Maybe It's Harder Than It Should Be

New year, new energy for this Substack! Amy and I used to be pretty good about dropping a post each week, but that dwindled last year after we agreed to just post when one of us felt like it. Turned out we didn’t feel like it most of the year— go figure. But the point of this Substack is to give writers encouragement when things get tough, and oh boy have things been tough. So we’re going to try to pop in your inbox more. (Maybe once a month?) Our weekly posting days are likely long gone, but we’re hoping to do better this year.

I’m a sucker for new beginnings and fresh starts. I love a clean slate, a chance to do better. I give myself clean slates for my writing practice all the time. Okay, starting on Monday… February is a new month, so on the 1st I’ll…

I try to give myself the best conditions to write. Coffee in a mug that feels good to hold, the right lighting, a clean desk, “creative juice” essential oil. But that’s only gone so far lately since, as you may’ve noticed, the world is a dumpster fire.

I guess the trick is learning to write when things are much less than ideal.

I wish I had the answer. A hot tip guaranteed to work for all of us. I don’t, but I do have a story.

If you’re subscribed to my seasonal newsletter, you know about how last year my coworkers and I turned our office into a cozy den of delight, complete with a coffee bar. We’d all bring in special treats and fun things from home. The perfect work space!

But then one day a couple months ago, I arrived to find the office drained of its magic. No disco ball, no more Batman. My coworkers tore everything down. There was a definite vibe shift and not in a good way.

That changed this past week. One of my coworkers and I came in last Sunday to build a fort for our teammate. We blasted 90s music, used our coffee bar to make oat milk lattes, and constructed a glorious desk fort— complete with a telescope and doors with door knobs. People laugh when they see it. Someone has been stashing cardboard for us to continue to build, either to create a roof for the existing fort or so we can make another. Maybe by summer we’ll have an entire village of cardboard desk forts.

Our office doesn’t have the cool feel it did this summer. Rather, it’s a giant mess of cardboard. It looks chaotic and messy. Like an actual dumpster. And yet, somehow I’ve been extra productive at work.

I thought this related to writing, really I did. Maybe the takeaway is that we can learn to work in chaos? Or that sometimes we need to center play (i.e. building cardboard forts)? Except I know sometimes we can’t do either. And if that’s you right now, I see you. It’s okay. We’re people before we’re writers and need to center our own needs. Body needs (like sleep!) but also emotional needs. Mental needs (like taking breaks from being online!) and finding joy, which too can be an act of resistance.

All to say, take good care of yourself right now. It’s rough out there.

Reading Recommendations:

Online:

I’ve been thinking a lot about flash fiction lately as it’s probably all my brain is capable of producing right now, and really enjoyed Bobby Crace’s Nativity in Cleaver Magazine.

And I want to plug two Substacks that were kind enough to shout out my forthcoming novel, How We See the Gray, in their 2026 Most Anticipated/ Excited About Book lists that you can (should) subscribe to:

Greg Zimmerman is such a smart and voracious reader (not to mention a genuinely nice person), so if you’re ever looking for solid book recommendations, you need The New Dork Review of Books in your life. I always enjoy Greg’s posts and have found many great reads thanks to him!

I’ve only read one post of Miranda’s Substack, which was her list of 2026 books, but Miranda Shulman is a delightful person so I’m looking forward to reading more. I don’t know her well, but enough to admire her infectious upbeat energy, plus I’m super excited to read her debut novel, Harmless (out April 14!).

Books:

I was excited to check out Elaine Castillo’s new novel, Moderation, about a woman who works as a moderator, surveilling online content. There’s plenty of social commentary along with a cute love story, plus the humor is on point. A fun read.

I’m just about finished reading Adam Morgan’s A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls, which tells the story of Margaret C. Anderson, who was on trial for publishing (serializing) Ulysses. A fascinating historical look at book banning and the fight to modernize literature—which is also to say, super timely as book bans continue to be a huge problem. (Sharing a link to a conversation Greg Zimmerman had with Samira Ahmed about this very issue as it’s also worth checking out.)

And I just started reading Min Jin Lee’s Free Food for Millionaires, and am only a few chapters in, but am loving it so far. Anyone read it? Seems like a great one to discuss, which I plan to do with a friend. (Hi, Star!)

Preorder alert: Sara Lippmann has a new novel coming out and it’s really, really great! I got a chance to read an advance copy of Hidden River, and was quick to preorder it and you should too!

This post’s title comes from a lyric in this song I’m currently obsessed with:

Sending you love and solidarity! Hang in there and take good care. <3