We're not here for the "easy button" experience

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I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day. Just a couple highlights from author life over here:

I pitched my first paid article to a national travel publication, and am very proud of what I submitted. A great feeling, no matter what comes of the pitch. The goal is to grow my readership and my writer platform through outreach like this.

There may be some correlation with basically quitting social media, but I've recently listened to and read some great books:

• Several Short Sentences About Writing. You can expect improved writing from me.
• Dopamine Nation. Highly recommend.
• The Correspondent. Fiction. Loved this one.
• Remarkably Bright Creatures. Fiction. Enjoyed.
• The Scapegoat. Old fiction. Really enjoyed.
• Brave New World. Highly worthwhile. Favorite scene is the one below, in which a supporting character is choosing the place to which he will be banished:

Helmholtz rose from his pneumatic chair. “I should like a thoroughly bad climate,” he answered. “I believe one would write better if the climate were bad. If there were a lot of wind and storms, for example …” The Controller nodded his approbation. “I like your spirit, Mr. Watson. I like it very much indeed. As much as I officially disapprove of it.” He smiled. “What about the Falkland Islands?” “Yes, I think that will do,” Helmholtz answered.

Couldn't agree more. I was reminded of this piece I wrote a while ago and might want to revisit.

And lastly, I'm cruising on my third book. It's similarish to the last section of Dear Fellow Dreamer, and is all about the mundane and wonderful happenings in two years of unglamorous travel. It's very light on lessons and I think you'll really like it.

What's new for you? Living through something hard right now? Good. Rather, it's probably giving you material for your best stories...and doing really good things for you in the long run.

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Until next time, yours in creativity and making lives we like...