Write More Challenge: WEEK 2

Posted on by sereichert

Rehashing a few years’ ago blog, so I can focus my writing time and creativity on the Writing Heights Write More Challenge kind of makes me feel like I’m cheating. But mediocre advice is still advice. I hope you’re finding some inspiration this month. And if you need a little, here, have some of mine…

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Hello! Thanks for taking the time to catch up with the blog in the middle of one of your (hopefully) busiest writing months. At this point your mindset is probably so swayed to creating that reading outside of your work in progress is a lot like talking to another adult after being seeped in toddler-speak, non-stop, all week.

I know that your time is precious so I’ll keep it short and sweet. (Like me, ya’ll)

The second week of Write More Month is all about elaborating on, fleshing out, and developing your baby. Last week we talked about the excitement of new love. The honeymoon stage of writing, if you will. This week is about the baby you’ve made and what that means for not just your writing, but your life for the next seven to ten days.

I know a lot of you are parents, and though it may have been awhile since you’ve spent the midnight hours rocking teary-eyed cherub back to sleep, chances are you remember the sacrifice of time and autonomy for the good of the future. This week is not much different for the writing challenge process. You are starting to see the commitment involved and how the expectations you may have had in the beginning are often dashed by the realities.

Because children don’t always behave the way you think they will. Characters show unexpected traits and say things that throw your dynamic out of whack like dropping the f-bomb at Christmas dinner with Grandma, or asking you for “boob!” loudly in a store.

Settings and plot lines stall with the same debilitating frustration as trying to get a two-year-old into shoes because you’re late for the doctor appointment and you haven’t showered in three days, and you ate cold, leftover mac n cheese for breakfast and you’re not sure if that’s their diaper that smells or the dog…

Keeping on top of the little fires that come up isn’t easy but I encourage you to set a flexible schedule (it works with kids; it works with writing). Give yourself two hours ideally but really whatever you have is fine. Leave half for just writing. Leave the other half to fix plot holes, develop your character’s personalities and backgrounds, build on your story arc, and brainstorm solutions for things that are cropping up as you pour ever more work into the novel. Look at it like doing the groundwork of, feeding, changing, and burping for half of it, and the other half cuddling, coloring, singing, and playing.

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

A well rounded “story” is equal parts meeting the basic needs and getting to enjoy the playful creation of it.

Good luck out there. Nap when it naps, grab a shower while your computer backs up. Drink some coffee and prep for the long nights. Remember the bigger picture. Novels and babies are investments in the future. The work, and love, and committed care you invest now will lead to rewarding results in both your story, your characters, and your craft.

Oh…and get a decent meal. You can’t run on PB&J crusts and half eaten apples forever.

Write More November: WEEK 1

Posted on by sereichert

Because I’ll be too busy trying to finish a novel this month for Writing Heights Write More Challenge (check it out, it’s free to join, you get a free month of membership and a chance to win three more months. Plus its a great community, super supportive, and the perfect space to finish that goal) I’m rehashing my old NaNo weekly posts. Work smarter not harder I say. Enjoy!

Let’s talk about Week 1

Ah, yes, the glorious stage of excitement and foreplay. The thrill of fleshing out your characters, and having them say clever things to one another, and building beautiful worlds with soft hues and brilliant sunsets. It’s champagne and butterflies, it’s rainbows and 3 hour love-making sessions with your laptop (please, God, not literally…the keys are hard enough to keep clean with just my coffee and pastry habit).

The words come easy, the beginning is new and exciting, the chemistry is just right. Possibly you’ve been planning this novel for awhile, maybe you even used October to plan it out and things are running smoothly and in great gushes of inspiration and excitement. (I think ‘gushes’ might be just as bad as ‘moist’ for cringe-worthy words).

OR

You’re stuck in front of your blank page and wondering why in God’s name you agreed to this. The stress of completing such a herculean task is causing every neuron to march around your addled brain with tiny little picket signs protesting the ridiculous workload before they even endure it.

You’re thinking of giving up. It feels as though you agreed to do this on a brash weekend in Vegas and you might have done so under the influence of alcohol and you really don’t know this book that well and what will your parents say and… is it too late for an annulment?

In the first case: Congratulations, keep going! If you have the stamina and inspiration to do so, front load these first couple of weeks so you can have a few days to ride if you need to recover. (I can’t help but hear Sheriff Bart’s voice in my head “Man, them schnitzengrubens will wipe you out!” Come on, people…Blazing Saddles)

In the second case: Don’t give up just yet. So she/he’s a gamble and you may have rushed into things. It’s normal to be nervous. It’s normal to feel like there’s nowhere to go. But you’re a writer. And writer’s do best when they stop questioning the end product and just write. See where that impromptu spouse will lead you, let it play out for a few days and enjoy the crazy weird ride that you’re on.

The secret to NANOWRIMO is to not overthink it. Because that’s when you start looking for all the imperfections and plot holes that send you into editing mode and canceling out any forward movement you have.

If you’re having trouble with getting your word count every day here’s some tips that have helped me:

  1. Break it up into smaller sections. A little in the morning, a little at lunch, some at night. Carry the laptop or notebook with you and write a few lines whenever you have a chance
  2. Keep your characters in your head with you at all times. How would they react to what you’re doing? What would they say to each other in the grocery store line? Let them talk to each other while you’re doing the dishes or in that third useless meeting of the day (come on, we all know at least 2/3rds of all meetings are just wastes of time that allow one person to hear themselves talk).
  3. Strike when the fire is hot. If you are on a roll, do everything in your power to keep writing…then in the middle of a paragraph or even a sentence–stop. Yeah, you read that right. Stop. It will frustrate you and keep your mind on what will happen next until you pick it back up. Foreplay people…there’s nothing like a little flirtatious teasing to make the next interlude all the more passionate.
  4. DO NOT be discouraged if you have a short day. Every word counts and a 400 word day is still 400 words. Like running or training, or anything really–great things are accomplished not always in leaps and bounds but by small progressive steps forward.
  5. Rest your fingers and your brain. Take breaks, sleep well, eat well, exercise, and get away from it throughout the day. Burnout probably happens most in the first couple of weeks when our inspiration gets ahead of our ability to keep at it with the same frantic pace.

Okay. That’s all I’ve got for this week.

Good skill, Writer.

The Beautiful Writers Workshop #20: Finding Romance in a Time of Disconnect

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I wrote this post in June of 2020. I was going through it, “modernizing it” and sadly not much has changed with the first paragraph. The world is still tense, but more in a ‘waiting for the trifecta atom bomb of environment/AI/Fascism to end us all” kind of tense. A bit more depressing. A bit more frustrating. So, in an effort to lighten some hearts and bring us back down to our sensual humanness, enjoy advice that’s still pretty good.

The world is a tense place right now and I know I’m not the only one who’s been suffering with a busy and worried mind. These days, these times, these overcrowded houses, and insecurities about the future don’t make for good bedfellows and it’s not just artists who are suffering.

A recent study revealed that fewer people are having sex. Especially in the younger age groups. A combination of the world’s current crises, economic disparity, job loss, women fed up with inequality, women no longer having control of their reproductive health (you can’t fucking touch me because I won’t have a choice afterwards, asshat), incels, underground dark net sites where men drug their significant others and assault them in videos for profit and ‘instructing’ purposes (thought I forgot about that? None of us should forget about that). Then there’s women’s fears of sexual violence, inequality in the emotional and mental labor at home, exhaustion, fear of war, fear of food supply. Shit… maybe I shouldn’t be writing about the erotic. Maybe we should be prepping instead.

Ahem…

A lot of younger generations are also experiencing a general unease about the current “hook up” culture in addition. All of this has left a great many of us feeling as though sex just isn’t worth all the hullabaloo. (Clear sign that people aren’t getting enough play time between the sheets is the uptake in old-timey language like “hullabaloo”, “horse feathers”, “fiddle faddle”, wisenheimer”, “canoodling” and “shenanigans”)

So, what better time to start a new literary romance novel and a romantic fantasy series? Actually there are a lot of better times, but we may only have three years left before AI kills us all, so I might as well get a few more books out, right? Despite feeling a little ‘meh’ about love in general, my hope is that it will ignite some latent ideas that will help me finish the two or three novels that have just been sitting like cold leftovers in my fridge.

 (I should eat that before it goes bad, but I’m just not feeling like all that fiddle-faddle. I’ll make a quesadilla.)

I’m not sure how many of my writing clan out there dabbles in romance or what your current feelings are on the matter, but I think that when we are faced with a world in such serious and important chaos, the idea of a little escapism should not be dismissed too lightly. Passion comes in many forms, and when we stoke the fires of one form, we help to ignite the others. A passionate life is not just in the pursuit of justice, it is in the pursuit of love and happiness as well. And a good romance novel will follow this pursuit.

So, for today’s exercise, whether or not you write romance, I would like you to try your hand at a touch of eroticism (there’s a double meaning in there). I’m not suggesting you sit down and write your tawdriest letter to Penthouse. I don’t want to know about girth or the overused metaphors of trembling phalluses or ‘moist’ orifices. (Yuck, I think I just grossed myself out).

I want you to find the eroticism in the small details, objects, places, memories. Eroticism is more than just what you think of when you see an eggplant emoji.

Awe, they’re canoodling! (Photo by Dainis Graveris on Pexels.com)

Take your time, focus on the minute details of moments. The way a finger plucks a grape from the vine, or how a callus feels against the small of your back. Focus on the path of a rain droplet down a leaf, the low blood-warming rumble of thunder, the smell of skin warmed by sunshine. The juice of a mango running down your wrist.

Write about those moments and observations, as if it were the world teasing you.

What makes them sensual? What makes your breath quicken?

If you need more direct inspiration, here are some great suggestions from Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down the Bones”:

  1. What makes you hot?
  2. Name all the sexual fruits you know? What makes them so?
  3. What do you crave when you are in love?
  4. What is the most erotic part of your body? (and please, be creative, we all know the obvious ones—reach for something more interesting—well, not literally…or yes literally–what do I care what you do in the privacy of your own home? I support however you process).
  5. Write the body as a landscape.
  6. What do you connect with? (physicality, music, touch, words: think of this similarly as how you learn. Visually, orally, auditory, by doing, by reading?)
  7. Do you remember the very first time you felt desire? When was the first time you felt erotic?

Okay! There you go, something fun to get out of the world for a minute. I hope it helps to boost your writing if not your mood. Maybe your cohabiter will even benefit from these shenanigans. As Monty Python so eloquently said: “wink, wink, nudge, nudge”.

Why Writing Good Characters is So Hard

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Occasionally, I like to put off writing.

That’s not true.

Lately? I’ve been finding all kinds of excuses to not write. Why? Because my current project scares me a little. It’s darker than I thought it would be. There are great tsunamis of sadness that seem to engulf and overwhelm every page, and I worry. I worry that its not just a reflection of the times, but of my own psyche. I could abandon it. Try to churn out another HEA, enemies to lovers, satisfying romance, but something about this book, this idea, this yearning feels deeply important. And maybe that’s why I’m struggling so much with the characters.

yeah, I really do have that many things marked in this book… try to nerd on my level

So, in my procrastination this week, I went back to one of my favorite books on writing. “Naked Playwriting” by William Downs to rehash what it is about these characters that’s interrupting my flow. And also to refresh myself on themes that are not only applicable to theater.

Bcause I have a sneaking suspicion this book is a tragedy.

And I’m a romance writer. I write sins, not tragedies (Poise and Rationality). I write redemptions and happy ever-afters. I write feel-good and resolution because I want to see them in the world. I have a sneaking suspicion that the world has beaten that hope out of me. I suspect, my sense of romanticism and love has been steadily destroyed over these last ten years. I suspect that once that blindfold was tugged off by every heartbreak, disappointment, news article on the rape and abuse of women, and failing justice system, it became impossible for me to put any blinders of Happily-Ever-After back on.

So maybe this is the book I need to write. Maybe I need to get the tragedy out of my system. Maybe someone dies at the end. Maybe they’re already dead. Maybe the reason it feels so rainy and sad is that I have been out of the light for sometime now. And maybe these two ill-fated lovers, are the parts of myself who are desperate to do something in a world that constantly binds hands and hearts.

So back to Character. Just like steel, as Downs and Russin write, is boring as hell when it’s broken down to it’s bare facts, so characters are cardboard nothingness until…we shape them into agents of doing. Good stories happen when characters are doing something. Falling in love, struggling through crisis, winning, losing, overcoming etc, etc, etc… When I ask myself what these characters are doing, the obvious answer is incredibly boring. They’re suffering. They’re both stuck in past tragedies and meet along some astrological plane of existence, stewing in their own morbidities. Two depressed fucks just standing around staring at each other. Waiting for me to do something with them.

When we consider Micheal Foley’s “Age of Absurdity” he speaks of humans has having four ignoble truths:

  • We can’t sit still
  • We can’t shut up
  • We can’t escape self-obsession
  • We can’t stop wanting things

Pause for a moment and read that again. Am I the only one who feels personally attacked? Good, we should. We should consider our ignobility. Our flaws. The conflict we bring into our own lives and how it will apply to characters (both on stage and on the page) is what drives a story that seems to be stuck on a stormy, cold beach at the end of the world.

In addition to knowing those unflattering things about the character (and ourselves) we must consider that they are not in a vacuum. They are a part of the plot, inseparable. They are the drivers, the instigators, and they are all under this dark sky of theme. So while they don’t necessarily reflect real people, they need to feel natural within the context of both the plot and what the story is about, in total.

For the next couple of weeks, and leading up to November (where I intend to put myself in a social media time-out and focus on finishing this novel–tragedy or no) I will be asking myself how each of my characters display and act out these truths, I will ask where they are in the world, and what it is that they both so desperately want. What they’re willing to do to get it. It seems, at first, so easy to fit them into an appropriate box, but this process has proven to be deceptively simple and requires a lot of work. And it could be work that no one will end up reading. But that’s not the point of writing. As a good friend once reminded me on my last birthday:

Photo by Ray Bilcliff on Pexels.com

“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”–Kafka

I hope that this gives you something to think about, when it comes to your characters, and how complex writing well really is. Why it can’t be done by a machine, not in the ways that matter. Not in the ways that tell real stories about human existence. But anything worth doing, is worth doing well. And if this one takes me a little longer, then that’s the time it takes. Good luck out there.

“Idlewild” from “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows” by John Koenig

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Let’s learn a new word, kids.

When I found this lovely book, I wanted to share it with everyone I loved. Then I realized that I’m a complete nerd and blossoming basket case, and not everyone finds language and expression of pin-point emotions so fascinating as I do. But if you do like those things, check it out. Today we’re going to be talking about idlewild. But first, a word or two about sorrow.

The word sadness originally meant “fullness”, from the same Latin root satis (which gives us satisfaction and sated). Not so long ago, to be sad meant to be filled with the intensity of an experience. Or as an empath, I like to call it every, normal day. Sadness was not a malfunction of your brain’s “joymaking” machine, it was a state of awareness. The ability to take all of life in, the joy and grief. Today we tend to think of sadness as only the absence of hope, or simply-put despair. I think I prefer the idea that sadness or sorrow is more of an over-filling of emotion, a realization that everything is fleeting, all moments are once-in-a-lifetime, and that you care about something enough to let it into your tender heart.

Photo by Nirmal Rajendharkumar on Pexels.com

And now, let’s talk about “idlewild“

The book describes idlewild as feeling grateful to be stranded in a place where you can’t do much of anything–sitting for hours at an airport gate, train station, or back of a car enroute. This temporary alleviation of the burden to be doing something can often free up your brain to do whatever it wants to do. Most noticeably, daydream, a past time many of us no longer feel the freedom to do. (From Idelwild, the original name of JFK International Airport in New York).

I decided on this word because I knew it would make some of us cringe over our coffee cups. What do you mean, sit and do nothing? How does one feel grateful for not being productive, as society so often demands of us? Precisely the reason, my friend, why this occurrence is so important. Especially for creatives.

Listen I’m the first to admit that I find being strapped into a plane, train, or automobile as one of the most productive experiences for me and my writing. Let’s face it, when there’s no laundry, or pets, or children, or cleaning, or appointments, etc that need taken care of, and I’m stuck unmoving for a few hours, it’s the perfect ‘butt-in-chair” time a busy writer needs. But recently I’ve found, especially after a few writing slumps, that sometimes the mind just needs to do nothing. Nothing productive I mean. It needs to be silly. It needs to stare across the landscape and wonder. It needs to wander to destinations that don’t have meanings or books attached to them. No futures or pasts. It needs to think about strange what ifs and in the same moments let them go like clouds passing overhead.

Photo by ilia Afsharpoor on Pexels.com

This freedom to let your silly little neurons, memories, knowledge banks, and disconnected oddities play on the same unoccupied playground is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It not only helps in future creativity and problem solving but it’s like giving your brain a recess from all the relentless details and doomscrolling in the day. I’ve honestly found that I enjoy staring off into space and playing thought leap-frog much more than being drawn into that annoying little screen always selling me hormone supplements and bondage wear? (Listen, I don’t have to explain my algorithm to anyone)

So whether you write, or paint, or sing, or…build buildings or teach five-year-olds, I encourage and prod you a bit to practice idlewild this week. In the waiting rooms, the bus rides, the elevator, the pick-up line. Instead of reaching for your phone, stare off into the distance and pull back the curtains to what your mind has wondered about lately. Not to do lists, or what you should be doing, but noticing the color of the horizon, or counting the trees in the painting your dentist hung up, or making up strange and humorous character situations about the people on your bus. Find a little wild in your idleness.

See you next week.

Making the Most Out of Your Retreat

Posted on by sereichert

Hey writer and fellow creative friends. Wherever you are on your artistic journey, I hope you’ve considered the benefits of joining or participating in a retreat. Now, retreats can range from the ridiculously expensive, to renting a room at the shady looking motel three miles away. Some have classes or workshops, some have yoga or hiking mixed in, some are just straight up writing time.The point is to get out of your normal space, away from your normal routine, and spend that time focusing on your work. So whether you’ve broken the bank to jet set off to the French Riviera or you’re on your way to a twin room at the Motel 6, these tips can help you get the most out of that time. I even put it in a nifty little bullet list.

  • Be Prepared (Mentally):
    • One of the best tips I have, is to make yourself a list, before you go, detailing what you want to do, or get out of the retreat. Are you hoping to network and make connections? Are you aiming for a certain word count, or project completion? List out the major goals, then leave space (I’ll tell you why later on)
    • Be realistic but also a shade optimistic. Know your average, everyday word count and think about doubling or tripling it. You’ll have more time and less outward distractions and setting that goal will keep you on track. By making it a little challenging you’ll push yourself just enough. Even if you don’t hit the goal, you will get farther than if you’d been too ‘reasonable’.
    • Bring multiple or at least a couple different things to work on. The hours can become tedious and you might want to switch it up to stay fresh and motivated.
    • As a mom, and working mom, a strange thing happens the first few hours of being alone at a retreat. I get this thing I call “care-giver paralysis”. In the absence of doing for others, I can’t remember what to do with just myself. Understanding that this feeling will come, and I’ll have some listlessness helps me to remember to ease into the weekend with some journaling, or shorter projects.
  • Be Prepared (Physically):
    • The practical side of things is that you’re going to be away from home. But not on a typical vacation. So remember to bring your goal list, paper, pens, notebooks, journals, your laptop and charger…the basic tools of your trade. Make them your favorites or the one’s you’ve been ‘saving’ for something special. This is something special.
    • Plan for the environment: If you’re poolside or in the mountains, bring the proper clothing and footwear. You won’t be holed up in your room the whole time (I’ll explain more on that later). If there are dinners or classes, if it could be cold, or hot, try to think in layers. If its just writing, pack lots of comfortable clothing. Sunblock, hats and mittens. Bear spray or Mosquito spray?
    • Sleep aids- especially if sharing a room. I’m talking about eye covers, ear plugs, and headphones (not a rubber mallet if your roommate snores). Anything you need to get a good night’s rest.
    • Any special dietary needs/wants that the place won’t be able to provide.
    • Water bottle, medication, and bathroom necessities. Nothing is worse than being dehydrated and/or not having a toothbrush. Big and little comforts will make a huge difference.
    • Business cards. Holy shit, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten this one. Even if you’re just there to write, exchanging info with your fellow retreat members is great. You’ll be surprised how much you learn from one another in that time.
    • Tech that you need, none that you don’t. You’ll need brain breaks, you’ll probably want to check in with family once or twice, you may need a laptop. You probably don’t need your gaming system, and be careful of your social apps. This is a time for connecting with yourself and your art, not the 7 billion people of the world.
  • Be Flexible:
    • You’re going to have a goal list. You’re probably going to stray from it. That’s alright
    • There may be days when the word count fizzles or the scene doesn’t play out like you want. That’s okay.
    • There may be a project you exceed expectations on, and another you barely touch. That’s alright.
    • You may accidentally sleep in, or need a nap, or get caught up in conversations. These are good things.
    • Retreats are a balance of getting your work done, and taking care of yourself, which leads me to…
  • Schedule in Self-Care:
    • Bring along comfort. Your favorite pillow, blanket, clothing, music. Whatever it is that helps you feel relaxed and at home.
    • Take naps. You’re little brain is going to be working extra hard. It’s going to be focusing for hours and working through the plot holes and dialogues you’ve been avoiding. Schedule in time for naps, early bed times, or meditation on your goal list.
    • Take advantage of the outdoors. (Unless your Motel 6 is in a shady part of the city–then try to grab a Lyft to a safer part) Go for a hike or walk every couple of hours. Sit outside stare off into the far away for awhile. Your eyes and brain will thank you. Also schedule in brain breaks on your list.
    • Bring any nutritional or necessary snacks. I need coffee in the morning. I need tea before bed. I need fresh fruit and veg. I like hydration mix and the occasional bourbon on ice (not together, that would be gross) I want my Little Debbie brownies and my twizzlers. These little joys will keep your spirits up in the middle of the tough work.
    • Exercise, Mediate, Drink lots of Water, and take warm showers. All good things and breaks away from the intensity.
    • Skimping on self care will make you less productive and more likely to burn out. Nobody wants a mushy brain half way through.
  • Assess and Recalibrate:
    • After its all over, if you’ve got a drive home, or a flight…take some time to reflect. What went well? What was a challenge? What did you wish you had? What did you bring that you could have left home?
    • How did your goal list go? Did you overshoot? Did you get distracted, and by what?
    • How do you feel physically and mentally and how can you make sure that the next retreat leaves you feeling accomplished without being overwhelmed.

Well, there you go. I’m open to hearing if you have any other advice in the comments below. I’ll be heading a retreat next week, so if you’ll be there, I hope we can make it a great experience. If you can’t be there, I’ll be hosting another one next spring with the Writing Heights Writers Association and I’ll let you know the details as they’re finalized. Until then, Happy Writing.

All That You Don’t Know

Posted on by sereichert

I was recently looking over the questions for a future podcast and there was one about what the best and worst parts about writing were. It gave me pause. Writing (and probably any creative endeavor to some extent) contains multitudes. The good, the bad, the pleasantly and not-so-pleasantly unexpected, the disheartening, the exciting, and even the monotonous. Becoming a writer, the process and journey of it, spans the entire field. But if I had advice to give to someone just starting out, what would I say the best and worst thing is?

It might be the same thing.

All that I didn’t know and still don’t know about writing. Even after nearly twenty novels, countless short stories, hundreds of poems and ten years worth of blog posts, I still don’t know how to write. Not really. There are so many arenas within the vast city of literary skill that I have yet to visit, let alone conquer. And just when I think I’ve got it down, that I’ve perfected a skill, or mastered a genre, something comes along to prove me wrong. Someone better shows up to hand me a big, steaming plate of hubris.

And that’s both exciting and enraging.

That there will always be something to learn, emboldens me to stay curious and interested. That through all my countless mistakes, knowing that I’m still not done making them is frustrating. Writing is, in some ways, an unhealthy, semi-psychotic relationship with a muse that is ever changing, and fickle as Tyche. How some times I can sit down at my desk and unexpectedly write the most beautiful heart-dropping poem, and the next day not be able to pull together a coherent blog post makes it hard to feel secure in my future as a writer.

And that’s beautiful too.

Not knowing how long you’ll have the drive, desire, and time to create makes every moment doing it a celebration of being human. That in the trenches of editing or rewriting it can feel like a nine-tailed flogging and yet we still persevere is a testament to our ability to grow through the muck of the seemingly impossible. Not knowing where I will go is both terrifying and exciting. Not knowing what I’ll write next is the same.

Ten years ago, if asked the same thing I would have said the best thing was the writing itself and the worst thing was a poor review. Today I would say the best part is the writing, and the worst part is writing something that could be my last project. Time has shifted my perspective from outsider’s viewpoints being the rusty sword to the heart, to the inability to write or know how to write what I want to as being the decimation of my creative soul.

I don’t really have a resolution here. But maybe having the knowledge that it’s important for me to travel the path of what I love in writing, and not try to attach the expectations of future projects to them. Maybe the worst thing, that I won’t know enough to write another book, is a good enough driving factor to keep me curious. To encourage me to branch out, to embrace being the perpetual idiot in exchange for constantly tripping after that distant, beautiful horizon.

Word(s) of the Month: Lacrimae Rerum

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In a slight deviation from last month, I’m looking through a different book by Robin Devoe. “Dictionary of the Rare, Creative, and Beautiful” is a book with strange and beautiful words but also “cool-sounding names from history, poetry et alia“. There are some fascinating and funny examples in this book (take for example: Brandolini’s Law or the BS asymmetry principle which states that the amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it. AKA every day of Trump Administration en toto.)

Today though, we’re going to talk about lacrimae rerum which at first sounded like some kind of yarn art that you do over and over… ha. hahahahahaa… See my past post on malapropisms if you have a hard time understanding what my weird little brain does. But no. This is not a rerun of macramé. This is something much sadder.

Lacrimae rerum is latin for: the inherent tragedy or sadness of human existence; literally: tears of things.

The inherent sadness of our existence. The undeniable knowledge that is taught to us by almost every world religion, and made concrete with every scientific revelation. We are impermanent. And most of the the little time we have in our conscious, physical existence is plagued with suffering. Not just physical suffering of a body that springs up in painful-bone growth ways, but also begins to decay and hurt as we age. Add to that the inevitable pain of wanting things and people (to stay the same, to have, to love, to pay attention to etc.) and not ever really having them. Suffering is caused by wanting, desiring, and never being able to have in perpetuity. Because there is also the universality of change. Everything will always change. So we can never really hold on to anything.

Along with that, there is a certain sadness in knowing our own mortality. While it can be a great driving force to experience and live our lives more fully, it can also leave us feeling regretful that we don’t have more time or perhaps have ‘squandered’ said time on ‘unworthy’ pursuits. It has yet to be proven or disproven whether any other animal on Earth has consciousness of it’s own death, and what that means in terms of its very existence being snuffed out. We do know that some animals practice rituals around death, and even grieve. But do they see in themselves, the ending of it all? Do they wonder if there’s something afterwards? What a horrible price to pay for such big and beautiful brains, am I right?

When we think of inherent anything, I feel like it’s short sighted to believe that there is only one inherent emotion. I have seen too many humans with inherent joy at their existence, to think that it’s all just sadness. Perhaps when the phrase was coined, it came about to explain the great tragedies of the time and of the stage. Perhaps it was to bring us all back down a notch and remember our sadness. Hey, you kids! Stop eating, drinking, and being merry! Have you forgotten tomorrow we die? Focus on worthy pursuits so your one wild life is not lived in vain! Or some such nonsensical mashup of ancient Greece and Mary Oliver.

But perhaps being aware (all this goddamn awareness) of our inherent sadness…our bone-deep tragedy of loss, of disappointment, of death, is the ocean we must build seawalls against in order to actually live. Don’t get me wrong, we all deserve a good ‘woe-is-me’ fainting on the couch moment. And I’m a huge proponent of painfully hard, cathartic crying once in a blue moon, but what if we can build a sturdy wall to stand on amidst it all. A rampart against the pounding waves, and ever rising and falling tides, to watch the swells from? If our hearts and brains (those stupid, beautiful, big brains) were meant to be awash in tragedy, then I believe we were also built to notice, accept, and eventually find beauty in the tears of all our things. We grieve because we love. We fight against losing, because we love. We miss, we pine, we ache, because we love. So maybe the great sadness of things is really our funny little human hearts constantly saying; ‘this is beautiful to feel this sadness. This is beautiful because it means I care. This hurt is beautiful because I would not and do not cry over what I do not care for. This is beautiful because a lifetime of loss comes from a lifetime of loving. Of being in love with the inherent act of living. Of knowing it is short. Of knowing we will lose. Of still wanting to love despite it all.

So…as you go about your day, and you find yourself down from some unavoidable loss, or tearing up over something tragic, and you start to think of the great lacrimal sea of sadness inside of you, I hope that you find the purpose in it all to still smile. Life is a beautiful, tragic, heartbreaking, enigmatic ride that no one prepares you for, and no one can tell you how to do properly. Except to love it. In all its joy. And especially in all its sadness.

Writing Frequently Asked Questions

Posted on by sereichert

I’m on a bit of a respite this week, out of town and putting myself in a mandatory time-out while one of my kiddos is learning all about Paleontology and hopefully making some cool memories. So I’m sitting in a hundreds-year-old farm house, that may in fact be haunted, and catching up on some work and some rest…mental and physical.

Because of that, I’m rerunning a blog from about 4 years ago, updated to reflect what’s happening nowadays. Oddly, not too much has changed except the projects I’m working on. So, enjoy. And if I don’t call or email you back right away, just know that I’m retreating from the world in a healthy manner.

In the course of my career, as soon as people know I’m a writer, I’ve gotten a lot of questions, ranging from the concerned “What did your parents do to you?” to the outright rude, “Oh, so what restaurant do you bus tables at?” But some are genuine and interested.

I’ve picked out a few questions not just to give you my personal answers but as a way to think about your own journey as a writer and why having the answers to some of them is important, whether you get asked or not.

Writers Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you come up with your ideas?

I dunno man. It’s part magic and part just paying attention. Sometimes it’s a character from my childhood that I want to reformulate and expand upon. Sometimes I’m watching a nature show on octopods and flip the station to an expo on genetic research. I will say this for the good writers I know. Ideas are everywhere, and it’s all about paying attention to why each story, article, factoid, or fungi is interesting and how they could be moreso. Even though tropes and genres rarely change, the situations, characters, and actions are an endless pool of inspiration.

I’ve written about space captains and cowboys, Krampus’ nephew and Bacchus as a modern-day AA member. I’ve written about a nurse with OCD and a child who was the reincarnation of Peter Pan… Ideas are everywhere. Go on line, find prompts. Read the newspaper. Watch people. Read. Think about what makes a good story—a character you care about, an impossible situation, high stakes, dynamic growth. And give your brain down time to think and daydream (walking the dog, in the shower, at your kid’s soccer game—don’t look at me like that it’s okay to zone out for those once in a while too). Play with the What-If and don’t self limit.

Also—buy a small notebook and a pen (or you could use your phone, ugh) and write down things you notice, articles that were interesting, conversations you overhear, even the strangest ideas from out of nowhere. You never know…

How many hours do you write a day?

Pshhh… Listen, if all I needed to do in a day is write, I’d probably say at least 4 to 5 hours or more. But I don’t know any of us who don’t have some other job, a family, or otherwise adultish tasks to complete. So, I’m going to be completely honest and watch die-hard writing theorists gasp in shock.

Somedays I don’t write at all.

*gasp! How does she even call herself a writer!?*

Somedays I’m so plagued with class planning and familial obligations and oh-my-god-whats-growing-in-the-bathroom-sink, and teaching, and making dental appointments that I don’t get to sit down at my computer until late in the evening when my brain is effectively mush.

But it’s not always about the quantity.

Because sometimes on those nights, in the span of twenty minutes before bed, I can bang out three or four solid pages. Sometimes I only stare bleary eyed at what I wrote earlier in the week. The point is, it isn’t about the hours and hours of singularly devoted time you put in. It’s about concentrating and working with focus for every minute you do get and making it impactful over time.

So—on average in a week, I maybe write 1-2 hours a day. If you factor in editing and rewrites and marketing and advertising my stuff, that probably gets bumped up to about 3. It’s not as much as some…but for now, it’s what I have to work with and I capitalize on all the moments I can.

What are you working on now?

I’m not like other writers. I’m a goddamn, flighty scatterbrain. So my answer is…complicated *wheels out an old chalkboard packed full of a complex theory, diagrams, and stick figures*.

At any given moment I’ve got multiple projects and I’ll tell you why.

Because I get bored. And sometimes I’m tired. (hahahahaha—ah…that’s funny because I’m ALWAYS tired)

I’m not saying I can’t sit down, focus, and write a novel, end to end in about a month. I can. I have. I usually reserve all of November to do that. Or on projects with co-authors as there are expectations and deadlines to meet.

For me, having multiple projects that I enjoy helps to keep me engaged and inspired and lets me cater my writing to the state of my life that day.

Maybe I only have twenty minutes. So I write a poem, or submit a poem. Or both

Maybe I have an hour, but I’m not feeling very fictional—I work on my weekly blog or catch up on emails from other writing projects. Or get a solid chunk of editing done.

Maybe I have an uninterrupted afternoon, I’ve been daydreaming about my characters and what I can do to torture them…I’ll bust out a few chapters on my novel.

Being a writer is a career best done when diversified.

One, we learn how to write better when we give ourselves more variety.

Two, we will burn out less often when we can take breaks from something that’s got us stuck—AND, AND AND…sometimes being able to put down ‘stuck’ projects and work on something else will lead to that magical AHA moment of unstuckness, because your brain has stepped back and can look at it without so much intensity.

Three, in terms of getting paid? You might love your novel, but its your magazine articles that are paying for your PB and J’s while you wait for the next publisher to realize how amazing you are (and you are amazing)…so have something more lucrative if you want.

Four, I hate to say it, but marketing, editing, and submitting count as writing. It’s the new and best chance way to really make it as a writer these days.

So—what am I working on?

A new series. Tentatively: They Eynhollow Series. About an orphaned Fae who discovers her destiny was a lot bigger than a boxing ring in Detroit. I’m through the first heavy rounds of edits and will clean it up further to hand into my editor by the end of August. The next two in the series will follow in the coming months so that (she said fingers crossed) both will be completed and handed in by the end of the year for publishing in 2027. I’m also working on a new novel (that’ll get some extra love in Writing Heights Novel in a Month challenge). Midlife romantic comedy.

Getting ahead on my blog posts

10 poems planned to write in my little ‘mental reset’ vacation.

Organizing about 50+ poems for a new anthology that I’d like to shop around to publishers next year

1-2 Submissions a week (leading to new poetry and flash fiction pieces)

Marketing for my third novel in The Time Keeper Series out AUGUST 11th

Journaling every day

You make any money at that?

No.

Not at all.

After editing, marketing, and website fees are factored in, I’m actually, constantly, in a hole. In fact, I love writing so much, I started working a part time job just to afford it.

But this is important to know about yourself as a writer. Why do you write? For the money? Because there are ways to do that—freelance, magazine articles, content writing, textbook editing. But you should also know that getting published right away, with a good book deal and royalties is not common. It isn’t impossible but you’re going to have to work for it.

My suggestion is to write because you love it. Because if you do that, and you throw it out into the world to see if it lands with someone, and it doesn’t get picked up, then at least you loved what you did, enjoyed what you made, and created something that was meaningful. And that’s not nothing.

If you don’t enjoy it and try to meet a trend, or publish some MFA tome that you hated every minute of, I honestly believe that the chances of it ‘landing’ and being picked up, are less.

Stories with heart and passion behind them, are just better stories.

Do you get writer’s block?

I go back and forth about those two little words. Yes, I believe that writers can get blocked. but I prefer to call it “Life Blocked”.

Writing doesn’t get blocked. We block ourselves. We get in our own way. Life gets in our way. The other worries, concerns, judgments, conflicts, and comparisons surrounding us get in our way. The writing is always there, just waiting to come out. It’s not beyond our reach. Until we put up walls of insecurities and excuses in our own path.

Somedays the inspiration isn’t there. Write anyway (see my answer from above about switching up projects, doing something that is still writing but not what’s got you puzzled). Somedays you are burnt out. Take a day off. Watch stupid movies. Take a nap. Keep your hands off the computer until you’re gnashing to get back to putting words down. Writers forget that inspiration is always there, you just sometimes have to clear out the path before it will flow. That might mean writing that scene you’ve been dreading until it turns into one of your favorites. Or sitting in the chair, writing the worst shit you’ve ever written nonstop for thirty minutes via a timer until you realize that it’s not all bad and that you were just afraid admitting that we all write shitty stuff sometimes.

Don’t believe in writer’s block. Believe in normal human emotion and limitation, give yourself grace but don’t give yourself excuses.

Where can I find your work?

Always know this answer and, if possible, have a card with your info on it. You can find my work on Amazon, libraries, in some journals and newspapers as well as on my website. www.sarahreichertauthor.com (and yes, get a website). Also this reminds me to update my website, which I’m TERRIBLE at.

How do you finish a book, I just can’t!

How do people climb Mt. Everest? How do people raise children? How do people retire comfortably after 45 years of work?

One step at a time. Always forward. Never giving up. Pause if you need, catch your breath, remember why you’re putting in the work, eyes on that distant horizon and keep moving. You will get stuck. You will want to quit. There will be stories you do have to quit or rewrite completely. Just don’t stop writing. One page a day. One sentence. Six chapters. It doesn’t matter. People who don’t finish their books have let the world win. They let their doubt win. They let the aspect of editing and cutting out what wasn’t working win. They let the fear of finishing a book and what that might mean for expectations on them win.

Don’t let fear or hard work stop you. Just write. Because you love it. Because you love the character. Because you love the journey. Because you love being lost in that world. When it gets hard, shift course, skip over the dark and come back after you’ve written through some light. There are a million ways to quit. But there are at least as many to persevere. Find what makes you keep going and do that.

Newsletter July-August 2026

Posted on by sereichert

Hey kids,

It’s Newsletter Time! Hold on to your hats my friends. There’s actually some news in this one. First thing’s first…

Have you ever seen something so perfectly perfect?

In, non-writing related news, the garden is going smashingly. Our tomatoes are enjoying the heat and the squash have put on several flowers. My radishes are out of control. With any luck things will start producing enough for at least one of us to get a salad (we shall fight over it with tiny forks). Beyond that, I find the necessity of getting in to weed, or water extra in these ridiculously hot afternoons, helps to calm my mind and give me a break from the made up world of adulting. Any day you can dig in the dirt, is a good day. Any day you can pause to watch how busily bees utilize your catmint is a day you’re reminded that there really is no such thing as society…silly humans.

We’ve had to put up traps for these little assholes that seem to be everywhere. I think it’s probably a good lesson for how climate change is probably causing an imbalance of certain species over others, but I that would probably be a college course, not a newsletter post. However, if you want to geek out over invasive species, perhaps the lady/gent/non-binary Captain would prefer this: Popillia japonica. In any case, for any of my fellow gardeners out there, we’ve been having good luck with the traps and I’ve found no noticeable difference between the “flower blossom” or “Japanese Beetle Sex Pheromone *Party” (*party added by author) scents . They are equally attracted to ‘food’ and ‘sex’. Listen, I’m not judging, because…well me too.

Photo by Cup of Couple on Pexels.com

What else? I’m attending a CSU Transfer Student/Parent Orientation this week for my oldest, and gearing up to take my youngest to a Paleontology camp in Thermopolis, Wyoming ran by the Wyoming Dinosaur Center and Dig Sites. There’s a bit of a lull in between the two things, which leads me to the next section…

Writing and Editing:

I’m in my final proofreading round for “Heir to Time”!! Which means this little gem is soon to hit the bookstands (AUGUST 11th). I will have some cover reveals happening on Friday (tomorrow), so be sure to check those out. The Timekeeper series is now complete. Stay tuned and I’ll let you know how you can order a complete boxed set or any of the individual books, signed with some goodies.

I’m waiting to hear back for my next round of edits for my anti-Hallmark novel, but I’m sure that’ll get wrapped up in time. Pray for our poor editor.

My edits for “FaeSpawn” (mythology-based, contemporary fantasy, set in the Ornkey Islands north of Scotland and south of Scandinavia) were interrupted for the proofreading for Heir that came up, but I have made it about fifteen chapters in and it’s not as bad as I remembered. There are a few things to clear up. I don’t generally write fantasy or even urban fantasy so I’m trying to remind myself that world building has to be both consistent and clear…without being so expositionary that your reader falls asleep. Who knew writing could be so complex? I did. I knew that. And I do it anyway.

I’m toying with the idea of gathering up some of these beautiful and generative poems I’ve collected over the last year for a possible anthology out next year (possibly from a publisher). I just need an accountability partner I think. I think I’ll bother one of my good friends (I’m looking at you Nina (9-uh)) who also has a book of poetry probably waiting for her to put together. Another reason why writers need other writers.

I started, and am keeping very close to my chest, an interesting new story inspired by a good friend who has always supported me. And over a recent breakfast of runny eggs, and discussions of oddest-family-stories-ever, reignited my creative spark. I’m not going to say much about it (writers are often afraid of good ideas being startled away), except, again, writers need writers and I’m so thankful he’s in my life. Every girl needs a Charlie.

Reading:

I finished “The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Allison Goodman, and loved it so much that I ordered the sequel: “The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin”. The first was such a fantastic romp, with adventure, humor, and romance. Plus to get to read something, albeit fictional, about women in their forties destroying abusive systems that hurt and imprison women was pretty satisfying. Please check her out. It’s great writing.

I’ve also picked up “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. I read it before in middle-school and find that I’m enjoying it eve more now. Sometimes its good to get back to the classics. Especially if they’re smart, subversive, and absurd.

I’m also reading a couple of beta copies for friends. Both non-fiction. One from Ted Williams about the advent of the Alpine Rescue Team in the 70’s here in Colorado (check out “The Art of Rescue“). Basically middle and high schoolers, were partaking in high-stakes rescue missions before calling in CPS was a thing. It’s wild and so far, very good. I’m also reading a book soon to be released, from Michelle Ray, called “Lessons Unplanned”. Part travel memoir, part philosophical soul-search, I think it will appeal to so many readers. You can check out her Substack here: States of Matter.

Events and BOOK RELEASE

Heir to Time

It’s finally here!! The third and most soul-sucking (to write, not read I hope) novel in the Timekeeper Series will be released August 11th. I’ll be posting on my social where you can find and buy it. An exciting conclusion to the adventurous, romantic, time-traveling capers of Lillian Byrne. The third novel features a side sapphic romance, and brings back our beloved favorite couple (well they’re MY favorite couple) Richard and Thomas. It’s a bit “Mummy” and a bit “Indiana Jones” wrapped in pretty, romantic comedy paper. There are exciting chases, escapes, curses, and a bit of magic thrown in. If you want to know where time-travel came from, this is the capstone book that will tie the series all together again.

I do not have any book signing dates yet, but I’ll post them soon.

July Class with “The Pause” on The Feminine Divine

In July, I’ll be teaching a class for The Pause, a cool writing group devoted to mid-life women. The class will center on exploring the power of the Feminine Divine and the innate knowledge of body to explore expression. Its a topic I think about a lot, especially in a patriarchy where so much of what we ‘know’ is beaten down or ignored. And how so much of that knowledge would have actually saved the human race a heapful of grief, suffering and death. Anyway, we’ll be exploring how to tap into that, how to trust ourselves, and how to use what we know to help others. Here’s more about that organization: The Pause Writers

Fort Collins Comic Con

Ya’ll, I’m going again. This event is so well ran and I’ll be talking with my friends Rod Martinez and Heather Hein about writing. The joys, the failures, the gains and the loss. Not just that, but how we create in times of turmoil and why it’s important that we do. I hope we’ll have a good crowd and can answer any questions you might have. I believe our panel is on Saturday August the 15th. Register here! They have so many great vendor booths, authors and books, cosplay, panels, and other fun events.

Closing:

I’ve uncovered some deep rooted issues with self-promotion (see “she doesn’t have a book signing booked yet for a release less than a month away?” hint above) that I’m trying to deal with, which probably stems a lot from an overblown sense of self-doubt and/or deeply instilled rural-upbringing humility that very rarely allows me much pride in anything. Also, and maybe you’ve experienced this, the weird phenomena of “Yes I finished a book, now on to the next”, and ignoring or purposefully taking out the pause between. I suspect it has a lot to do with the discomfort of praise and the reminder from someplace deep in my “don’t get too big for your britches” brain, that I’m not so special and to keep working.

All of that aside, the marketing issue has also made me think a lot about what I want to accomplish as a writer and with my writing. I will say that I am proud of myself in that I held a really hard boundary that’s protected me and my little shoe-box heart, and in the process (and after a long and arduous hike), I’ve put into motion a long-term (but not too long) plan to rediscover and honor who I really am and what I really want. Sometimes its scary to sit down with yourself and be honest. Because often what you discover will affect not just you, but a lot of people around you. In seeking a balance that takes care of all hearts involved, I feel like I’ve got some solid footing on the journey ahead, and for once in a very long time, I have a little hope for my own future.

Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other.