Hello. I am an editor and book doctor, helping authors and aspiring authors get to the finish line with their books. I always tell folks that finding typos and errors is not my job. It is my passion to help authors frame their masterpieces. I want to help them shine. I also love J.T. and am a superfan. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this space. I am very much enjoying reading your messages.
Hi there. I'm a lawyer and writer from Raleigh, NC. I've had 2 novels published by small/university presses: Maranatha Road (literary fiction set in western NC) & The Good Luck Stone (dual timeline historical set in Savannah and the South Pacific). My agent is currently submitting my 3rd (fingers crossed...;)) As a reader, I gravitate toward literary and historical fiction. Lately I've been wanting cozy, feel-good reads. J.T., thank you for your fabulous newsletter, which I always look forward to reading!!
Hi Heather. Nice to meet you! I’ve crossed all available appendages for you - I know how nerve wracking submission is. If you’re a historical fan, have you read Ariel Lawhon? She’s astounding!!!
Hello and Happy New Year! I am from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I am a social innovation researcher and have been doing research in the field of disability for 18 years! I love being a researcher as every day I do and learn something new. I am hoping to last as a researcher until retirement, however, with changes at my place of employment, I'm not sure this will happen. It definitely makes me sad as I have loved every moment until the changes started. And with only 7 years left before retirement, I'm not sure that I want to try starting a new area of expertise. Being a general researcher (or an author's researcher - that would be amazing) would be interesting, but I don't think there's a market out there for that.
I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. I frequented our local library, riding my bike there and devouring all the books I could get my hands on. I love thrillers, mystery, horror, fantasy, and science fiction. I read many authors and I'm always looking for new authors, but I don't really have a favourite! While a student, I loved writing stories. I wrote many short stories and entered a few competitions (although failed miserably at those). I always dreamed of writing novels, but it's not in the cards for me.
When I'm not reading, I love to create (mostly card making, scrapbooking, and knitting), travel the world, and be outdoors. My bucket list contains travel - Australia, Egypt, Machu Picchu, to name a few. This year, my goals are to regain my health, get organized, and do more of the things I love to do!
Hi Stacey! Lovely to meet you! I'm fascinated by your research background, and actually, there is a market for professional researchers. I'll point you toward the first one who came to mind, Moiya McTier, an astrophysicist and mythology expert who consults on world-building. https://www.moiyamctier.com/consulting I think you might find there's always a market for someone to help - especially authors! Wonderful travel list, too. I hope you get to them all and report back on your travels!
That's a really interesting concept - thanks for pointing me to Moiya McTier. I may have to look into this a little bit as I consider where the last years of my work life take me.
Hello - I am Helen from Melbourne, Australia - I am new here.
I have really enjoyed receiving your Friday book discussions and look forward to 2024.
I followed a favourite author of mine over and now call myself ‘Alice’ as I have fallen into the proverbial Substack rabbit hole - but it is such fun!
I am a reader and reviewer - thus my being ‘Great Reads & Tea Leaves’ (always a book in one hand and a cuppa (cup of tea) in the other 📚☕️
I have been in a period of transformation these past two years and have my fingers and toes crossed that this coming year will see more spiritual prosperity.
Hello Helen-Alice! I am holding you up in the universe for more spiritual prosperity. It doesn't seem like too much to ask. Do you happen to be a sun sign person? I know Aquarius/Leo and Taurus/Scorpio have seen unbelievable upheaval these past few years, and are expected to have smooth sailing going forward. This Taurus is quite grateful for that news...
What's your favorite tea? We're on a blend of English breakfast and a whiskey tea we import from Edinburgh...
Thank you JT - I’ll take your hold and raise you one 😉
I am an Aries and have read similar to what you state, that the tide may be turning and a more settled period to follow.
Tea … gosh! Don’t get me started - I would put Alice to shame with that rabbit hole 😅 I am a T2 fanatic in terms of brews and cups. I love a solid black tea in the morning - New York breakfast has the sumptuous maple syrup aroma. A luscious green tea in the afternoon and a tea tisane of an evening with no caffeine. Not to forget some iced tea in what is now our summer. Bet you glad you asked that question of me 😂
I'm Terry from Springfield, Tennessee, about 30 miles north of Nashville. I am a writer, writing mentor with MTSU Write, a creative coach, photographer, and Veriditas certified labyrinth facilitator. I believe everyone is a creative including those who no longer believe they are!
What brought you here? It was threefold - I am working on my first novel and have been working on it for some time. I have been comfortable writing short stories for a good while but, of course, a novel is a different animal and I continue to learn form and structure in hopes I can corral all of my horses into one book that will take my readers for a great ride. I am constantly looking for resources that will help me. Second, my friend and novelist Charlotte Rains Dixon told me that J.T. Ellison had a substack and I immediately wanted to sign up. I have been acquainted with J.T. for some time and have found her to be not a talented writer but an incredible friend and encourager to writers. She seems to always be up to help others and that is my credo as well. I was excited to find out about the substack. Thirdly, the series about steps to writing a novel is a gift. It's as if someone said, what do you need right now? This is it. It is encouraging and practical. It has given ballast to my creative efforts, grounding me in the practical so I can let my creativity soar. Thank you, J.T.. This, and you, are gifts to writers.
Are you a writer, a reader? Both? Neither? Both! I am soon to be 67 years old and was reading before beginning school. I have always been a reader and words have been my friends. I began writing in elementary school and finally decided to get serious about writing about twenty years ago and have loved (almost) every minute of it.
What are some of your favorite books, or newsletters, or authors? This is hard because there are so many. My favorite book growing up was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and it still is. I admire the works of James Baldwin and Truman Capote. I still remember reading A Lesson Before Dying for the first time by Ernest J. Gaines and how it knocked my socks off. I love reading poetry and enjoy Jane Hirshfield, Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, and the recently deceased Bill Brown, among many others.
Are you getting your money’s worth—figuratively and literally—from the Edge? Yep. I love all of the new posts, full of information and encouragement. As mentioned above, I love the steps to writing a novel and usually make a cup of tea when reading those!
Where are you in your life? Where are you in general? I tell people that I am at a place where there is more sand in the bottom of my hourglass than the top and so paraphrasing Andy Dufresne in the film Shawshank Redemption (an adaptation from a Stephen King short story) I'd better get busy living. I've always been comfortable throughout my life at whatever age I was at each point and that has not changed. As I've aged, I become more motivated to create and live mindfully and it's kind of exciting to have that sort of motivation. I believe I'm at the best part of my life but, for the most part, I've always felt that way and feel incredibly lucky to be in a position to feel that way. I know there are a lot of people who for all sorts of reasons cannot and have not felt that way. I do not take that for granted.
If you could do one thing from your bucket list, what would it be? I really do want to complete a novel, however you define that. I want to tell a long form story that will survive me. I believe my life has been a long form story but will be over at some point and I would love to have a story survive me whether it's published or not. Publication is not the goal. Storytelling is.
Do you have a word/theme for 2024, or a resolution you’d like to share? I have always been cautious throughout life and it has led to a safe and orderly life and for that I am grateful. However, I want to be bolder this year. I want to create fearlessly. During a recent gathering I had a young man approach me and introduce himself. He is a self-described psychic empath and apologized for coming to me but said that he felt strongly that there are things I want to do but something was holding me back. He said that I had the support of family, friends, and colleagues (all true) and he felt that my fear was what was holding me back. With a smile he said to push through the fear, that I have what it takes to do what I wish to do...simply to not be afraid. So, I'm going to be more fearless in 2024. I'm going to move forward with more boldness and that will be my word: Boldness.
There are differing opinions about the origin of the following quotation but I love it anyway and am adopting it for 2024:
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.“
Thank you, J.T. for this wonderful substack and this wonderful community. I look forward to future posts. I look forward to getting busy. Have a lovely year, all! Always, Terry
Terry, my friend, it is so lovely to see you here. Your kind words humble me. You know me, and have for years, so you know I'm red in the face right now and looking for someone else to heap praise upon instead. We are all better creatives by our willingness to share how we do the work. I found that from your mentioned Stephen King in his incredible book On Writing, Anne Lamont in Bird by Bird, and Julia Cameron's in The Artist Way. I am trying to continue their tradition of openness and bolstering the creative in us all by talking about the work.
I love BOLDNESS. That is a perfect word, and I'm fascinated that someone actually approached you to give you permission to seek your path. I hope you'll continue sharing the journey with us this year. Blessings on you and your work!
Hello and Happy New Year! I'm Jeanie Jo writer of Simple & Scrumptious. I live on Galveston Island, enjoy scrumptious foods and the simple life. I write about it.
This year my word is Savor, my goal is to savor each moment, appreciating life, family, community, and the beauty of our world. I want to soak in the richness around me, noticing the divine in everyday moments.
Hi Jeanie Jo! I LOVE this. SAVOR. What a wonderful — and thematically appropriate — word for you. It’s perfect. We watched a home improvement show set in Galveston. It seems like a neat place.
Save 1900 is a great show. Ashley & Michael are pretty amazing people and we are so thankful they chose to dwell here… our own Chip & Joanna. They have an incredible ice cream shop too! I love my little island.
What an invitation! Thank you, J.T., and happy New Year to you and everyone else!
I found TCE early in my still very new venture into Substack this fall. My hunt for novelists writing in this space was really a way for me to see that there was room for me here, too. I'm grateful to have found there is more than enough room for all of us. You were the first person to really make me believe that and I'll forever be grateful.
Coming up on 40 this year, I'm a lifelong reader and writer, who somehow manages to squeeze in a bit of both in the fringes of a very full life with my husband of sixteen years and our three school-aged children I've unexpectedly homeschooled since 2020.
I have fever dreams about getting back to Europe and finally visiting the UK. Instead, I write and read stories set partially abroad, creating my own version of armchair travel. I love books that make me feel like a different and better human after I've read them, and I'm an unashamed fangirl of Fredrik Backman, in particular.
After thinking for a little while that my word for 2024 might be Free, turns out it's actually Soft. (I briefly contemplated using both, until I spoke them aloud together. It was giving too much "You Grandma's Shampoo or Laundry Detergent," ha!)
I've loved reading all the responses on here and all the varied ways of living life. I always thought when I hit this age (just left the forties) that I would know exactly who I am, but I've discovered I'm like one of those kaleidoscope toys I loved as a kid. Each year, the colorful picture of me focuses a bit more, but is still a fuzzy mess of shapes. Laughter bursts easily from my lips, and I have to have a daily hit of nature. Family, food, travel, reading, and writing are important to me and not necessarily in that order. During covid we moved from Colorado, where I'd lived for over thirty years, to Texas for hubby's work. It's been a big change. Probably as big as the state itself.
I connected on this site because I lost most of my writer community when I moved. I'm so grateful that covid forced us all to become more reliant on the online venues for connection. (Plus, I love JT's openness about herself and writing.) I read about a hundred books a year. Give or take. And I love to read adult/YA select fantasy, adventure, mystery, thrillers, some horror (but not much), and almost anything that is well written. Usually, thrillers are my go-to as I love fast paced stories with a heart.
As a writer, I've pursued traditional publishing for over 12 1/2 years. In that time, I've written 11 manuscripts and have racked up 742 rejections. I'm revising my 12th story. Where we live in Texas, I spend a lot of my time driving. I have two kids still at home and one in college about 2 hours away. During December, I calculated that when we moved here, I lost fifteen hours a week of writing time to driving. It helped me realized I hadn't become lazy or inefficient, which was a relief. So, I've spent the last few weeks strategizing how to get some of it back. My word for the year is productive. Not to produce more but to value the time I have and be productive in those moments. I'm looking forward to reading more responses on here and hearing about JT's writing process. Wishing all of you a wonderful 2024.
Rachael, I always look forward to your comments and thoughts. Thanks for being here! Also, I’m a Colorado girl too, so it’s fitting we’ve found each other. Try @Shangrilogs, too. It’s fabulous and Kelton’s views on Colorado bring me home every week.
I will have to look that one up! I miss Colorado terribly and have experienced actual physical pangs in my chest when I’ve seen pictures of home. You being from Colorado is a large plus, plus, plus for me. My sister lives on the outskirts of Castle Rock in a tiny town called Larkspur. I feel that you and I have probably stood in some of the same spots but at different times. Thank you for accepting me into this wonderful community.
I wasn’t sure but after seeing some of your pictures I wondered if it was Perry Park. My sister’s in laws live up there and I’ve been there a few times. Absolutely beautiful!
As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a novelist. Then I don't know exactly what happened, but I turned to screenwriting and developing stories (maybe after film school). A few years ago, I turned to writing novels––a bit late, but not too late 🤗. I still work as a development editor occasionally. My focus, however, is now righting novels. I write Upmarket Fiction (Book Club Fiction). Translation: I write in multiple genres. I work on several books at the same time (they're all in different stages). I write many drafts. And I'm terrible at marketing. Hey, I'm learning. Slowly. ~ I love reading thrillers, commercial fiction, women's fiction, and... I love reading. ~ 2024 is My Year of Writing (and Healing as it been a little tough in 2023). I have big writing plans. Let's see. Happy New Year to all of you. I hope this year is going to be great for you. 🩷🩷🩷
That's so sweet, thank you. Me too... so thankful for our new friendship. You inspire me. ~ 🥂🥂To a new year filled with great conversations and lots of exceptional writing. 🩷
I'm a reader and a writer. Even when I was a kid, I loved writing stories. When I was about 7 or 8, I wrote a "murder mystery" in which no one died (in fact, everyone recovered quite nicely in the hospital) and I named the "killer" almost right away.
Basically, I tried to write something like the shows my grandparents watched, but I was far too polite to kill anyone on the page.
Now, over 40 years later, I've gotten over this.
Since 2017, I've written and published crime fiction and thrillers set in my home city of Baltimore. I'm here because I want to support creativity and learning. I'd also like to learn more about the trad pub process from an insider, as I want to make a serious effort toward it this year.
This year, I turn 50. While I'm a reader and writer, I'm also a husband and dad with a full-time non-writing job. I'd like to simplify some things, even it means losing some of the control I value.
Hi Tom! Great to meet you! I love your origin story so much. I bet your grandparents loved your first attempts. I look forward to your 2024, because it sounds like you’re all set up for a successful year!
I'm a reader. I have been a big reader from middle school on. I average 2 books per week, plus I work full time, teach Body Pump twice a week, and work out every day. It sounds busy but we're empty nesters....so we do have more time than some.
I was born/raised in Omaha, NE. After college I moved to Chicago and then Washington DC. I returned to Omaha after 4 years. My job then transfered me to a small town in southeast Nebraska. I thought I was being sent to Siberia, but I ended up meeting my husband. We built our dream house on land that's been in my husband's family for over 100 years! This city girl has lived in the country for 22 years now and I love it! Neighbors are highly overrated...lol
In middle school I read mostly fantasy. In high school/college I read more romance. Social media has helped me discover new authors and now I read MANY genres....but heavy on romance, suspense, fantasy.
I have so many favorite authors, but here's what came to mind first:
JT
Sarah J Maas (who I discovered through JT)
Leigh Bardugo
Nora Roberts/JD Robb
Rebecca Yaros
Adrienne Young
Emily Henry
Allison Brennan
Katherine Center
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Sabaa Tahir
Goals/things I want to do in 2024:
Travel and discover new places.
I'll be 57 in a couple of weeks, so I want to stay healthy and fit! I had cancer twice in 2021. I was lucky and both cancers were caught at stage 1. I am convinced that being very healthy (other than the cancer ...lol) is what got me through 2 surgeries and radiation. I tell everyone I know to go in for your annual checkups...it could literally save your life!
Live in the moment and don't sweat the small stuff...life is too short!
I like your goals, lady! Travel is the best thing in the world, I think. Seeing new lands, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures--it broadens the mind and spirit. Happy early birthday, and so many blessings for continued good health!
Happy new year to all. I'm a freelance editor and author of the recent memoir, Honeymoon at Sea, which tells about my first long sea voyage on a small boat as a newlywed. My husband and I are still happily living on a (slightly larger) sailboat, currently in PNW. I've really been enjoying the Creative Edge. Kudos!
Hi Jennifer! How much fun - living on a boat? Your book sounds fantastic, I’ll go look for it. Glad to have you here, and bid those beautiful coastlines hello from me!
What a terrific opening post for the year. I look forward to reading the other responses.
My short answer is that I am a reader first and a writer second.
My parents were readers, so books surround my earliest memories. I hate to guess how many times I read my well-worn copy of Where the Wild Things Are. After exhausting my Beverly Cleary stage, my parents gifted me my very own library card. The worlds of Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke opened up to me.
When I was 11 (yes, 11), Stephen King published 'Salem's Lot. Three years later in 1978, The Stand hit the stores. I read it from cover to cover that first night. His ability to take ordinary people and put them in extraordinary situations mesmerized me.
Forty years later, in 2018, I stumbled across Taylor Jackson. Having spent my summers at my grandfather's farm outside Nashville (near the intersection of Hillsboro Pike and Old Hickory Blvd—hardly the country today), I loved seeing a town I knew depicted so well. I read nine more of your books that year, another five the next, and now never miss a release.
So, yes, I come here first as a fan of books.
As for writing, I've done that forever too. Other than a few short stories in school journals, though, I never tried publishing. That seemed a pipe dream to a kid growing up in a Southern mill town. Ignore the fact that I also read S.E. Hinton, who published The Outsiders as a teenager living in Tulsa.
In fairness, my writing was awful. I wrote my first novel in high school. I still have it, but it’s so dreadful it will never see the light of day. I think I keep it to torture myself. The second isn’t much better.
Instead, I did the "right" thing and went off to a finance career. Traveled the world, worked way too many hours, and scribbled tales in hotel rooms at night.
Nothing would have changed if it wasn’t for the internet and my dogs.
First on Usenet and then dog blogs, I found kindred spirits who liked to exchange stories about the antics of their canines. With a herd of rescued Siberian Huskies, my anecdotes of their misadventures practically wrote themselves. With a collection of their stories, a hobby in photography, and a desire to learn html, I launched their website in 2007. It reached a ridiculous level of popularity. Over and over, fans suggested I write a book.
In 2019, after way too much agonizing and help from a team of editors, I finally published my first novel. My expectations were low. Maybe I'd sell a dozen copies to friends and family. If I was lucky, 100.
When it sold its 10,000th copy, I decided I better get to work on the next novel. Early this year, I'll publish my fifth. I'll also turn 60. Better late than never, huh?
And so, yes, I’m also here as an accidental writer.
Sorry for such a long response, but my editors aren’t working today.
DK, you are a wonder, and I’m so grateful that you’re here. I love your success story, too. Better late than never is absolutely the best mantra. Age is only a number--it’s how your mind and body feel creatively that matters. Keep it up!
Hello. I am an editor and book doctor, helping authors and aspiring authors get to the finish line with their books. I always tell folks that finding typos and errors is not my job. It is my passion to help authors frame their masterpieces. I want to help them shine. I also love J.T. and am a superfan. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this space. I am very much enjoying reading your messages.
Welcome, Karen, my dear!!! It’s so good to see you here! You are most welcome—and I bet you find a few masterpieces to help shine!
Hi there. I'm a lawyer and writer from Raleigh, NC. I've had 2 novels published by small/university presses: Maranatha Road (literary fiction set in western NC) & The Good Luck Stone (dual timeline historical set in Savannah and the South Pacific). My agent is currently submitting my 3rd (fingers crossed...;)) As a reader, I gravitate toward literary and historical fiction. Lately I've been wanting cozy, feel-good reads. J.T., thank you for your fabulous newsletter, which I always look forward to reading!!
Hi Heather. Nice to meet you! I’ve crossed all available appendages for you - I know how nerve wracking submission is. If you’re a historical fan, have you read Ariel Lawhon? She’s astounding!!!
Thank you! Yes, I’m a big fan of Ariel’s books. :-)
Hello and Happy New Year! I am from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I am a social innovation researcher and have been doing research in the field of disability for 18 years! I love being a researcher as every day I do and learn something new. I am hoping to last as a researcher until retirement, however, with changes at my place of employment, I'm not sure this will happen. It definitely makes me sad as I have loved every moment until the changes started. And with only 7 years left before retirement, I'm not sure that I want to try starting a new area of expertise. Being a general researcher (or an author's researcher - that would be amazing) would be interesting, but I don't think there's a market out there for that.
I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. I frequented our local library, riding my bike there and devouring all the books I could get my hands on. I love thrillers, mystery, horror, fantasy, and science fiction. I read many authors and I'm always looking for new authors, but I don't really have a favourite! While a student, I loved writing stories. I wrote many short stories and entered a few competitions (although failed miserably at those). I always dreamed of writing novels, but it's not in the cards for me.
When I'm not reading, I love to create (mostly card making, scrapbooking, and knitting), travel the world, and be outdoors. My bucket list contains travel - Australia, Egypt, Machu Picchu, to name a few. This year, my goals are to regain my health, get organized, and do more of the things I love to do!
Hi Stacey! Lovely to meet you! I'm fascinated by your research background, and actually, there is a market for professional researchers. I'll point you toward the first one who came to mind, Moiya McTier, an astrophysicist and mythology expert who consults on world-building. https://www.moiyamctier.com/consulting I think you might find there's always a market for someone to help - especially authors! Wonderful travel list, too. I hope you get to them all and report back on your travels!
That's a really interesting concept - thanks for pointing me to Moiya McTier. I may have to look into this a little bit as I consider where the last years of my work life take me.
Hello - I am Helen from Melbourne, Australia - I am new here.
I have really enjoyed receiving your Friday book discussions and look forward to 2024.
I followed a favourite author of mine over and now call myself ‘Alice’ as I have fallen into the proverbial Substack rabbit hole - but it is such fun!
I am a reader and reviewer - thus my being ‘Great Reads & Tea Leaves’ (always a book in one hand and a cuppa (cup of tea) in the other 📚☕️
I have been in a period of transformation these past two years and have my fingers and toes crossed that this coming year will see more spiritual prosperity.
Happy New Year everyone.
Hello Helen-Alice! I am holding you up in the universe for more spiritual prosperity. It doesn't seem like too much to ask. Do you happen to be a sun sign person? I know Aquarius/Leo and Taurus/Scorpio have seen unbelievable upheaval these past few years, and are expected to have smooth sailing going forward. This Taurus is quite grateful for that news...
What's your favorite tea? We're on a blend of English breakfast and a whiskey tea we import from Edinburgh...
Thank you JT - I’ll take your hold and raise you one 😉
I am an Aries and have read similar to what you state, that the tide may be turning and a more settled period to follow.
Tea … gosh! Don’t get me started - I would put Alice to shame with that rabbit hole 😅 I am a T2 fanatic in terms of brews and cups. I love a solid black tea in the morning - New York breakfast has the sumptuous maple syrup aroma. A luscious green tea in the afternoon and a tea tisane of an evening with no caffeine. Not to forget some iced tea in what is now our summer. Bet you glad you asked that question of me 😂
Oh, T2 is new to me. We're usually on Eteaket, or Tea Gweschender, or Harney & sons. Thanks for the tip!
Hello all, and Happy New Year!
I'm Terry from Springfield, Tennessee, about 30 miles north of Nashville. I am a writer, writing mentor with MTSU Write, a creative coach, photographer, and Veriditas certified labyrinth facilitator. I believe everyone is a creative including those who no longer believe they are!
What brought you here? It was threefold - I am working on my first novel and have been working on it for some time. I have been comfortable writing short stories for a good while but, of course, a novel is a different animal and I continue to learn form and structure in hopes I can corral all of my horses into one book that will take my readers for a great ride. I am constantly looking for resources that will help me. Second, my friend and novelist Charlotte Rains Dixon told me that J.T. Ellison had a substack and I immediately wanted to sign up. I have been acquainted with J.T. for some time and have found her to be not a talented writer but an incredible friend and encourager to writers. She seems to always be up to help others and that is my credo as well. I was excited to find out about the substack. Thirdly, the series about steps to writing a novel is a gift. It's as if someone said, what do you need right now? This is it. It is encouraging and practical. It has given ballast to my creative efforts, grounding me in the practical so I can let my creativity soar. Thank you, J.T.. This, and you, are gifts to writers.
Are you a writer, a reader? Both? Neither? Both! I am soon to be 67 years old and was reading before beginning school. I have always been a reader and words have been my friends. I began writing in elementary school and finally decided to get serious about writing about twenty years ago and have loved (almost) every minute of it.
What are some of your favorite books, or newsletters, or authors? This is hard because there are so many. My favorite book growing up was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and it still is. I admire the works of James Baldwin and Truman Capote. I still remember reading A Lesson Before Dying for the first time by Ernest J. Gaines and how it knocked my socks off. I love reading poetry and enjoy Jane Hirshfield, Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, and the recently deceased Bill Brown, among many others.
Are you getting your money’s worth—figuratively and literally—from the Edge? Yep. I love all of the new posts, full of information and encouragement. As mentioned above, I love the steps to writing a novel and usually make a cup of tea when reading those!
Where are you in your life? Where are you in general? I tell people that I am at a place where there is more sand in the bottom of my hourglass than the top and so paraphrasing Andy Dufresne in the film Shawshank Redemption (an adaptation from a Stephen King short story) I'd better get busy living. I've always been comfortable throughout my life at whatever age I was at each point and that has not changed. As I've aged, I become more motivated to create and live mindfully and it's kind of exciting to have that sort of motivation. I believe I'm at the best part of my life but, for the most part, I've always felt that way and feel incredibly lucky to be in a position to feel that way. I know there are a lot of people who for all sorts of reasons cannot and have not felt that way. I do not take that for granted.
If you could do one thing from your bucket list, what would it be? I really do want to complete a novel, however you define that. I want to tell a long form story that will survive me. I believe my life has been a long form story but will be over at some point and I would love to have a story survive me whether it's published or not. Publication is not the goal. Storytelling is.
Do you have a word/theme for 2024, or a resolution you’d like to share? I have always been cautious throughout life and it has led to a safe and orderly life and for that I am grateful. However, I want to be bolder this year. I want to create fearlessly. During a recent gathering I had a young man approach me and introduce himself. He is a self-described psychic empath and apologized for coming to me but said that he felt strongly that there are things I want to do but something was holding me back. He said that I had the support of family, friends, and colleagues (all true) and he felt that my fear was what was holding me back. With a smile he said to push through the fear, that I have what it takes to do what I wish to do...simply to not be afraid. So, I'm going to be more fearless in 2024. I'm going to move forward with more boldness and that will be my word: Boldness.
There are differing opinions about the origin of the following quotation but I love it anyway and am adopting it for 2024:
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.“
Thank you, J.T. for this wonderful substack and this wonderful community. I look forward to future posts. I look forward to getting busy. Have a lovely year, all! Always, Terry
Terry, my friend, it is so lovely to see you here. Your kind words humble me. You know me, and have for years, so you know I'm red in the face right now and looking for someone else to heap praise upon instead. We are all better creatives by our willingness to share how we do the work. I found that from your mentioned Stephen King in his incredible book On Writing, Anne Lamont in Bird by Bird, and Julia Cameron's in The Artist Way. I am trying to continue their tradition of openness and bolstering the creative in us all by talking about the work.
I love BOLDNESS. That is a perfect word, and I'm fascinated that someone actually approached you to give you permission to seek your path. I hope you'll continue sharing the journey with us this year. Blessings on you and your work!
You had me at SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Wishing you the best on the novel.
Thank you so much and it's great to reconnect here. I promise to share and to also encourage as much as I can. Blessings to you, my friend!
Hello and Happy New Year! I'm Jeanie Jo writer of Simple & Scrumptious. I live on Galveston Island, enjoy scrumptious foods and the simple life. I write about it.
This year my word is Savor, my goal is to savor each moment, appreciating life, family, community, and the beauty of our world. I want to soak in the richness around me, noticing the divine in everyday moments.
Hi Jeanie Jo! I LOVE this. SAVOR. What a wonderful — and thematically appropriate — word for you. It’s perfect. We watched a home improvement show set in Galveston. It seems like a neat place.
Save 1900 is a great show. Ashley & Michael are pretty amazing people and we are so thankful they chose to dwell here… our own Chip & Joanna. They have an incredible ice cream shop too! I love my little island.
Happy New Year! I am a former reviewer (I officially said "The End" this past October) sow now I am just a reader! I love your mysteries.
Hi Kathy! What a fun transition - to be able to read for fun only sounds like the best “job” in the world.
Yes it is! I'm loving it!
What an invitation! Thank you, J.T., and happy New Year to you and everyone else!
I found TCE early in my still very new venture into Substack this fall. My hunt for novelists writing in this space was really a way for me to see that there was room for me here, too. I'm grateful to have found there is more than enough room for all of us. You were the first person to really make me believe that and I'll forever be grateful.
Coming up on 40 this year, I'm a lifelong reader and writer, who somehow manages to squeeze in a bit of both in the fringes of a very full life with my husband of sixteen years and our three school-aged children I've unexpectedly homeschooled since 2020.
I have fever dreams about getting back to Europe and finally visiting the UK. Instead, I write and read stories set partially abroad, creating my own version of armchair travel. I love books that make me feel like a different and better human after I've read them, and I'm an unashamed fangirl of Fredrik Backman, in particular.
After thinking for a little while that my word for 2024 might be Free, turns out it's actually Soft. (I briefly contemplated using both, until I spoke them aloud together. It was giving too much "You Grandma's Shampoo or Laundry Detergent," ha!)
I’ve loved getting to know you and your writing this year, Kristine. I’m excited to see what 2024 holds for you!
Happy New Year, y'all.
I've loved reading all the responses on here and all the varied ways of living life. I always thought when I hit this age (just left the forties) that I would know exactly who I am, but I've discovered I'm like one of those kaleidoscope toys I loved as a kid. Each year, the colorful picture of me focuses a bit more, but is still a fuzzy mess of shapes. Laughter bursts easily from my lips, and I have to have a daily hit of nature. Family, food, travel, reading, and writing are important to me and not necessarily in that order. During covid we moved from Colorado, where I'd lived for over thirty years, to Texas for hubby's work. It's been a big change. Probably as big as the state itself.
I connected on this site because I lost most of my writer community when I moved. I'm so grateful that covid forced us all to become more reliant on the online venues for connection. (Plus, I love JT's openness about herself and writing.) I read about a hundred books a year. Give or take. And I love to read adult/YA select fantasy, adventure, mystery, thrillers, some horror (but not much), and almost anything that is well written. Usually, thrillers are my go-to as I love fast paced stories with a heart.
As a writer, I've pursued traditional publishing for over 12 1/2 years. In that time, I've written 11 manuscripts and have racked up 742 rejections. I'm revising my 12th story. Where we live in Texas, I spend a lot of my time driving. I have two kids still at home and one in college about 2 hours away. During December, I calculated that when we moved here, I lost fifteen hours a week of writing time to driving. It helped me realized I hadn't become lazy or inefficient, which was a relief. So, I've spent the last few weeks strategizing how to get some of it back. My word for the year is productive. Not to produce more but to value the time I have and be productive in those moments. I'm looking forward to reading more responses on here and hearing about JT's writing process. Wishing all of you a wonderful 2024.
Rachael, I always look forward to your comments and thoughts. Thanks for being here! Also, I’m a Colorado girl too, so it’s fitting we’ve found each other. Try @Shangrilogs, too. It’s fabulous and Kelton’s views on Colorado bring me home every week.
I will have to look that one up! I miss Colorado terribly and have experienced actual physical pangs in my chest when I’ve seen pictures of home. You being from Colorado is a large plus, plus, plus for me. My sister lives on the outskirts of Castle Rock in a tiny town called Larkspur. I feel that you and I have probably stood in some of the same spots but at different times. Thank you for accepting me into this wonderful community.
Um… I know you know this, but I grew up in Perry Park and went to Larkspur Elementary School and Castle Rock Junior High… Yes, I bet we have!
I wasn’t sure but after seeing some of your pictures I wondered if it was Perry Park. My sister’s in laws live up there and I’ve been there a few times. Absolutely beautiful!
Small world...
As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a novelist. Then I don't know exactly what happened, but I turned to screenwriting and developing stories (maybe after film school). A few years ago, I turned to writing novels––a bit late, but not too late 🤗. I still work as a development editor occasionally. My focus, however, is now righting novels. I write Upmarket Fiction (Book Club Fiction). Translation: I write in multiple genres. I work on several books at the same time (they're all in different stages). I write many drafts. And I'm terrible at marketing. Hey, I'm learning. Slowly. ~ I love reading thrillers, commercial fiction, women's fiction, and... I love reading. ~ 2024 is My Year of Writing (and Healing as it been a little tough in 2023). I have big writing plans. Let's see. Happy New Year to all of you. I hope this year is going to be great for you. 🩷🩷🩷
Hello my friend! I’m so glad Substack brought us together! Thank you for your wonderful insights and calm demeanor. It steadies me.
That's so sweet, thank you. Me too... so thankful for our new friendship. You inspire me. ~ 🥂🥂To a new year filled with great conversations and lots of exceptional writing. 🩷
Happy 2024, everyone!
I'm a reader and a writer. Even when I was a kid, I loved writing stories. When I was about 7 or 8, I wrote a "murder mystery" in which no one died (in fact, everyone recovered quite nicely in the hospital) and I named the "killer" almost right away.
Basically, I tried to write something like the shows my grandparents watched, but I was far too polite to kill anyone on the page.
Now, over 40 years later, I've gotten over this.
Since 2017, I've written and published crime fiction and thrillers set in my home city of Baltimore. I'm here because I want to support creativity and learning. I'd also like to learn more about the trad pub process from an insider, as I want to make a serious effort toward it this year.
This year, I turn 50. While I'm a reader and writer, I'm also a husband and dad with a full-time non-writing job. I'd like to simplify some things, even it means losing some of the control I value.
Hi Tom! Great to meet you! I love your origin story so much. I bet your grandparents loved your first attempts. I look forward to your 2024, because it sounds like you’re all set up for a successful year!
I'm a reader. I have been a big reader from middle school on. I average 2 books per week, plus I work full time, teach Body Pump twice a week, and work out every day. It sounds busy but we're empty nesters....so we do have more time than some.
I was born/raised in Omaha, NE. After college I moved to Chicago and then Washington DC. I returned to Omaha after 4 years. My job then transfered me to a small town in southeast Nebraska. I thought I was being sent to Siberia, but I ended up meeting my husband. We built our dream house on land that's been in my husband's family for over 100 years! This city girl has lived in the country for 22 years now and I love it! Neighbors are highly overrated...lol
In middle school I read mostly fantasy. In high school/college I read more romance. Social media has helped me discover new authors and now I read MANY genres....but heavy on romance, suspense, fantasy.
I have so many favorite authors, but here's what came to mind first:
JT
Sarah J Maas (who I discovered through JT)
Leigh Bardugo
Nora Roberts/JD Robb
Rebecca Yaros
Adrienne Young
Emily Henry
Allison Brennan
Katherine Center
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Sabaa Tahir
Goals/things I want to do in 2024:
Travel and discover new places.
I'll be 57 in a couple of weeks, so I want to stay healthy and fit! I had cancer twice in 2021. I was lucky and both cancers were caught at stage 1. I am convinced that being very healthy (other than the cancer ...lol) is what got me through 2 surgeries and radiation. I tell everyone I know to go in for your annual checkups...it could literally save your life!
Live in the moment and don't sweat the small stuff...life is too short!
Happy New Year to all!!
I like your goals, lady! Travel is the best thing in the world, I think. Seeing new lands, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures--it broadens the mind and spirit. Happy early birthday, and so many blessings for continued good health!
Happy new year to all. I'm a freelance editor and author of the recent memoir, Honeymoon at Sea, which tells about my first long sea voyage on a small boat as a newlywed. My husband and I are still happily living on a (slightly larger) sailboat, currently in PNW. I've really been enjoying the Creative Edge. Kudos!
Hi Jennifer! How much fun - living on a boat? Your book sounds fantastic, I’ll go look for it. Glad to have you here, and bid those beautiful coastlines hello from me!
Thank you for that. I really think you'd enjoy reading it! I'll post some pics on my Substack this summer!
What a terrific opening post for the year. I look forward to reading the other responses.
My short answer is that I am a reader first and a writer second.
My parents were readers, so books surround my earliest memories. I hate to guess how many times I read my well-worn copy of Where the Wild Things Are. After exhausting my Beverly Cleary stage, my parents gifted me my very own library card. The worlds of Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke opened up to me.
When I was 11 (yes, 11), Stephen King published 'Salem's Lot. Three years later in 1978, The Stand hit the stores. I read it from cover to cover that first night. His ability to take ordinary people and put them in extraordinary situations mesmerized me.
Forty years later, in 2018, I stumbled across Taylor Jackson. Having spent my summers at my grandfather's farm outside Nashville (near the intersection of Hillsboro Pike and Old Hickory Blvd—hardly the country today), I loved seeing a town I knew depicted so well. I read nine more of your books that year, another five the next, and now never miss a release.
So, yes, I come here first as a fan of books.
As for writing, I've done that forever too. Other than a few short stories in school journals, though, I never tried publishing. That seemed a pipe dream to a kid growing up in a Southern mill town. Ignore the fact that I also read S.E. Hinton, who published The Outsiders as a teenager living in Tulsa.
In fairness, my writing was awful. I wrote my first novel in high school. I still have it, but it’s so dreadful it will never see the light of day. I think I keep it to torture myself. The second isn’t much better.
Instead, I did the "right" thing and went off to a finance career. Traveled the world, worked way too many hours, and scribbled tales in hotel rooms at night.
Nothing would have changed if it wasn’t for the internet and my dogs.
First on Usenet and then dog blogs, I found kindred spirits who liked to exchange stories about the antics of their canines. With a herd of rescued Siberian Huskies, my anecdotes of their misadventures practically wrote themselves. With a collection of their stories, a hobby in photography, and a desire to learn html, I launched their website in 2007. It reached a ridiculous level of popularity. Over and over, fans suggested I write a book.
In 2019, after way too much agonizing and help from a team of editors, I finally published my first novel. My expectations were low. Maybe I'd sell a dozen copies to friends and family. If I was lucky, 100.
When it sold its 10,000th copy, I decided I better get to work on the next novel. Early this year, I'll publish my fifth. I'll also turn 60. Better late than never, huh?
And so, yes, I’m also here as an accidental writer.
Sorry for such a long response, but my editors aren’t working today.
DK, you are a wonder, and I’m so grateful that you’re here. I love your success story, too. Better late than never is absolutely the best mantra. Age is only a number--it’s how your mind and body feel creatively that matters. Keep it up!
I love this (and will write introduce myself in a separate comment). 🤗🤗❤️