Electric Speed is a biweekly newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. Sign up here.​

A note from Jane

My husband and I recently discovered the reality TV show Alone. The premise is simple: How long can you survive in the remote wilderness by yourself, living off the land? The winner is the person who sticks it out the longest without tapping out or being forcibly pulled out by the show’s medical team.

We’ve only watched one season, so I don’t know if there’s a common pattern of behavior or “proven” strategy to win.

But I’m struck by one person who made it to the final episode with an unconventional approach, at least compared to the others: Don’t waste time and energy making fires or boiling water, and don’t waste (much) time and energy feeding yourself. Hunker down and conserve your strength. Sleep as much as possible.

That strategy is not particularly courageous or impressive, nor does it offer interesting TV. While I felt critical of this approach to start, as the show progressed, I had to admit it made tons of sense. So many of our pursuits are weighed down with a desire to impress, to test our limits, to do something for others (or so we tell ourselves). But this guy was not interested in a performance for the camera or making a good impression. Nor was he sentimental or grateful about being closer to the land. Rather, he was the most clear-eyed and practical in pursuit of his goal, without shame or regret.

Jane

P.S. Most popular blog post this month: What Character Arc Isn’t​

ISSUE SPONSOR

Jane’s Electric Speed List

Here are some of the latest things I’ve discovered. (I am not paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)

Two reading-focused newsletters I’m enjoying

The two newsletters are:

• ​The Washington Review of Books. This twice-weekly newsletter is a round-up of book reviews, literary culture, and more. I found it via publisher Anne Trubek.
• ​The Sunday Long Read. This newsletter recommends longform journalism every Sunday. They also publish 5–10 original works per year and accept pitches. (They pay very well.)

Tap into major AI chat tools in one interface

First, a warning: signing up for this freemium service requires giving up your email address and phone number. If you’re comfortable with that, then check out Poe. You can select from a range of AI text models, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Llama. Helpfully, Poe summarizes what each model excels at, e.g., “enables analysis of very long documents, code, and more.”

Poe is available via desktop or mobile app; it is owned and developed by Quora, the Q&A site.

Where to find fruit, free and ripe for the picking

When I was a kid, my mom would drag me outside during the hottest days of summer (do we have to, Mom?!) to harvest blackberries from enormous bushes growing by the railroad tracks. She always knew where all the best berries were hiding.

These days, I’ve often wished I could find the same treasures in my urban neighborhood. While I’m not likely to ever find train-track berries in the heart of Cincinnati, the Falling Fruit website certainly helps increase the probability. (Also, you may find restaurant and grocery dumpsters marked!) H/t Dense Discovery newsletter.

Just for fun: Comedy Pet Photo Awards

Perfect if you need a little cheering up.

NEXT ONLINE CLASS

Aug. 9: Writing Irresistible Picture Books with Mary Kole

The children’s book market presents a thriving opportunity for writers, but it can be exceedingly difficult to break into. The strict and intimidating guidelines and categories, especially for picture books, stop a lot of hopefuls. In addition to knowing that children’s book publishing is segmented by category, age, and reading level, savvy authors must also avoid being too overt with theme, and have a variety of strong ideas in the pipeline to earn an agent’s interest. This class will help you understand the various brackets in the picture book age group, what word counts are appropriate for each, what distinguishes a picture book from an illustrated storybook, and much more.

Your turn: buying glasses online

In the last issue, I asked you to share your favorite online sources for eyeglasses or frames. Here’s a selection of what you said. By far the most popular recommendations were Eyebuydirect and Zenni.

• We order everyone’s glasses at Zenni. They have a try-on app, lots of styles to choose from, work fairly fast and prescription lenses come in spot-on accurate. The prices are so reasonable we typically order a couple of pairs per child. Young kids are especially rough on glasses! —Anne Hagan
• I know there are other good online sources, but I’ve been using Zenni for years. When I discovered them, it was the first time I could have two pairs of glasses—so a backup if something broke, or even if I felt like having an option on some days. Also I could get prescription sunglasses! A whole new world for me. —Deborah Robson
• I use Eyebuydirect for my glasses. Great prices, they allow FSA/HSA, and for every order, you can choose a country in need for them to donate a pair of glasses. —Belinda Kroll
• I buy from Clearly at a roughly 50 percent savings from the usual prices I paid for years through an optometrist. —Lee Hopkins
• I use Cubitts based in London. Fabulous frames, terrific, knowledgeable support. Online try-ons. Good pricing scheme. Free shipping and they’ll even refurbish your favorite frames. Brilliant. —James Connolly
• Since I had cataract surgery, I have bought my eyeglasses on eBay. I normally use 2.5 diopter lenses for reading and 1.5 diopter lenses for computers, and I can buy other types to try out. I bought a pair high 3.5 diameter lenses for reading very fine print (up close), half-moon reading glasses so I can look over them to see distant objects easily, a pair of blue-filtering computer lenses that reduces eyestrain, and progressives when I’m working with my hands at a range of distances, like cooking. —Jeff Hecht
• For your online glasses question, I bought my first pair of, well, Pair glasses last summer and have been really happy with them. Most people recognize them as the glasses with magnetic frames that click on over the original, so you can change the frame color or pattern. I bought two extra frames in cute patterns that I never use. What I do use is the sunglasses frame. I keep it in my car so I can click it on anytime and don’t have to purchase a pair of prescription sunglasses for however many hundreds of dollars. My lenses also have a blue light filter, which is great for staring at a computer screen all day. —Jessica Snyder
• Just before the pandemic, the family stumbled upon an optical shop in Amsterdam. It was called Polette. I like to grab a pair of frames sometimes when traveling, but they wouldn’t sell them to me as they were just a showroom for their online store. Decided to try it anyway. Polette has been amazing. I’ve found cheaper prices online, but without the quality of the frames or lenses. I get my kids’ glasses there, sunglasses, everything. —Jason from Nashville
• I only wear 2x readers now that I’ve had cataract surgery in both eyes (a miracle cure!), but when I had a prescription, I always got it filled at Costco. I saved hundreds of dollars, and they had cute frames. —Maureen O’Connor Saringer
• I get all my glasses from Goggles4U, the absolutely most-affordable glasses on the planet! Last purchase, I bought 4 pairs for under $100. —acadia1997

Next question: Do you have a favorite exercise app or workout video/audio series? Hit reply to this message, or head on over to Discord to share.

Free resources featuring Jane

• Business Clinic (Aug. 22): When You’re Too Nice (and Get Trampled By Clients)​
• Sunday Business Sermon (Sept. 17): Negotiating Book Contracts​

Upcoming online classes

• ​Writing Irresistible Picture Books with Mary Kole, Aug. 9
• ​Will Your Nonfiction Book Sell? with Jane Friedman, Aug. 17
• ​The Psychology of Memoir (three-part series) with Lisa Cooper Ellison, Aug. 23 | Sep. 27 | Oct. 26
• ​Handling Multiple Storylines with Tiffany Yates Martin, Sep. 15
• ​Writer Mind, Marketing Mind with Allison K Williams, Sep. 21
• ​Build Your Developmental Editing Business with Allison K Williams, starts Nov. 1

Meet Jane at an event

• ​​Writing in the Ozarks (Eureka Springs, Ark.), Oct. 12–14

“At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential.”
—Marshall McLuhan

Created by Jane Friedman I report on the publishing industry and help authors understand the business of writing. Connect on LinkedIn | Instagram | Discord​ P.S. I have a paid newsletter, too.

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