The Em Dash #13
Heylo there, Friend!
Guess what? I’m not really here. 🤭
I’m currently at a Getaway cabin with my husband. We’re celebrating being married for three years with a mini road trip, some seclusion, and a hike (if the rain lets up where we are). 🥰
Sooo I’m writing this newsletter early (for once)!
The topic?
✨ Discovering what your book really wants to be ✨
But Sabrina, don’t I decide what my book is?
Yes, Friend, you do. But sometimes, you get to writing and you realize that the plan you had just doesn’t seem to fit as well as you thought it did.
One of my clients is experiencing this now.
When we started working together, she told me she wanted to write a book that would help readers make sense of some of their deep emotions and trying experiences. While there would be several personal anecdotes throughout, the goal was to lean more into the self-help space.
Everything we’ve done up until this point has been with that goal in mind—from identifying her “why” to outlining every chapter. For her deadline last week, though, she had to turn in her first draft pages.
We were both so excited for her to start writing her manuscript! Even with the plan in hand, it was still tough for her, but she stuck with it and sent me a partial chapter the day before her deadline.
I was pumped! Because of all the work we'd done on her table of contents and outline, I had an idea of what to expect.
So imagine my surprise when I finished reading her pages and all I could say to myself was, “This is a freaking memoir!”
(I promise I said it in a happy/disbelieving but excited way.)
When we had our coaching call later that day, I shared my revelation, and you know what she did?
She smiled. And I swear to you she started glowing.
After all the hard work she put in trying to make her book the way she thought it needed to be, she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
“I’m writing a memoir!”
What now? We shift gears. The work we’ve done together so far is NOT lost. We’ll just continue to build on it—that’s what foundations are for, right?
Now, dear Friend, if you have a work in progress that just doesn’t feel right, I want you to know it is OKAY to pivot. To try something different. To release the reins a bit and follow where the book wants to take you. You may surprise yourself with a major breakthrough.
Fun Anniversary Trip Stats
It’s a 4-day trip.
I brought 3 changes of clothes even though it’s supposed to rain the entire time and we will likely not leave the cabin more than once.
We brought 4 physical books between us.
With no clue what mood I’d be in, and knowing there is no wifi in the cabin, I downloaded enough movies, TV show and podcast episodes, and Spotify playlists to last at least 10 days.
Encouraging Words and Perspectives RE: NaNoWriMo
You don’t have to aim for 50,000 words if you don’t want.
You don’t have to write every single day.
You can write something that isn’t a novel.
Find a small group of WriMos you can check-in with to avoid the lonelies.
I believe in you. 🫶🏽
Are you working on a book for NaNo? I'd LOVE to hear about it, so hit reply if you care to share!
:) K thx baiiii
P.S. If you found this useful, forward it to a writing friend! They can subscribe and be part of the cool kids club, too. 😎
