into the story from page one, and of course I loved seeing a female protagonist and, of course, an adorable dragonling.

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly,

Julie