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Mar 18, 2023Liked by Anne H Putnam

Oh, do I ever feel you on the writer's dismay. I haven't written a lick that wasn't for work in so long, I don't know if I ever will again (Yes I will!). I have that same moment of panic/sadness/regret every time I turn on the tv, but that rest? It's so important. We'll get back there!

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Hey I loved reading this. Not least because I can relate. I went to AWP too and my god you described it perfectly!!!! My experience of it? The panels were underwhelming, seemed to have panelists who had just published one book (often self published) themselves and seemed overly eager to act like experts while I asked myself, where are the experts? Ok I'm a little snotty.

And in those panels where the brilliance was constant, I felt the panelists had overlooked the TITLE and description of the workshop. Did they not remember what it was supposed to be about?? Anne, I think the need to watch Netflix and veg out is very real and very valid and you should try to stop fighting it. The constant taking care of another human being is tiring and I suspect YOU need down time and fun time and thats what you're seizing. And its OK.

Maybe do one day and a half of doing that GUILT FREE and take an hour or so, ONLY, to write or submit, whatever. I'm having a similar kind of shlump right now, cant get myself motivated to write. NOT EVEN my newsletter! But I think its a hard thing to push. Maybe there is an ebb and flow we should respect rather than resist so hard and so brutally. Although, I wish you well in overcoming it too

All my best and thanks for your newsletter. The introvert in me emerged at AWP too. I literally hid and felt allergic to the hustle. BUT I did love being among book lovers and writing lovers. That gave me hope and joy in an of itself.

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