A note from Jane

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One of the best literature classes I ever took was called Shadow Literature. It focused on texts that subtly expressed the Jungian theory of the shadow self, or the parts of ourselves that we find unacceptable (whether emotions, thoughts, or personality traits). While the shadow self isn’t inherently negative, it’s what we repress or hide from view. Just a few of the books we read for class: Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson, Demian by Hermann Hesse, and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

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One method to uncovering your shadow self: pay attention to what qualities you judge harshly in others. For example, let’s say I’m highly critical of selfish people. Maybe I view myself as a generous person and have a terrific compulsion to help everyone who asks, even if I owe them nothing. Maybe I do that because as a child I was told by my parents that I was horribly selfish. So as an adult, I repress whatever allows me to put myself first, and I’m more judgmental when I perceive selfishness in others.

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There’s a popular workbook right now on exploring your shadow self, The Shadow Work Journal [Bookshop], if you want to explore the concept further. I’ve also found that simply listening to Alan Watts lectures, or reading his writings, will bring similar awareness.

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Jane

P.S. Most popular blog post this month: How to Teach Word a Scrivener Trick​

​Bob Eckstein​

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.)

Another tool for cleaning up Google Drive

This recommendation comes from reader Cindy Bahl after she read the March 30 issue: “Hey, thanks for the Google Drive cleanup recommendation [Filerev]. Wasn’t sure if you knew that there was another tool that does the same thing but is totally free.” The tool is Drive Cleaner. It’s not as aesthetically pleasing as Filerev, and it’s limited to duplicate files, but it will get you started.

Figure out the location of any image

​Geolocation Estimation is a free tool that will try to identify the geographic location of any image you upload. I found it both impressive and disappointing. For some photos with little context other than sky and trees, it was excellent. And it was able to accurately locate a photo of me taken in Cincinnati based merely on the architectural detail of a door frame. In other cases, it inexplicably reported the location as the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Fun to experiment with.

New in Google Slides: record a presentation

For anyone who teaches online: You can now record your presentation without a third-party app using Google Slides. It allows you to customize preferences for webcam position and microphone settings. You can also view your speaker notes while recording. The finished video can be instantly uploaded to Google Drive and shared. Learn more.​

A TV series I just stumbled on: The Chosen

I can only assume Netflix suggested I watch The Chosen because it was promoting it widely prior to Easter; my watch history certainly contains nothing remotely like it. It’s a dramatic series about the life of Jesus that’s so well done and notable probably because so much faith-driven entertainment is lacking in quality. When I started watching, I had no idea it was written and directed by Dallas Jenkins, the son of Jerry B. Jenkins. Obviously writing talent runs in that family. (I worked with Jerry when I was at Writer’s Digest; we published his writing book, Writing for the Soul.) My favorite character by far is Matthew, the tax collector who is reviled by his community and even his own family. What makes the series so watchable for non-believers (at least the first season) is how the show focuses not on Jesus, but the messy lives of the people surrounding him. Many lessons in character study here if you’re a writer!

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NEXT ONLINE CLASS

April series: Mastering Backstory for Novelists

In this 3-part series, you’ll learn:

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• Clear, practical guidelines for lacing in backstory to deepen and develop your novel’s characters
• Three main ways of weaving in backstory, with specific examples of each from published books
• Practical techniques for revealing who your characters were and are, without slowing down the story
• ​Here is an entertaining three-minute lesson from the first session!​

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Your turn: spring rituals

In the last issue, I asked you to share any spring rituals you have. Here is what you said.

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• On the first few sunny days, when there’s no wind, and it’s over 60 degrees, I take off my shirt and sit in my backyard. The warmth of the sun feels like it’s melting away a season of icy onslaughts. —David R. Yale
• My husband and I shake our wallets at the first robin we see to manifest financial stability throughout the rest of the year. We’ve been doing this for as long as we’ve been together (25+ yrs), and I still haven’t asked his mother where this superstition originated. Fortunately, it’s been working! My next ritual is hanging my hummingbird feeders on April 1. Last year I was a couple weeks late, and a hummingbird fluttered at my kitchen sink window while I was washing dishes! I couldn’t believe it; she was reminding me to put out the feeders! Now I remember not to be a “fool” and get them hanging on April Fool’s day. —Angela L Eckhart
• That first sparkling spring day, the one that gives me hope of more like it to come, I feel compelled to search out my first root beer float of the season—not always easy in my seasonally oriented small city. —Sally Crosiar
• Put away all the skis, snow shovels, windshield scrapers, snowshoes, boots, and more in one ceremony. Hide them in the closet. Banish to the storage shed. Haul up to the attic. I’m XX-ing them out for eight or nine months. Time to bring out sunscreen, bug spray, T-shirts, shorts, and flip flops. But be sure to take a photo of the occasion, of course! —Peter Billiard

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Next question: What do you always keep available in the freezer? Hit reply to this message, or head over to Discord to share.

Free resources featuring Jane

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• April 14: 7 Steps to Building a Book Coaching Business with Jennie Nash
• April 25: AI in Book Publishing: What’s Going On & What to Do Now​
• May 16: Conversation with Isaac Saul about the Tangle newsletter​

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Upcoming online classes

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• ​Mastering Backstory for Novelists (three-part series) with Tiffany Yates Martin, April 10, 17, & 24
• ​Effective Book Marketing for Any Author with Jane Friedman, May 9
• ​Self-Publishing Foundations for Success with David Wogahn, May 15
• ​Writer Mind, Marketing Mind with Allison K Williams, May 29
• ​Write Compelling Queries for Novel & Memoir with Jane Friedman, May 30
• ​Leverage Your Author Brand at Every Step with Andrea Guevara, June 10
• ​The Psychology of Character Development for Memoirists with Lisa Cooper Ellison, June 19

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Meet Jane at an event

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• ​Nonfiction Writers Conference (virtual), May 8–10, 2024
• ​Write to Publish (Chicago), June 11–14, 2024
• ​Midwest Writers Workshop (Muncie, Ind.), July 11–13, 2024
• ​Willamette Writers Hybrid Conference (virtual), July 31–August 4, 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 | Threads | Discord​ P.S. I have a paid newsletter, too.

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