Category: update

Happy New Year!

I recently read a newsletter–Spokes and Stitches, a pattern company I admire–where the writer did a round-up of all she had accomplished in the last year. I thought I’d do something similar, because I enjoyed the window into a small creative business. I wouldn’t call myself a business, but I thought you might also enjoy the window into a small creative life.

So, um…here is everything I did that was writing-related in 2021!

• Two craft fairs! I sold DIY Writing Retreat at Somerstreets & Wrong Brain with my sister Monica
• I made DIY Writing Retreat kits, a brand-new product, for those craft fairs. It was fun!
• I made DIY Writing Retreat + DIY Writing Retreat: HOME Edition into a bundle. My first bundle!
• I did not make a planner for 2022. It’s hard for me to imagine planning right now, but things change. There are a lot of lovely planners out there if you want one that’s writing-specific.
• Wrote an article for the Craft Industry Alliance
• Published a short story in two parts on Moments Between Literary
• Wrote an essay for Medium on worship music (evangelical Christianity, why can’t I quit you?)
• Sent 8 newsletters (my promise is roughly monthly, and I think I delivered?)
• Wrote a bunch of words for a draft of a novel (once my kids’ school started up again)

I’m really proud of my list. My kids have had very few normal weeks of school this year, between snow days, sick days, COVID days, holidays, and the school toilet breaking (not a joke). Sometime mid-last school year, I realized I was going to get no writing done, and I declared it a year off from any serious effort until September. It felt really good at first, and then it kind of sucked, and then it was up and down. I am very happy now to have free time, and every time school gets canceled or someone gets sick, it’s a toss up whether I can say OK and accept it, or if I flip out because really? Are you kidding me? The toilet broke??

(I’m just documenting the state of things for future parents to look back on. And maybe my poor children. Sorry, guys, your mom is trying!)

Anyway, I don’t want to glorify productivity, but I know that personally, it feels good to make a list of accomplishments when everything starts to seem like a big blah slog. I would love to know if you do something like this, with the things that matter to you. If you decide to make a list of your own, I would love (LOVE) to see it. Please let me know – you can email me or, if you share it on IG, tag me (I’m @likesoatmeal).

Wishing you nothing but happiness, health, and peace in 2022!

Did we meet at Wrong Brain Holidaze Bizaar?? I am delighted to make your acquaintance. That show is so fun! The organizers have so much awesome energy! I was there with my sister Monica, aka Malt Shop DIY.

Anyway, welcome to my website! I’m so happy you’re here. Here’s a little more about me.

At Wrong Brain, you might have seen my DIY Writing Retreat guides and some special DIY Writing Retreat kits–if you want to buy a guide for your friends and family, hop on over here. (If you would like a kit, please email me!)

You can see my other guides here in my online shop–buy them as printable PDFs and you can print them as many times as you like. Just please don’t share! Do you run a class/writing group/retreat of your own? Email me and I will give you a bulk discount (& can even do the copying for you).

Here are some of the articles, short stories, and essays I’ve written. I’m particularly proud of this short story that Moments Between Literary published (read online).

Thank you so much for stopping by! Want to talk about writing, reading, collaboration, literally almost anything? Email me–I seriously love to email with readers and writers.

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Did we meet at SomerStreets, that awesome street fair where they close down Highland Ave to cars? Yay! Welcome to my website! I’m so happy you’re here. Here’s a little more about me.

At SomerStreets, you might have seen my DIY Writing Retreat guides and some special DIY Writing Retreat kits–if you want to buy a guide for your friends and family, hop on over here. (If you would like a kit, please email me!)

You can see my other guides here in my online shop–buy them as printable PDFs and you can print them as many times as you like. Just please don’t share! Do you run a class/writing group/retreat of your own? Email me and we will work out a way to get you all the copies you need!

Here are some of the articles, short stories, and essays I’ve written. I’m particularly proud of this short story that Moments Between Literary published (read online).

Thank you so much for stopping by! Want to talk about writing, reading, collaboration, literally almost anything? Email me–I seriously love to email with readers and writers.

Want to keep track of your pitches to magazines and your short story submissions to journals? Download my spreadsheet for writers here. It’s totally free, and you don’t even have to sign up for my newsletter to get it.

I made this spreadsheet for The Write Life a million years ago–and it is still one of the most popular posts on my website. So, in case you don’t have one yet, here’s a handy spreadsheet to help you meet your 2021 writing goals.

Want to learn more? Here’s the original article, all about the many benefits of keeping track of your pitches & submissions, on The Write Life.

*I promised in DIY Retreat: HOME Edition that I would do no writing until September 2021. This doesn’t count, because it’s just a little blog post! So great news, I’m succeeding.