Welcome back to Out of Practice! Thanks for being here.
December has been Decembering, with school breaks and holiday celebrations and head colds. Feeling very BilboBagginsButter.jpeg, as I’m sure you all are too.
But end-of-year reflection is always worthwhile, so I’m making time for it.
Reading List
I read some incredible novels in 2024. Here are 5 of my favorites, the ones that continue to haunt me, the ones I will return to time and again.
Most of these novels explore grief (over the loss of a parent, a sibling, a relationship, a life not lived, a kinder world, if one ever existed). All of them deal with prickly, difficult, beautiful relationships. Most of them focus on women. All of them are by women, I’m realizing as I compile this list.
Alice Sadie Celine by Sarah Blakley-CartwrightA young woman becomes involved with the mother of her best friend. The story is told from all three points of view—in case I haven’t mentioned this lately, I’m a big fan of stories that explore a triangulated relationship from each side. Alice Sadie Celine is surprising and funny and frustrating and intimate. And the ending delighted me.
Hello Beautiful by Ann NapolitanoA family drama, a quiet and bittersweet love story, a portrait of four stubborn, incredible women and the lonely man drawn into their world. The novel is an homage to Little Women—not a retelling, but a loving tribute, and a story that stands tall on its own. I sobbed through the last forty or so pages, if that’s the kind of endorsement you’re looking for.
The Sentence by Louise ErdrichMy first Erdrich novel! I’ve enjoyed her short fiction, so when my critique partner recommend The Sentence I bumped it to the top of my list. I’m glad I did! I absolutely fell in love with Tookie, her marriage, and her bookshop community. I’ve got a few more Erdrich novels on my list for 2025.
Intermezzo by Sally RooneyMy most anticipated read of the year, and it delivered. Intermezzo is my new favorite Rooney novel. I loved seeing the friction between brothers Ivan and Peter play out, their tempestuous journeys away from each other, and faltering journeys back toward each other. The female characters also intrigued me—not for nothing, there’s a tender, comical scene featuring a love triangle that felt written for me specifically.
Private Rites by Julia Armfield Also a highly anticipated read. I adored Our Wives Under the Sea, and the premise of Armfield’s new book (“a speculative reimagining of King Lear, centering three sisters navigating queer love and loss in a drowning world”) had my attention immediately. I loved this one even more than OWUTS, the setting was haunting (and eerily relevant), the sister dynamics were so rich and layered, and the conclusion left me breathless. Also shoutout to Jude, I love Jude.
Writing Progress
I did it! I turned in my WASP’S NEST revisions to my editor! I spent weeks considering my approach before I even opened the document again, then I spent months making careful edits, and in the last few days before the deadline I feverishly slashed adverbs and face choreography. I’m really proud of this book, and excited for my editor to help me get it to the next level, which is pub ready! WILD!
I celebrated meeting this deadline by throwing myself into the next book, Campus WIP. I started drafting this book while I was in Nebraska City over the summer. This month, I developed a pitch to send to my agent, which includes character sketches, a prospective structure, and my drafting plan.
Writing Goals
I’m working on a sample chapter to send to my agent along with my Campus WIP pitch. This protagonist is pretty different from anyone I’ve written lately, so getting into her head has been a fun challenge.
I’m also reading up on her occupation (she’s a science professor), which at this point is crucial to the plot and structure of the book. Love a good research project.
Practice Chats
2024 was the second year I set specific writing goals for myself, a practice I plan to continue in 2025 and beyond. It keeps me focused and motivated.
This year was really fucking hard, just to get that out of the way. In the personal column, I came out as a lesbian, ending my marriage of a decade. In the professional column, I sold my first book and made my first paycheck from writing, which was a lifesaver since my day job bumped me to part time. It’s been a weird, eventful, exciting, terrifying twelve months. I’m proud of myself for accomplishing everything that I have. I’m grateful for my community. I’m grateful for you, the person reading this.
Here are the goals I set for 2024, and whether or not I achieved them:
Go on sub with WASP’S NEST (Yes! And we sold it!)
Finish Draft of Sibling WIP (Yes!)
Finish a new submission ready short story (No!)
Practice Flash Fiction (I guess? I wrote a handful of pieces in January)
Apply to 3+ Residencies (Yes!)
Submit to 2+ Lit Mags (No!)
Take as many free classes and seminars as possible (This is vague…I took a few, next year I am going to set a more concrete goal)
Continue Bimonthly Writing Group (Yes! Ce, thank you for helping me meet this goal)
Take Professional Headshots (Yes! Thank you Joanna Tillman!)
Refine Artist Statement (It’s always a work in progress but yes!)
Revamp Website (Yes!)
Grow Online Community (Another vague one, but sure!)
Develop mailing list (Yes! It’s small but it exists!)
Set up Newsletter (Yes! You are here!)
And now, to the titular topic of this month’s newsletter:
Four Truths (from Jami Attenberg’s 1000 Words)
I think this little list sums up what I’ve formed my writing practice around. What I’m doing in this month’s newsletter is a lot of Truth #3. Past newsletters have focused more on Truth #4. I know how much I rely on accountability to make steady progress, so my response to Truth #1 is regular check-ins with my critique partners and friends. And Truth #2 is the hardest for me to internalize. Important shit is too daunting to take in at once, whether that’s raising a kid or finishing a book. We make it through by tackling things week by week and day by day. I have to remind myself to focus on the next step rather than getting overwhelmed by how far I am from the next milestone. More often than not, someone else reminds me.
I have the list above written on a bit of paper by my desk. I think it’s very useful advice for life in general, not just writing. The sentiments also echo what a friend told me when I was having a slight breakdown at the beginning of this year. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of everything happening, how much of it felt outside my control, and I felt like I wasn’t going to make it through this year. I forgot I’m not in this alone. She reminded me. And you know what, we did make it through.
Writing is a solitary thing most of the time. But life isn’t.
I’ll share a little about my 2025 goals in January. I hope you are warm and well and celebrating your own wins at year’s end.
Before You Go
Did any of the Four Truths speak to you? What were your top reads of the year? If you read any of the books I listed, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for reading! Until next year,
K
