Thursday, October 1, 2020

What do you think about a Patreon?


Hi! Welllllll, hahahaha I haven't been on here in so long I wasn't sure I'd remember my password. Yikes! What happened??? Well, here's the thing. I miss this space, or what it was once when I maintained it and was part of a community, and connected here with readers, and posted about writing and life. It was wonderful, but something slowly happened over the years, new stresses kicked it off my to-do list, social media took over, and here we are with this stagnant place. Well, I'd like to create something like it again, but I'm thinking that place might be a Patreon account.**

There are a number of things I'd like to do more of: 

  • posts about writing, particularly writing difficulty (including rebuttals to jerks who claim "writer's block doesn't exist," how dare they???
  • interact with a community of readers, lavish gratitude on you for being so awesome, give you secret information, and maybe come up with group projects like prompt writing exercises etc.
  • WRITE STORIES--including side stories set in the worlds of my books!
Rewind...15 years? (YIKES!!!) I'd written my first book, I'd sold it, I was waiting for my first editorial letter, I was supposed to be writing the sequel, but I was afraid to do that before revising the first book, and I was just...generally stifled, cramped, sort of huddled, slow, recovering from two + years spent in the laboring of finishing a manuscript, dammit. What my brain and soul really needed was creative play--and connection. Blogging was in its heyday then, and I found both of those things in this space. I wrote a lot of posts, made a lot of friends, and even started a prompt writing site with one of those friends: Sunday Scribblings, which I hosted with the wonderful Meg Genge, who lives in Costa Rica now and continues to inspire. Does anyone remember that site? 

We'd post a prompt every week, everyone could play, and we had a sign up widget where you could post your link so we could all read each other's. It was great. It uncramped and unstifled me so much. I wrote short weird fun stories. I had a blast. There was no goal, which is what made it freeing, but nevertheless some of those stories became books. Three of them are collected in Lips Touch: Three Times, my third book (which was nominated for the National Book Award!!!) Some others, sparkling in the wings of my mind, took the stage on a day of freewriting and turned themselves into what became Daughter of Smoke & Bone, which absolutely changed my life.

So it's not an exaggeration to say that those short writing exercises, that community space, and that freedom changed my life. But over the years I've drifted back into that cramped, stifled headspace. I'm writing a book that I love (and can't WAIT to tell you about!!), but my perfectionist issues are a constant challenge, and I'm haunted by all these stories I'd love to tell and somehow never find the time for. 

WELL. I thought: maybe I could recreate the inspiration of those old blog days, but in a more private space like Patreon**, with the extra impetus of goals and honoring promises to patrons. (And maybe pay a few bills in the process!)

Would you be interested in that?

If you *would* support such a Patreon** could you add your name to my email list to let me know? It's not a Patreon sign-up and there's no commitment. It's just an expression of interest, so I can decide whether to take the leap! If it seems viable, I'll do it, and email you to let you know. Thanks in advance! XOXO 




**In case you're unfamiliar with Patreon, it's a platform that allows content creators like writers, artists, podcasters, etc, to be supported directly by subscription from fans. There are different support levels, from $1 or $2 a month at the basic level up to a more, for rewards etc. Anyway, if you'd pay a bit to subscribe to MORE CONTENT FROM ME, and maybe SECRETS FROM BEHIND THE SCENES, sign up to 




1 comment:

Amy said...

I’ve never written to you, but your books stay with me like no others have. I check here every once in a while to see if you have a new book coming out, and today- this! I like the idea, but am WAY more excited about the new book you are creating! Yay! Thank you for such beautiful, amazing books.

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