mini bulletpoints// 03
when writing isn't just about the writing, plus my affinity for chili's and the public library (separately): a new, weekly, bite-sized version of bulletpoints
The vibe: the work before the work begins1
I got accepted into a really fun romance writing mentorship program!! I’m excited! My hard work is paying off! I’m motivated and…
I’m still mentally drained. Despite the joy of taking a week off to recharge, I still sit in front of my Google Doc, filled with comments and notes, and feel paralyzed by an internal monologue of I don’t know what to do next. An edit letter from my mentor might give me more direction, or it might just pile on more feedback that I can’t figure out how to parse through, because I can’t hear myself think.
Hence, the work before the work begins. I need to clear space. I need to get into a routine and take myself seriously, so the next time I touch my manuscript or read someone’s feedback, I know exactly what I want to say and where this novel is headed, because the only noise in my mind is my own voice.
Drink more water, move my body, fold that pile of clothes and put them away, cook a dinner with vegetables, take my vitamins, sit in the sun, read before bed instead of looking at my phone. Exercising helps anxious feelings move through my body. Decluttering my physical space clears the clutter in my mind. All the physical things manifest mentally and emotionally, for better or for worse.
Are any of these things writing? No. Do all of these things help me to be a better writer? Absolutely. So I’ll be cleaning my apartment and going for long walks all weekend, I guess.
The evergreen recommendation2:
Chili’s southwestern eggrolls. a triple dipper as a meal is a lifehack, because all of a sudden Chilis is expensive?? Btw, my triple dipper of choice is southwestern eggrolls, big mouth bites, honey chipotle chicken crispers. with a Dr. Pepper3. Do you know who else loves Chili’s southwestern eggrolls? My friend4, John Goblikon.
Recommending:
The Public Library. When I was a kid, my mom would keep me entertained by driving to different public libraries in the city and letting me explore them. Every library has its own encapsulated unique magic. There are the mini shopping carts at the Canandaigua one, and the underground tunnel and little door to the children’s room at Rochester’s Central. In Provincetown, MA, I dragged my friend into one library that had an entire boat in the middle of it! A BOAT!!!
I’m probably biased, because my adoration of libraries has led to me working in them my entire adult life, but it’s not solely aesthetic! Libraries are a vital resource for communities and they provide more than just books5. My local library partners with an organization that provides free tax services. You can check out and watch an entire DVD set of that one show you were obsessed with in middle school that isn’t on any streaming network. And even if you don’t use the library, low income individuals in your community rely on the public wifi (some libraries even loan out wifi hotspots to take home) and older people rely on reference librarians to assist them with computer use in an increasingly digital world. Some people have nowhere else to go that’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Plus, maybe you don’t like physical books, but your public library probably has a wide array of eBooks available on Libby/Overdrive for free! You don’t even have to set foot in the library to use that. Same with audiobooks, and a lot of libraries now provide access to Kanopy, which is a streaming website that has some pretty good shit. So there’s definitely something you can benefit from at the library.
Okay, I’m stepping down from my soapbox about libraries. And wait— what’s this? Another, different soapbox? Weird. Don’t mind if I do.
Public libraries are funded by tax-payers and are a public good. And do you know who hates public goods6? That’s right! Republicans. I said this last week and I’ll say it forevermore. Go check your voting registration if you live in the US.
Did that make sense?
AKA things that I am so invested in that I’ll be recommending them for the rest of my fucking life.
Speaking of DP, did you know the reason McDonald’s sodas always taste better is because they use the recommended amount of syrup? Other places water it down more, so it tastes worse. And I read that on the internet so it must be true!
For legal reasons, I must disclaim that me and this creature are not actually friends. I just feel a kinship with him.
But please don’t tell me you’re not interested in the books, okay? It will hurt my fragile heart.
Among lots of other things.