Welcome to the 6th edition of The Weekly W(h)im!
W(h)im stands for What I Made…the ‘h’ is silent after all.
This is a weekly series reflecting on the act of creation beyond just what we might see as “creating”.
While it’s well and good to talk about our writing, what about the smaller, daily creations? A meal, a playlist, even the way we make the bed?
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These W(h)ims feel slightly self-indulgent. And I think that’s actually the point. No one is going to celebrate you all the time. They don’t even see some of the quieter accomplishments in your life.
Why not celebrate them yourself?
On My Mind…
What I can’t stop thinking about.
I’ve made a rash decision that I hope will be life changing, as it seems to go when it comes to me and rash decisions.
I’ve decided I’m going to finish the second draft of my novel by the end of August. There are a multitude of reasons why I’ve decided this, which you can find detailed here:
But it’s time. After nearly 2 years of having a finished first draft, it’s time to shit or get off the pot. I know, what an ugly metaphor but I can’t help myself. That’s truly where I’m at.
So what I’m pondering right now is…when do you give up on a story? When do you accept that you don’t have the same verve for it you did upon conception or even through that first draft?
If I’m to put on my writing coach hat briefly, I’d say that you rarely have a reason to give up on a story completely. Yes, you might need to put it away and live some more life before you take it on or it might just not be hitting the same way it once was.
That’s it, though, isn’t it? Conceiving of a story is like a drug. It comes to you, the inspiration, a whiplash sort of feeling, the most pleasant whiplash you could ever imagine. The kind of whiplash that drives to the page, to explore, to embark, to sing.
But a story, one to share with many people, doesn’t need to be told just once. It must be told again and again, shaped, prodded, and bent until it suits the vision you once had for it, the one that couldn’t have been achieved in the haze of creative whiplash.
Which is why trying to bottle that creative zap, that drugged feeling, is a fruitless endeavor, but one, nevertheless, I lament losing.
Because once that drug is gone, one must search for and give into a much more nuanced emotion. One that doesn’t provide quite as much dopamine, that exists at a crossroad of complications.
But how do you know when you should remain at the crossroads…or when you should pick a new road to follow?
On the page…
What I’ve been writing.
In an effort to get my life in order as best I can before Novel Month I’ve been closing open loops: finishing up editorial letters, following up on emails, etc.
Though the past couple weeks have been rather light “on the page”, August will be spent very much on the page.
On the Line
What I’ve been doing on the internet.
I realized in the past W(h)ims, I haven’t once acknowledged the work I do on the internet! I suppose it’s not very romantic or thrilling, but it’s worth me celebrating it myself because no work should go uncelebrated, right?
I’m on Youtube. Yeah, I don’t know, I was inspired by A Novel Month and thought, “Why don’t I add vlogging onto this?”
We’ll see how long that lasts but so far, I’ve posted 2 videos in preparation for A Novel Month and there will be another one live this morning!
I’m also working on preparing a Discord for A Novel Month - I’ve run a Discord before but only for the Romance Incubators I run (Fall applications open soon? I think?) so I’m having to really navigate all the ins and outs of proofing a space and making sure it’s safe for participants.
And if you want to participate in A Novel Month, let me know. I’ll keep you in the loop!
In the Kitchen…
What I’ve been cooking.
I had bought a bag of Roma tomatoes. I never buy tomatoes. I hate them unless they’re stewed into a sauce or marinated in a salsa.
I bought these tomatoes to make a recipe I saw online: Greek fritters.
Alas, with the cyclospora outbreak seemingly unending, I was hesitant to use cilantro and basil in the recipe and the dried version just wasn’t going to cut it.
So what was I gonna do with these godforsaken tomatoes? I don’t want to spend time in their seedy, weepy centers, cutting them down until they’re bitesized chunks.
Ah! I’ll roast them! For a sauce!
(L) Roasted Roma tomatoes (bless the Ninja Foodi).
(R) Roasted tomato sauce (simmered for hourrrrrrssss) over fusili bucati with air fried broccoli (from frozen because fuck a parasite) and homemade meatballs, recipe courtesy of Chris Morocco.
I also woke up Tuesday craving cornbread. So I pressure cooked a loaf of cornbread. It was delicious, but I didn’t have softened butter at the time so I used canola oil. Mistake. Should have used butter.
And with butter on the brain, I couldn’t stop thinking about French butter. French butter seems to have a choke hold on the aesthetic eaters of Instagram and TikTok. Creators take tremendous, angelic slices of butter as if they’ve carved them from a statue, spread them abstractly over a piece of seeded bread, sprinkle it with some flaky salt and voila!
I’ve never been interested. Until my butterless cornbread.
I marched over to Whole Foods and grabbed a stick of unsalted French butter and grabbed a half loaf of their Forbidden Rice Sourdough (I have tried to make a sourdough starter before to no avail - I stick with store bought).
And, MAMA! I can’t stop eating this. The bread is heavenly but the butter, oh that butter! The flaky salt!
From the Library…
What I’m reading.
I’m currently reading 831 Stories’ latest release, Double Standard by Mallory Thomas. It quite literally releases TODAY so you can get your copy now.
Double Standard is a fake dating romance on a movie set in Nashville. Saying I’m obsessed is an understatement.
Even more exciting…I’m going to be in conversation with Mallory in August when she comes to Chicago on her release tour!
If you’re in Chicagoland, you can reserve a seat here.
On Repeat…
What I’m listening to.
A selection of 10 songs playing with the balance of ennui and joie de vivre (and butter, lots of butter).
On Substack…
Posts you may have missed.
My prep guide for A Novel Month.
i have one week to get my life ready to write a book
As of writing this, I have 7 days to get my life together to make August the month I finish the 2nd draft of my book.
And of course! Last week’s w(h)im!
I’d love to know what you created this week. Let me know down in the comments or share this post!
I’m anticipating a lot of work this week, more admin than creative, but we shall see. Plus, we have Lollapalooza this weekend! My first ever. I’m nervous, but certainly stoked.
Until next time, w(h)im!
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