Oohs and Aahs 1.10.25
Knowing your work matters
This week my heart has been with California. I grew up there and got engaged in the Alta Dena hills. The town we lived in for several years was evacuated. I still have many friends there. Some have lost their homes. Others are struggling with the smoke and wind. I’m so sad for everyone who has been affected and beyond frustrated that our country can’t get its priorities straight. Wildfires are natural, but a lack of resources and a fragile social safety net are not inevitable. If you would like to contribute to the relief effort, Cup of Jo has a round up of resources and is matching donations.
Last year, I worked on a critique for a writer I met here on Substack. (Yay for new connections!) She was off to a good start on a neurodiversity-affirming picture book inspired by her daughter’s experience with ADHD, but she wasn’t sure how to spend her time and energy revising. I helped her see the strengths in her manuscript. She already knew her theme. The language and topic was kid friendly. The main character was clear and relatable. It was really the plot that we needed to focus our attention on. I gave her a few different directions she could take the book in and shared several comp titles that might inspire her, depending on what story she wanted to tell. When she got my feedback, she said,
“I was so incredibly moved by your manuscript critique. Thank you so so much for your thoughtful review. It made me feel like a real writer and that my work matters.”
I like to think that being a writer makes me a better editor. It makes me more empathetic and helps me understand the complexities of the creative process in a way that isn’t possible if you haven’t tried to make something out of nothing. I also try to structure my critiques in a way that’s really actionable. When I offer manuscript critiques, I always include a Next Steps section at the end. It’s a quick summary of all that came before, and hopefully it saves my clients a little synthesizing and serves as an easy checklist that authors can return to over and over. After 10 pages of editorial feedback and brainstorming, my critique client’s next steps looked like:
Choose which version of the story you want to pursue and develop the plot
Try writing a version in first person or adding dialogue to see if it adds fun moments
Develop the back matter
Minimize or cut the art notes
Read the manuscript aloud and polish any rough patches
Write a query letter and start submitting
It’s a lot, but she messaged me to say now she’s feeling confident enough to turn her idea into a series of books! I know the work she does will bring comfort and delight to a lot of other neurodivergent families.
Sound helpful? I’m now booking critiques and coaching sessions for 2025.
Did you know subscribers get 15% off critiques and coaching sessions? Just use discount code NEBULANOTEBOOK when you book.
This Week I’m…
Following along with the simple drawing prompts that
DrawTogether with WendyMac is offering all month long✏️
Loving the new JVN hair repair gloss 👩🎤
Cheering on my clients who made Mother Magazine’s list of Most Beautiful Picture Books of 2024 🤩
Reading Mother/Founder and getting inspired (Maybe don’t read this book if one of your resolutions is to finish projects instead of start them!) 🔥
Holding office hours on 1/15—come ask me anything 🤓
Offering 50% off an hour of coaching when you bundle it with the Before You Begin workbook🙌
Nebula Notebook is a place to meet kindred spirits, get inspired, and learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process—even when life is bananas. 🍌🍌🍌
✏️ PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert. My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to enjoy the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard. 👏
