[Electric Speed] New word game | Raising your rates

A note from Jane

When I visit the gym solo to lift weights, I go in without a plan. I hunt and peck among the machines, imagine I’ll do three or even five sets, then become listless after one or two. I move on to something else. Fifteen or twenty minutes feels like an hour. If a video of this folly were to appear online, I would be embarrassed.

But if I meet with a trainer, who hands me a step-by-step plan to complete in an hour, I follow it to the letter and finish every time. I transform into an A student.

I’m now undertaking a revision of The Business of Being a Writer and I have very limited time to finish. For a while it was the first thing I’d worry about in the morning while still in bed. But not after I put together a plan.

I listed every single revision task in a long list. Then I graphed out every week until my deadline and started slotting in tasks week by week.

It’s still a daunting amount of work, but at least I can see it tangibly mapped out. This is by far the best productivity tip I have ever learned: Break down every project, even those seemingly insignificant, into tiny action steps. Instead of adding to my to-do list, “Work on article,” I’ll add “Research previous articles published on X.” Then “Read previous articles on X.” Then “Email expert A to set up call.”

I often wonder why can’t I do the same for my hour of weightlifting. Maybe it’s a mix of not caring enough, plus wanting someone knowledgeable to prepare the plan. But when it comes to writing work, no one can make a better plan than me.

Writing a memoir that’s sellable in today’s market requires a plan. By clearly defining your concept, your structure, and the exact readers who need your words, you’ll learn whether your book is right for Big Five, literary or independent publishing—and exactly how to write and revise your story.

In this three-part webinar, you’ll identify your memoir’s dramatic arc and structure; learn what events belong and how to write them more deeply; and discover how to use writing craft and research to fill in alternative points of view and missing memories. You’ll also dive deeply into your goals, and discover the right kind of platform to find and establish the audience that needs your book.

In the last issue, I asked you to tell me what books you reread, and I discovered that rereading is a very popular activity. Here’s a selection of what you said:

For work I re-read It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences by June Casagrande every year. For fun, I read Emma and Persuasion by Jane Austen. —Miriam B.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson for a reminder on how well less is more works. —Denise M Testa
I reread certain books the way I listen to favorite albums—because I never get tired of the way the words sing. Tops for frequent rereading: Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier and A. S. Byatt’s Possession. —Susan Chapek
Every year for about five years, I reread A. Scott Berg’s Max Perkins: Editor of Genius. Initially I read it to understand this editor’s process. I returned for the relationships and history. —Alonna S.
I reread The Elements of Style every year, just for a refresher. I also reread the opening chapter of A Wrinkle in Time every October, with Meg in her attic bedroom in the middle of the night and then in the kitchen making sandwiches with her mom and brother while the wind threatens to blow the roof off the house. —Joan Kessler
I reread The Dark Tower series by Stephen King every few years and am currently making my way through it again for the fifth or sixth time. And it is never the same series each time, because I have usually changed between readings and so what I get from it changes. So often, I ask myself, why didn’t I notice that last time? Or ever? —Tammy Cox
I find that I read Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie about once a year. Why? Not sure. Maybe it’s because I find similarities between the time period of the novel (late 1800s) and our own: the obsession with stardom and fame, the fixation on fashion, and rampant consumerism. —Melissa Gardner
There is no single book I reread every year, but I went through a season of rereading books I had strong reactions to in high school English class to see if they’d held. Hated The Catcher in the Rye as a teen, loved it—it’s actually hilarious—as an adult. Adored The Scarlet Letter in 11th grade, absolutely hated it twenty years later. —E. Ce Miller
A Knight in Shining Armor and The Girl from Summer Hill by Jude Deveraux. Jude is one of the best authors at story structure, especially in time travel stories. The latter is a weaving of three different Pride and Prejudice plots that make for a great story. —Anne
I read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn every few years, for Twain’s humor, his observations of the human condition, and for the evolution of Huck’s relationship with Jim. —Tom Bentley
I reread Getting Things Done by David Allen and its associated books [including Getting Things Done for Teens and Making It All Work]. Those last two books really help flesh out the “main” book, making them rather useful for anyone who wants to actually implement the methodology in their life. These books, and the three related podcasts, have transformed me from having been a completely disorganized and messy person to an almost tidy and rather organized person. ... It’s kind of like having a secret eighth day of the week that nobody else knows about. —Gregory Bard
Every year in October I re-read Anne of Green Gables, who loves October as much as I do! “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” —Bobbie Combs

Next question: The holiday season is approaching. Do you have a go-to gift for the writers or other creative people in your life? Hit reply to this email and let me know, or discuss over on Discord.

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