Fascinating. That's going to be some reply. Love hearing about writers' processes. Thanks for sharing. Certainly resonate with the frustration sometimes of the demands of the real world.
Interestingly, follow your postcard project, a friend and I (we live in the same town but don't get to see each other as often as we'd like) have started writing to each other.
Love reading about this process. I’ve never written fiction other than as part of an exercise on a writing course. I actually loved it but it terrified me. I felt a responsibility to the characters I’d started to form in my mind.
You’ve also inspired me to write to a dear friend of mine who is quite unwell. I thought about it but haven’t actioned it yet. I will do it today 🙏🏻
Hooray! My favourite SS thread is back. Just as compelling and enjoyable as the other eight too. Of course, keen to namely hear what Lily thinks but honestly, the way you speak so confidently about writing fiction makes me shudder. It’s a ‘fear’ shudder, you see - I’m riddled with it when it comes to create writing. I honestly don’t know why. Poems, yup - I can do that but just the thought of writing past a hundred words just baffles me. The way you talk about how much freedom you feel from it makes me feel so envious - I’d love to feel that way. Up until I was about 18, I could write fiction no problem but with age has come a real blank on it and a ton of anxiety that anything I write would be massively boring. I don’t really know start to coax me out but listening to you speak about it - and anticipating Lily’s thoughts is cracking open a little door for me. Maybe! From what I’ve read so far of your newest fiction, it’s just divine. I keep thinking of the word, ‘lüks’ that you introduced me to it in. All of it feels pretty lüks to me. Can’t wait to read more.
AWW, that's so nice to hear, Sally. Thank you for sharing, and I'm glad you're as excited as we are about the return of these letters – I'm eagerly awaiting Lily's reply tomorrow. As far as writing to length goes, I think that any of us who sit down to the blank page find it daunting. I write books for a living, as you know, and there is not one time that I sit down to start a new book when I don't think 'can i do this? Is this the one where everyone finds out I am a fraud?' and then I have to remind myself, I've done it before, I'll do it again. Maybe you need to remind yourself of that, that at 18, without half the life experience you have had since, you were able to write. Perhaps because you were not judging yourself? Do you think everything you write has to be perfect? Why? Who's going to see it for now? I think this piece from my archive might help you. Have a read... https://annawharton.substack.com/p/lesson-six-the-permission-every-writer
Just read it. Goodness, that’s literally it. I’ve accepted your gesture of permission to write something shit. Care to inspire me with anything to think about?
Fascinating. That's going to be some reply. Love hearing about writers' processes. Thanks for sharing. Certainly resonate with the frustration sometimes of the demands of the real world.
Interestingly, follow your postcard project, a friend and I (we live in the same town but don't get to see each other as often as we'd like) have started writing to each other.
Oh that’s lovely Jean, I’m so pleased to hear that you and your friend have been inspired by my postcard project!
Love reading about this process. I’ve never written fiction other than as part of an exercise on a writing course. I actually loved it but it terrified me. I felt a responsibility to the characters I’d started to form in my mind.
You’ve also inspired me to write to a dear friend of mine who is quite unwell. I thought about it but haven’t actioned it yet. I will do it today 🙏🏻
I love it when our letters inspire our readers to write too!
I’m sure we will discuss more of that move to fiction in the next few letters, so stay tuned!
Will do
Hooray! My favourite SS thread is back. Just as compelling and enjoyable as the other eight too. Of course, keen to namely hear what Lily thinks but honestly, the way you speak so confidently about writing fiction makes me shudder. It’s a ‘fear’ shudder, you see - I’m riddled with it when it comes to create writing. I honestly don’t know why. Poems, yup - I can do that but just the thought of writing past a hundred words just baffles me. The way you talk about how much freedom you feel from it makes me feel so envious - I’d love to feel that way. Up until I was about 18, I could write fiction no problem but with age has come a real blank on it and a ton of anxiety that anything I write would be massively boring. I don’t really know start to coax me out but listening to you speak about it - and anticipating Lily’s thoughts is cracking open a little door for me. Maybe! From what I’ve read so far of your newest fiction, it’s just divine. I keep thinking of the word, ‘lüks’ that you introduced me to it in. All of it feels pretty lüks to me. Can’t wait to read more.
AWW, that's so nice to hear, Sally. Thank you for sharing, and I'm glad you're as excited as we are about the return of these letters – I'm eagerly awaiting Lily's reply tomorrow. As far as writing to length goes, I think that any of us who sit down to the blank page find it daunting. I write books for a living, as you know, and there is not one time that I sit down to start a new book when I don't think 'can i do this? Is this the one where everyone finds out I am a fraud?' and then I have to remind myself, I've done it before, I'll do it again. Maybe you need to remind yourself of that, that at 18, without half the life experience you have had since, you were able to write. Perhaps because you were not judging yourself? Do you think everything you write has to be perfect? Why? Who's going to see it for now? I think this piece from my archive might help you. Have a read... https://annawharton.substack.com/p/lesson-six-the-permission-every-writer
Thank you, I’m going to read this now. xx
Let me know what you think x
Just read it. Goodness, that’s literally it. I’ve accepted your gesture of permission to write something shit. Care to inspire me with anything to think about?
Write a farewell letter penned by one of your favourite literary characters …
Thank you, sounds fun. I know who straight away. But why might I be saying goodbye?
Who did they leave?
Oh. No-one. Am I missing the point here? I was thinking about Holden Cauldfield from Catcher In The Rye.