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A note from Jane

Are you a continuer or a divider?

I had never heard of such a question until reading a New Yorker article that suggested people fall into one camp or the other. Here’s how you know which way you land, writes Joshua Rothman:

“Try to remember life as you lived it years ago, on a typical day in the fall. Back then, you cared deeply about certain things (a girlfriend? Depeche Mode?) but were oblivious of others (your political commitments? your children?). Certain key events—college? war? marriage? Alcoholics Anonymous?—hadn’t yet occurred. Does the self you remember feel like you, or like a stranger? Do you seem to be remembering yesterday, or reading a novel about a fictional character? If you have the former feelings, you’re probably a continuer; if the latter, you’re probably a divider.”

I am continuer, through and through. My existence feels like a narrative, every chapter connected. Of course I’ve grown and changed, but I fundamentally see myself as the same person—and I invite exploration of past chapters.

My husband is the opposite, so when I read this New Yorker piece, I understood him so much better—namely, his antagonism for exploring earlier decades of his life. He leads a multipart existence where previous chapters are irrelevant to him today. He does not invite discussion, if he remembers those times at all.

As time passes, I feel ever more like myself. Meanwhile, I marvel at my husband’s presentism. In a way, this keeps him mysterious because of the multitude of chapters I will never read.

Jane

P.S. Most popular blog post this month: Embrace Your True Subject: A Writer’s Case Study in Running from (and Returning to) Herself​

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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.)

Tools for adding captions to videos

There are so many captioning tools, it’s hard to keep up. Jeremy Caplan has summarized the best solutions in his newsletter Wonder Tools. (Scroll to “alternatives” to see the various options.)

Dottt: I love, love, love this!

I’m a devoted Mac user and a devoted Google Calendar user, which poses some problems for setting up appointment reminders on my desktop computer (without having a browser or calendar app open all the time).

Finally I found the answer: Dottt. It does exactly what I want, nothing more, nothing less. The design is effective at ensuring I do not miss an upcoming call or Zoom session because I’m knee-deep in writing. Free!

I’ve officially switched to 1Password for password management

For many years, I used LastPass, but they experienced a security breach this year that spooked me. I’m now using 1Password. I also tried BitWarden, but it was more difficult to set up and less intuitive.

Wordpress.com now allows you to “design your own” theme (sort of)

I’m not sure if this will become the future of Wordpress-based site development, but Wordpress.com now allows you to build your own design (loosely) rather than picking a theme to start. Go to Appearance > Themes, then scroll until you see the feature box that suggests you “design your own.” (If you self-host your own website, you will not have this option—it’s for Wordpress.com sites only.)

NEXT ONLINE CLASS

Dec. 6: Hybrid Publish or Self-Publish? with Jane Friedman

In partnership with Craft Talks: Once an author steps away from the traditional publishing path (whether by choice or necessity), a whole new decision tree comes into play. Do you want to undertake the self-publishing process? Do you want to pay a company to assist you? Or would it be better to consider hybrid publishers? It’s natural to feel a lot of pressure over this choice, since the costs can be substantial. Jane Friedman covers everything you need to know about the self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and paid publishing services landscape, in plain English.

Your turn: advent calendars

In the last issue, I asked you to share your favorite advent calendars. By far the most popular recommendation was the Jacquie Lawson online advent calendar!

Advent calendars

• I love, love, love the Jacquie Lawson online advent calendar. It is a family tradition now. I buy at the bulk rate and send it as an early Christmas gift, which friends and family look forward to each year. I enjoy playing the games long after the holidays. Wouldn’t miss it (and no calories)! —N Kuch, and also recommended by Lorie Brush, Clarice Stasz, Carol Edge, Aline Soules, and Sandy Lucas
• My favorite advent calendar is from Pukka Tea. My daughter gave me one a few years ago and now I’ve given it as a gift to my friends. I enjoyed expanding my tea choices. —Carolyn Ann
• There’s a pretty cool Advent calendar from the Bas Bleu catalog, the Bodleian Library Advent Calendar. Each flap opens to reveal an illustration from a book housed in the University of Oxford’s famed Bodleian Libraries. —Peter Werrenrath
• I like Inkvent, an ink-based advent calendar created by Diamine ink. Every day open a little door and a 2 ml vial of a new ink is yours. Great for fountain pen-obsessed writers like me. —Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
• I don’t yet know if it’s a favorite, but my dog, Sizzle, and I are looking forward to Trader Joe’s Advent Calendar for Dogs. —Debby Mayer
• After many years using a simple one I had as a kid, a cardboard nativity scene lavishly covered in glitter, last year I discovered Walker’s Shortbread calendar. This year I’m trying Numi Organic Tea’s calendar. It occurs to me they would go well together! —Mary Rosewood
• With two grown sons and a husband who are adult fans of Legos and four grandchildren who are Lego builders, we always get the Lego Advent Calendars. So we can build toys! They have a City one, Star Wars, Avengers, and our favorite, Harry Potter! —Jama Bigger
• Flaviar’s Whiskey Advent Calendar comes in a stunning gold-and-black adventure-themed box, which includes two whiskey-tasting glasses, 24 samples of whiskey from around the world (including a Scotch that comes out in 2024), and a tasting journal that takes recipients through all the tipples. —John Matenkosky
• I love the Bonne Maman Advent Calendar. Every day, you get a tiny little jar of jam or honey in interesting flavors, like raspberry chocolate or grapefruit passion fruit. There’s enough in a jar for two to four slices of toast (depending on how you like it). Yeah, I still have a few unopened from last year, but seeing the cute little jars in my cupboard makes me happy (though I wish I knew something to do with them when they’re empty). —Katharine Herndon
• I love the tea advent calendar from Adagio Teas. It comes with loose tea or bags, and not excessive amounts. It is even more fun if you share the experience with a remote family member or friend. Then you can message each other to comment on the tea, and seem a little closer. —Anne Janzer
• Random chance brought me to The Body Shop advent calendars. They have three price tiers—the cheapest with little sample sizes, up to the expensive, featuring full-sized products. Normally, I’m not into the lotions and potions thing, but I got one for myself as well. Oh wow! Each day gave me a new product to try, and a few things I had no idea what they were (hello, konjak sponge!). My favourite item turned out to be the Chamomile Cleansing Butter, designed to easily and completely take off makeup without drying out one’s skin. I would never have given this item a second glance in the shop. I guess an advent calendar is good for foisting products on you when you’d never have picked them up before. —Heidi Kneale

Next question: Do you use a meditation app? Tell me about it! Hit reply to this message, or head over to Discord to share.

Free resources featuring Jane

• My Simplified Life: Episode 205, A Look at the Publishing Industry
• Business Clinic (Dec. 8): Growing a Fiction Platform​
• Video: Why Isn’t My Substack Gaining Traction?​

Upcoming online classes

• ​Hybrid Publish or Self-Publish? with Jane Friedman, Dec. 6
• ​Get Published: Land a Book Deal in 2024 with Jane Friedman, Jan. 4
• ​Compelling Query Letters for Novel/Memoir with Jane Friedman, Jan. 13
• ​10 Steps to a Nonfiction Book Proposal with Jane Friedman, Jan. 27
• ​How AI Is Changing the Writing World with Jane Friedman, Feb. 4
• ​Establish/Improve Your Email Newsletter with Jane Friedman, Feb. 8

Meet Jane at an event

• ​Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop (Dayton, Ohio), April 4–6, 2024
• ​Craft & Publishing Voyage (cruise ship!), April 28–May 5, 2024
• ​Write to Publish (Chicago), June 11–14, 2024

“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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