Hello all,
Welcome to the 15th edition of Women Writing! Dinah Laprairie and I started planning a writers’ retreat for women many months ago and all of a sudden it’s less than a month away. We’re excited to gather with a group of women who want to create time and space in their lives for writing, and what better way to kick-start that process than by a retreat?
Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat in Muskoka runs from January 16-19 in Huntsville, Ontario. Muskoka has long been a destination for Ontarians and those from farther afield looking to explore the natural beauty of the area. It’s the ideal winter getaway for writers.
If you’ve been thinking about your writing goals for 2024, consider joining us at Rekindle Creativity. In addition to group sessions, we’re offering 1:1 book coaching, individual writing time, and a few special surprises. Plus, we encourage you to take advantage of Muskoka, including the famous skating trail through the forest at Arrowhead Provincial Park, downhill skiing at Hidden Valley Highlands, or any of the many winter activities Muskoka has to offer, including snowshoeing, fat biking, cross-country skiing, and dogsledding. Or, take a stroll through Huntsville’s quaint downtown, visit the library, or browse the shelves at Cedar Canoe, the local bookstore.
Grab your spot at rekindlecreativity.com. We’d been happy to have you!
Now, on to our featured writer. This week, I’m very pleased to highlight author Amy L. Bernstein. Enjoy!
Amy L. Bernstein writes stories that let readers feel while making them think. Her novels include The Potrero Complex, finalist for the 2020 Petrichor Prize; the award-winning The Nighthawkers; Dreams of Song Times; and Fran, The Second Time Around. She is an award-winning journalist, speechwriter, playwright, and certified nonfiction book coach. Amy also teaches writing workshops and is a frequent guest on podcasts to discuss writing, publishing, and creativity. Her nonfiction book, Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration will be published in October 2024.
“We can ‘know’ many emotional and psychological truths that enable us to write outside our lived experiences, if we are deeply sensitive to the complexities of other humans who experience the world differently than we might.”
On a writing routine …
My writing routine is little more than to try to write *something* every day, if possible, whether that's fiction, poetry, or nonfiction. I do better in the first half of the day, as I'm usually a dribbling idiot by 5 pm or so.
On writing spaces …
My office/writing desk consists of nothing more than the end of my dining room table. The kitchen is right behind me, as anyone who sees me on Zoom quickly realizes. This arrangement works for me because I live on a high floor of a building, surrounded by huge windows that let in a great deal of light and offer panoramic views of my city. I'm more productive here than anywhere else in the world.
On writing communities …
I belong to more than one writing community and the support, encouragement, and mutual understanding among us is priceless. I've formed warm friendships with book coaches, authors, and other writers all over the world. We're not about "critiquing" work; far more about truly seeing one another, sharing and solving problems together, and being open about our wins and our doubts as writers and book coaches helping other writers.
On challenges …
Making space for writing takes a great act of will that I feel needs to be renewed every day. Every day I face the choice of whether to write or to let other tasks and activities take precedence. I don't win this tug-of-war every single day, but I strive to make writing a central, and indispensable, part of my daily routine. And on days when I don't write, I try to spend time thinking about a writing project that is underway or which I'm planning. I consider thinking to be a dimension of writing.
On the best writing advice …
I can't honestly single out any advice that qualifies as "best" advice. Indeed, I believe there is arguably too much writing advice out there, which can seem loud and confusing to a writer finding her way. As for advice I give myself: Focus on the story itself. Make the characters as believable and sympathetic as possible. Write as powerfully as you can. And remember all the things outside your control as a writer--such as who will publish you and what reviewers will say.
On the worst writing advice …
I think "write what you know" is very misleading. What we "know" can take us far beyond our lived experiences and our own cultures. We can "know" many emotional and psychological truths that enable us to write outside our lived experiences, if we are deeply sensitive to the complexities of other humans who experience the world differently than we might.
On advice from personal experiences …
First and foremost, you must feel passionate about telling the story you want to tell and also to believe in your ability as a writer. There is so much negativity and criticism in the literary and publishing world, you need to stay true to yourself.
advocate.
Amy’s online spaces …
Author Website: amywrites.live
Book Coaching Website: wordfirstbookcoach.com
Substack: amylbernsteinauthor.substack.com
New Year, New Book Coaching Programs
If you’ve been wondering about writing your novel or memoir in 2024, I offer 1:1 book coaching at every stage of the process from the initial seed of an idea, to drafting, and even navigating the pitch process. In particular, I work with women writing literary fiction, historical fiction, and women’s fiction, and I have a soft spot for Young Adult.
As a former educator, I love working with teachers. They speak my language, so to speak. Starting in April, I’m offering a 12-week group book coaching program for educators and retired teachers who want to plan their novels or memoirs, just in time for summer, the prime writing season. In the meantime, download a free copy of my workbook, Beyond the Blackboard: Empowering Teachers to Write Fiction. You have all the skills you need to learn how to write that book already. Get in touch if you have any questions.
Happy writing!
Women Writing is a weekly newsletter featuring women who are doing the difficult work of writing. If you enjoyed reading the newsletter, please share it with a fellow writer. Let’s inspire each other!
Great choice for a spotlight Liisa! Amy is a wonderful writer and extraordinarily insightful and kind person.