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Jennifer Louden's avatar

I’m writing a novel about a magical school for middle-aged women who learn to use magic to buy humanity time from the climate crisis.

When I read Harry Potter, I kept thinking, “Why do the kids get to go to Hogwarts, I want to go!” In my novel, there are magic classes! and a toxic billionaire trying to steal all the magic (of course), and a mother-daughter fight that begins our story.

If you’d like to get regular updates on my writing process and an invitation to join a beta reading group, sign up here https://jenniferlouden.com/writing-a-novel/ - this is a different list than my Substack by the way.

I email once a month and include writing resources and what I’m reading. Easy unsubscribe always.

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Brandi Larsen's avatar

I want to read that! I keep waiting for my Hogwarts letter, but this sounds even better. Keep at it!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

thank you!! Brandi I REALLY appreciate that!

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Esther Nagle's avatar

I'd love to read that!

I used to make up stories for my son Marcus about a boy called Marcus the Adventurer, who would go with his Mum to have all sorts of adventures. In one of them, he and his Mum went to hogwarts and his Mum became a magical teacher. I think she taught herbal magic!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Esther did Mum have a name? Love to give her a role!

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H. L. Onstad's avatar

Yes, please! More adventures for smart middle-aged women. : )

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

thank you!

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Jen G's avatar

yes!

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em's avatar

I would definitely read that!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

awesome!!

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Paige Geiger's avatar

I heard you talk about this idea on a podcast and love it! Can’t wait until it’s out in the world!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Thank you Paige. I will keep that comment close when my confidence flags.

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Amy Oscar's avatar

Pre-ordered. Cannot wait to read this book!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

that's so sweet. Off to do some writing so maybe in a few years you actually can :).

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Helen Grace MacGregor's avatar

This sounds amazing! There’s nothing more magical than midlife women and I can’t wait to read this book 👌🏻😁🙌🏻

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

I’m working on tapping into that magic. Thank you!!

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Jennifer Perry's avatar

Oh my, I would totally read your book! Why do the kids get to have all the magic?! Adults definitely need this. 💖

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Thank you! Yes why do the kids get to go to school? I love school.

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Jennifer Ann Smith's avatar

I would sign up for a magic class! A "light" approach to this heavy topic sounds perfect. Sounds like a fun way in.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Exactly!! ❤️

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Sarah Rubenstein's avatar

Omg that's brilliant! I'd love to read about middle-aged women and magic!!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

wow thank you! that is so so good to hear!

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Krayna Castelbaum's avatar

Can I have a bit part in the movie when it comes out? Seriously! Sounds like not only a book I'd read, but a movie or play I'd watch!

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Apr 10, 2024
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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Thanks Lisa. What's challenging is not pushing myself too hard and making sure I keep having fun. Some weeks finding the time is difficult :).

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Jill Eades's avatar

A memoir focused on navigating family dysfunction, blended family problems with bio/stepparents from the child and the bio/stepparent perspective, and family estrangement.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

oh love the step parent perspective -- blended families are so tricky. Would the book be straight memoir or are you imagining something more prescriptive with a lot of stories? :)

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Jill Eades's avatar

Hmmm...have always thought from my perspective. Though your suggestion intrigues me.

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Apr 10, 2024
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Jennifer Louden's avatar

thanks for being here and offering support!

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Vera Lester's avatar

The title of the book is: A Curious Heart: Finding Meaning in a World on Fire.

I've never considered myself a book writer, or had a dream of publishing a book -- but I have felt compelled in the last few years to write a book about how to have a spiritual life without subscribing to any specific dogma. The "spiritual but not religious" make up 22% of America! I've finished the first rough draft, and am now in "Book Proposal" land, after some friends convinced me to try to go traditional before I self-publish. It's a whole new world, and I am overwhelmed and a little excited.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Love the idea and yes that market is always growing!!! Book proposal land is fun and yes, it can be a bit overwhelming. I always tell my clients to think of it as a business proposal to convince someone to partner with you on your book. Depending on your platform or how much you want to build on, you might consider looking at smaller presses and university presses because they are much more open to people with great manuscripts and less of a social media/newsletter presence than traditional bigger publishers. good luck!!

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Christine Mann's avatar

Wow, you are already so far along the book writing journey. This sounds exciting! This forum is the right place to be. I am curious to hear more about your journey.

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Esther Goh's avatar

Go for it! Count me part of that spiritual bucket!

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Helen Grace MacGregor's avatar

I love your title and definitely describe myself as spiritual but not religious. It’s a wonderful way to live and your book sounds like a wonderful offering. I can’t wait to see it arrive in the world!

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Amazing, I just commented that I wanted to write something similar. If you need an editor, I'd be happy to offer my two cents!

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Mindy Meiering's avatar

A few years ago I created a grief deck for people who have lost a pet and I'm playing around with an idea I have for a companion journal. So much of the healing in my own grief journey (pets and other losses) has come through writing and I thought a beautiful guided journal with prompts, quotes, artwork and maybe even spaces to doodle/draw might be helpful -- either as a companion to the deck or as a standalone thing people could use. This idea just came to me when I was on a retreat a couple weeks ago... so I haven't done anything with it yet except a bit of visioning. I hope to begin designing/writing it this Spring!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

I'm excited to help you with this idea!!

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

I love this idea. I'm a hospital chaplain and work with people grieving who would benefit so much from this resource. Sadly it's not a type of loss that we talk about as much but it impacts people so deeply.

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em's avatar

this sounds so helpful for people. it's so incredibly difficult to lose a pet.

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Krayna Castelbaum's avatar

LOVE your vision! X, k

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Jennifer Perry's avatar

Oh how beautiful! I would love that journal! 💖

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Irene Sardanis's avatar

Immigrant parents. Cultural issues in families. Childhood abuse. Family dysfunction

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Rich territory to work in. Cultural issues in families grabbed me. Do you have a genre in mind? A particular focus?

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Irene Sardanis's avatar

Jennifer, Confession. I already wrote the book, a memoir, Out of the Bronx, but memories persist and wonder if there is another book - I doubt it - that needs telling.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

it's worth wondering and lying to rest one way or the other.

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Vera Lester's avatar

The first generation family struggles have always fascinated me bc they sounded so hard -- I dated a man who couldn't really communicate with his parents, because they didn't share enough fluency in language to share big ideas. They had encouraged him to learn english to adjust to the new country. It broke my heart.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

that's a story right there Vera!

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Apr 10, 2024
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Irene Sardanis's avatar

Lisa, I need to come clean and confess I already wrote the book, Out of the Bronx. But the memories die hard and wonder if there is more I need to write about - more gory details. Right now, I'm not ready to go there. Thanks for your comments.

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Jennifer Perry's avatar

This post sparked at the right moment. Currently I’m trying to get started on Substack and want to write my first post. I’m nervous and excited. I’m an artist and want to share how creativity has helped me through healing. The old story of ‘I’m not a writer’ is slowly becoming quieter. Cheers to everyone’s writing dreams. May they all come true!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

You are writer because you write. Just like there is so much baggage and mystique about being an artist there is about being a writer. It’s just noise. Really!! I had it for years after I’d published many books and sold 100’s of thousands of copies of them because I wasn’t a literary writer. Screw that noise. You can do this! Tag me when you publish.🫶🏽👍🏽⭐️

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Jennifer Perry's avatar

Thank you so much for your wisdom! I’m carrying your words with me. And I will definitely tag you when I hit publish on the first one. Thank you! 💖🥰

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

👊🏼🤸🥰

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Emily Peyton Cook's avatar

Yes! Write this! Creativity is such a gift and it needs to be shared. I’m an art teacher and it is so true that art is healing. Your words will be an encouragement I’m sure.

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Esther Nagle's avatar

I've spent almost my whole life living in this place, not wanting to be here, feeling like I don't belong.

At 51, while processing some big grief and depression, I'm finding such solace and home in the hills I have loved walking in for years that I think I am finally starting to recognise and accept that I am exactly where I belong

And I want to explore this, the idea of belonging, of place, of acceptance (of ourselves, more than from others), of making peace wjth the hard things in life, and learning to be exactly who we are in all our beautiful weirdness.

I've bought an Ordnance Survey map of a 5 mile radius around my house, and I want to embark on an epic adventure of getting to know my place, and myself in it, while explore the nature and history of this place and the themes mentioned above.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

I adore this. There are so many great books to look at around belonging and land - so good and interesting!!

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Helen Grace MacGregor's avatar

Hello beautiful soul. Long time no see! I love that you’re finding your place in the land you inhabit. I relate to your experience and to the journey towards belonging and acceptance of what is. I know anything you write will be magical x

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Esther Nagle's avatar

Oh hello you lovely human, how are you? Hope life is joyful in your world 💜💜

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

I want to write a book incorporating my stories working with people as a hospital chaplain. I am trying to figure out if it would be more memoir-esque, or more self-help, so struggling a bit with the structure. I'd also like to incoporate how to engage in spiritual practices without being religious (but that might be a second book).

I'd like to write it because I believe that there are universal truths about living that I have experienced while accompanying the dying. And some of the stories are so precious and worth sharing so we can all live with more intention. And I like raising the profile of hospital chaplains and what we do.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Huge potential Christine. There are some good models for this subject matter - tell me what your comp titles are? I love this!

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Still haven't done a deep dive on comps, but I think it would be similar to Here if you Need Me by Kate Braestrap, On Living by Kerry Eagen and Holding Space by Amy Wright Glenn.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Is there anything about those book’s structure you like? You ca. mix and match

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Good advice - thanks! I'll have to look at them again, it's been a few years since I read them. I've liked writing the short form essays via substack, but definitely have to figure out how to lengthen some of those posts to chapters.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

It’s about finding the one big idea or the point and structuring around that. What do you most to say? To be a stand for? What do you k is the rest of the world needs to know most of all?

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Oh, these are wonderful questions that I will chew on for the next few days. This may help me to organize chapters by topic rather than vignette - that way I could have several stories around one theme.

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Marika Páez Wiesen's avatar

Yess! Immediately thought of Here if You Need Me! ❤️

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Jennifer Ann Smith's avatar

The insight from your vantage point could be an important gift. I would read this with curiosity about the "universal truths" as well as to learn more about the role and real experience of a chaplain.

Not sure if it's cool to post this here, but I will since the topic is at hand... An online event I'm looking forward to on Saturday is Introduction to Buddhist Chaplaincy, offered by the Sati Center.

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Thanks for the encouragement. And I love that you will be looking into Buddhist Chaplaincy. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out - as part of my role is running chaplaincy educational programs in my hospital.

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Jennifer Ann Smith's avatar

Thanks for the invitation to connect. I would look forward to learning from you at some point. Maybe a conversation down the road. Maybe your book on chaplaincy! After reading your Dec 2023 post about the role of listening in this work, I am even more interested. Listening is such a gift and act of service.

If you would like a link to the Buddhist chaplaincy talk, feel free to DM :)

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Krayna Castelbaum's avatar

Awesome!!!! I'd love to see where you take this. I worked in the same capacity in hospitals in N.J. and Oregon. You are right on - stories that are precious and worth sharing! I love this idea.

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Thanks and lovely to meet a fellow chaplain! I have started writing some of what might turn into chapters in my substack if you want to check it out and I'd welcome any feedback!

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Krayna Castelbaum's avatar

I'd love to connect with you! Maybe we can have a phone chat sometime. I live in Oregon. You? I'm not a certified. In Philadelphia I had two internships and one residency in the pastoral program. Then I worked in that hospital and one here in Oregon. Yes, I would love to check your writing out!

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

That'd be great! I did my residency in Philly! (HUP) and I'm a CPE Supervisor now.

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Krayna Castelbaum's avatar

HUP!? OMG. We got some stories to share! Let me know when and how you'd like to connect. :-)

PS - I did my internships in residency at Thomas Jefferson University hospital.

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Oh so wild. I know your CPE Supervisors then! Substack now has a DM feature, I'll send you a message.

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Sarah Lavender Smith's avatar

I'd like to read this! It reminds me of the Hospice work I've witnessed during my parents' decline and death.

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Thanks for the vote of confidence! This also helps as I try to figure who my readers might be. I have found on substack many people who found their way to me are grieving their parents. It is a delicate balance, as part of my desire is to normalize loss and grief - and I am sensitive to not wanting to add to people's pain.

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Apr 11, 2024
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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Lisa, thanks for your support. And blessings to you as you care for your mother in law and your wife in the dying process. I hope hospice will be a balm during this time for all of you.

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Brandi Larsen's avatar

I needed these words of encouragement today. I’ve been working on a novel since my 14-year-old was in utero. Today, I hit 70,000 words of my eighth (and hopefully final) draft. It’s the story of twin sisters, both neurodivergent, who are grieving the death of their mother when the “wrong” sister gets pregnant. It’s a story about grief and family, where love and loss intersect to create life.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Brandi I’m so so impressed that you have stuck with your story and that you are doing the hard work. I’m right there with you. Also what a rich setup. Do have a hoped for done date?

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Brandi Larsen's avatar

Thanks! It feels like a story that I need to have written. All of my hoped-for done dates are in the past and feel like a stream of shame. I released myself from that pressure and instead put myself in the desk each time with the expectations that I listen, tell the truth, and try to write.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

that's great! Sometimes done dates are completely unhelpful and must be dropped. And telling the truth is always my goal too.

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Brandi Larsen's avatar

You're really, really good at it. :)

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

gosh thank you!!

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Paige Geiger's avatar

I would read this! And I get the slow progress, mine is, too. Keep going!

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Angela's avatar

I want to write a choose your own adventure story and put it on YouTube. I want it to be about a group of women going cave exploring. In my community for introverted women, we're exploring personal expansion through the metaphor of caves this month. I thought it would be fun to create it on my own, using AI to help with the writing and the pictures. I could edit it and narrate it. But then I thought I could ask my members if they'd like to do it together. I created a post today, explaining my idea and asking if anyone would like to collaborate. I haven't posted it yet. It's still sitting in my drafts. I wonder if it's too big of a project to take on and how complicated it would be to do it together. So I'm sitting with the idea for a while.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

you could post and ask in the spirit of "I might do this but only with your help" when you feel ready. It is a big project but a very cool one!

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Sarah Rubenstein's avatar

That sounds so cool!!

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Anne's avatar

For 10 years I’ve had this book idea about a girl who time travels via a birth mark on her wrist and she comes to find out she belongs to a long line of time travelers involved in a vast network. I’ve written the opening page about a hundred times and that’s as far as I’ve ever gotten. I want to write it.

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Jennifer Lamson's avatar

Love this idea. One of my favorite stories of all time is The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne about how this little imperfection is what makes us alive. And human. I would love to read this book!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Ah Anne, what a great set up! It's super common to get caught in the idea -- I've done it -- and then stumble in the story development. Have you read The Science of Story-telling by Will Storr? I love that book! Story Genius by Lisa Cron is also good. You can write this!!

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Paige Geiger's avatar

What a fun idea! I hope you get past that first page...

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Jennifer Ann Smith's avatar

I'd like to write a sweetie story set in northern Alaska. One theme is how people are made of one another. Lovers especially. This occurred to me in the otherworld of the ICU, sitting at the bedside of my husband. Dying one moment, living the next. I imagined life without him, then I realized he can't leave; he's part of me. He's a main ingredient in my recipe.

This theme of interconnectedness is starting to show up everywhere. I even saw it yesterday in the dedication of Jen's book, Why Bother?

My sweetie story has lots of adventures and colorful characters. All captured in 15 years of journals. I don't know what format yet– essay (feels safest but will never get written), newsletter (starting to build an audience appeals, but will keep me in hiding forever), book (ha ha... and then it will be made into a movie ;)

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

book! I vote for book! what about a romance novel? or are you thinking more memoir? And may I ask how interconnetedness showed up in the dedication to Bob in my book?

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Jennifer Ann Smith's avatar

Ok, one vote for book! Thanks :)

Leaning toward memoir but a fictionalized version may help me cut loose a little.

In Why Bother, I saw interconnectedness in the Rumi quote, "Lovers don't just meet somewhere. They're in each other all along."

In my take on this idea, I invoke "we are what we eat." We take one another IN through the mutual experience of one another's being, served variously: my laughter, his art, your encouragement, her brassiness.

We then metabolize these experiences of other people and are changed, even fortified, as a result. Like this forum, Jen. Your presence has already changed me a little. Thanks for the invitation to connect. Posting here has been a helpful exercise. You already knew that would happen :) 🙏

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

I love that idea of taking each other in - fascinating. And one tiny thought about fictionalized memoir: at some point the characters have to become their own selves, free from what actually happened, in my experience, for the novel to come to life. Just something to think about. I'm glad posting here was useful!!!

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Martina's avatar

a book, please. I sometimes feel this interconnectedness, too. And it would be lovely, if you could give it a narrative form. Such basic insights have a long tradition of being told in storys. You could connect with these, too... all the best!

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Christine Mann's avatar

I am currently off work due to total exhaustion. I am considering to write about my recovery journey, in newsletter style.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with exhaustion. And writing as a way to recover - that could be awesome. I wonder about a short form newsletter? A very popular one -- which I don't like the content of per say but just for an idea -- is James Clear the guy who wrote Atomic Habits. Just a thought to find a format that makes it easy for you to write... or maybe long form will be more satisfying. Please tag me when you publish!

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Christine Mann's avatar

Ok, I will check it out!

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Helen Grace MacGregor's avatar

I’m sure this would be helpful for so many people. I’m off work at the moment too and like you, the ideas are bubbling as a result of honouring the call to rest. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this and hope that writing about it helps you re-emerge slowly x

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Sarah Rubenstein's avatar

My interest/area is still so ephemeral. I have this desire to create a magical experience, where somehow by the book's end, the reader feels like the author has transcended the page and connected with them directly. And by the end they believe in magic and also feel like they've been on a journey together with the author/protagonist. I know, so vague! But magic and human connection I think are the themes calling to me. Thank you for the invitation, Jen!!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

themes are a tremendous place to start! Do you want to write fiction or nonfiction?

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Sarah Rubenstein's avatar

Fiction☺️

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Awesome! do you feel drawn to create characters first or a scenario? Or an ending? or a setting? there is no wrong place to start!

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Sarah Rubenstein's avatar

Scenario, I think. Thanks for saying no wrong place!

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

i like to tell my clients "you are god" -- you get to decide what appeals and change your mind as you go!

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Helen Grace MacGregor's avatar

I love that you already have such a visceral sense of the journey you want to offer. What a beautiful place to start. Please keep exploring!

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Julie Paquette's avatar

I've thought a lot about writing about my paternal grandmother (1898-1993). So many challenges and so that she made into opportunities. A

strong woman who raised 5 kids as a single woman. I interviewed her several times one on one and have pages of notes and an outline, but I think I'd like to write a fantasy that's been on my mind for a few years. A comic, perhaps, and AI could help me with the illustrations of interactions between humans and dolphins and/or killer whales.

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Humans and orcas! Love that. And now we know there are 5 species of them even more fun. Maybe some of your grandmother’s story will end up in the novel.

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Martina's avatar

...and what if there is a wise grandmother orca who resembles your grandmother. If I remember it right, female orcas do indeed get very old and lead their herd...

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Helen Grace MacGregor's avatar

I’d love to read a story about your grandmother’s journey. It astounds me how much our ancestors achieved and how many emigrated to start new lives. I wonder if you could use the energy you feel from her story to inspire a main character in your fantasy offering. How exciting!

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Utpaladhī's avatar

A book about how to live a happy contented and simple life in our modern world. A modern contemplative life of joy. Working title ‘Simple Life, Spacious Heart’

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

Lovely title!! Do you know Maggie Smith’s Keep Moving? Might be a nice source of inspiration. ❤️

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Utpaladhī's avatar

Ooh I don’t, thank you! 🙏🏻💚

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Jennifer Louden's avatar

She’s a poet and memoir writer lovely.

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Paige Geiger's avatar

I need this book! :)

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Utpaladhī's avatar

Aw thanks Paige! I’d better get cracking then!

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