[Wyrd Words Weekly] - When a story just won't let you go...


Hello Reader,

I mentioned last week that I'm noodling a new story idea that I'm hoping will jolt me out of a little bit of a "woe is me, publishing is hard!" cycle. What I didn't tell you is that the idea is actually old. Twenty one years old, in fact.

I didn't know I was a writer back then (despite all the journals full of poems, the dual-degree in French and English Lit, the obsessive reading habit...you get the picture). But I had recently relocated to England, couldn't seem to find a job, and was in that same sort of "woe is me" headspace, just for a different reason--no friends, no job.

That's when I ended up in the Lake District at William Wordsworth's cottage, and learned that he had an illegitimate daughter with a French courtesan before he became a famous poet.

Wham! I got hit with a metaphorical story stick. And once it strikes, there is no turning back. I had to write about her, what it must have been like to be abandoned while your famous boyfriend goes on to literary fame and glory.

But it was also 2001 and that meant I couldn't just dig into the archives virtually. I had to attempt to get permission to enter the Bodleian Library archives. At Oxford. Gulp. I was twenty-six years old and had no academic credentials or affiliations beyond my degree. So I gave it a go. And they rejected me.

I scoured the books I could get my hands on at the regular, non-fancy library and bookstores, but there was barely a mention of Annette Vallon or her daughter. The few books that had published their letters were out of print and I couldn't get my hands on them.

At the time, I didn't have many other options short of planning a Six of Crows-style heist to get those letters out of the Bodlein and let's face it, I would write that story, but I would not actually live that story. So after shaking an angry fist in the Bodlein's direction, I moved on to another story.

But the idea stuck with me for years. Especially when, in 2009, a major publisher released a historical fiction about Annette Vallon. I have noodled it as a middle grade told from the perspective of a young Caroline, living through the aftermath of the French Revolution with a disgraced mother and a famous, yet distant, father. As a YA story full of angst and rebellion.

Now I'm working on something quite different. Adult. Historical fantasy. Multiple timelines. Multiple POVs. But the kernel of that original story is still there. And this time I can bring the full force of the digital archives and my long-pent-up imagination to bear on this story. Don't worry, I'm going to find a way to weasel a trip to Orleans and to the Lake District out of it, just you wait.

Do you have a story you've been longing to write? One that someone told you was out of your league, beyond your skill, for true, capital-W Writers? Something that both thrills and terrifies you--a story you can't let go no matter how much time passes?

This is my clarion call: WRITE IT. And know that you're not alone. I'll be right here beside you, wading through the minefield of doubts and uncertainty, every step of the way.

Warmly,

Julie

PS - I had so much fun as a special guest for the #Preptober episode of the Moms Who Create Podcast. Check it out!

Julie Artz | author, editor, book coach, dragon

Julie Artz works with both award-winning and newer authors across the publishing spectrum from Big Five to small and university presses to indie and hybrid. She is an Author Accelerator-certified Founding Book Coach, a sought-after speaker and writing instructor, and a regular contributor to Jane Friedman and Writers Helping Writers, and a regular instructor for AuthorsPublish, IWWG, ProWritingAid and more. Her work as a Pitch Wars and Teen Pit mentor, a former SCBWI Regional Advisor (WWA), and her memberships in The EFA, the WFWA, AWP, and the Authors Guild keep her industry knowledge sharp. A consummate social and environmental justice minded story geek, Julie lives in an enchanted forest outside of Redmond, Washington, with her husband, two strong-willed teenagers (when they’re not off at university!), and two naughty furry familiars. She’s built a thriving book coaching business based on her values, her editing chops, and her knowledge of story. Check out her weekly newsletter, Wyrd Words Weekly, and subscribe today.

Read more from Julie Artz | author, editor, book coach, dragon
The book jacket for Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis.

Hello Reader, I've been neglecting the "What I'm Reading" portion of my newsletter in all the busy-ness of the past few months, so today is a double-header. If you're looking for something to distract you from the news once you get your ballot in, this is the newsletter for you! Even though I'm mostly writing adult fiction these days, my love of middle grade endures. And part of the reason for that is the hope and heart that is so much a part of my favorite middle grade stories. This week,...

A photo of the Hollywood Bowl concert venue in West Hollywood.

Hello Reader, I'm just about on the other side of a month of busy-ness and I'm not going to lie: I'm tired. But I also experienced some deep magic that has rekindled my writing spark. If you've been around here long, you know I'm almost as big a music buff as I am a book nerd. And this past weekend was something I would call once in a lifetime if not for the fact that I got to experience it last summer as well: Joni Mitchell and the Joni Jam. Bear with me, even if you don't love Joni the way...

Julie was on the Write It Scared Podcast earlier this month.

Hello Reader, Ever since I read Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism this past spring, I've been grappling with my feelings about social media. Remember the good old days of Twitter, when we were a cozy little writing community running pitch contests, giving each other support and feedback, and tagging everything with #amwriting and #writingcommunity? At the same time, I was logging into Facebook daily to see photos of my friends and family instead of endless ads and toxic political memes. Sigh....