Scroll to the bottom for: US (Chautauqua) speaking dates • August and September’s Book Club and Creative Questions dates • Win my writing essentials
When I’m deep into a manuscript (as I am at the moment; two-thirds through…), I find it hard to read other books. Not only do they make me feel terrible (because they are brilliant and fundamentally finished), but they are also more than I can process while my mind is swirling with my own unborn words.
Instead, I keep a document full of quotes - a different one for each book - which I use as a kind of calibration device. Each one of them captures something important to my process, either distilling the essence of what I’m trying to convey in my own work (usually obliquely), or nudging me towards a certain writing mindset. When I get stalled, I open the document and drink them in. Most of the time, they set me straight.
I thought, today, that I’d share the 10 that are guiding me at the moment. They are my life-support system. Maybe they’ll help you too.
Win my writing essentials!
Take out an annual subscription this month - or renew an existing one - and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a very special box of my my writing essentials. This contains all the items I rely on for my daily writing practice, including a Rhodia notebook, stickers to decorate it, a Herbin refillable ink pen, Diamine ink, bookmarks and blackwing pencils. There’s also a signed copy of Enchantment (and a signed bookplate to stick into your existing copy) and a paperback of this month’s Book Club pick, Matrescence by Lucy Jones.
To enter into the prize draw, just take out an annual subscription to The Clearing, or renew your existing subscription - we’ll gather the names together and draw a winner after 31st August. The winner will be contacted by email.
Good luck! And thanks for subscribing :)
Live Appearances
USA: Friday 9th August: Chautauqua Institution, NY, speaking as part of the Interfaith Lecture Series. Details here. The talk will be live-streamed for paid subscribers to Chautauqua’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/chautauquainstitution/join
Live subscriber events:
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