Recent editions of the Scribbling Buddha newsletter:
November 14, 2025
Create your own legend... or not
Creative leftovers, elevator pitches, and community breakthroughs
Eight great things worth sharing this week:
- Thanks to everyone who joined Hooked From the Start yesterday! If you’re still thinking about what makes a first page truly irresistible, this blog post on the psychology of a page-turner is a great next read.
- I loved this reminder from author David Weitzner: you’re not supposed to face creative blocks alone. Breakthroughs happen faster when we’re in a community. Neuroscience agrees.
- If you’ve been feeling the heaviness of these times and could use a lift, my friend Lou Redmond just released his new Insight Timer course, Unshakable Peace: 22 Mantras of Hope.
- Nerd Word of the Week: Tmesis ~ the separation of parts of a compound word, often for emphasis. As in: The phrase "un-freaking-believable" is a classic example of tmesis.
- One of our Path to Publication writers recently shared this gem: a Mad Libs method for making elevator pitches feel doable, and (maybe) even fun. Thanks Tamara!
- A never-published Dr. Seuss manuscript was recently discovered and will debut in 2026. It’s a sweet reminder: your creative leftovers may hold value you can’t yet imagine.
- At 86, Margaret Atwood is still writing, still protesting, and still pushing boundaries. Her latest piece helped halt a Canadian book ban.
- "You are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create your own legend, or not." – Isabel Allende
Happy writing, my friends,
P.S. Turns out swearing might actually be good for your brain. Science says so. Watch this and feel free to curse more creatively.
November 7, 2025
You’ve got something important to say
Quiet novels, creative leaps, and misinterpreted phrases
Eight great things worth sharing this week:
- Emilie-Noelle Provost makes a lovely case for fiction as a way to witness history, not with headlines, but with heart. If writing feels hard lately, that just means you’ve got something important to say.
- "Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open." – Natalie Goldberg
- Typing “The End” can feel like grief. Author Barbara O’Neal’s article offers relief. Two keepers for me: thank your characters and plant the seeds for what comes next.
- Nerd Word of the Week: Mondegreen ~ A misheard or misinterpreted phrase, often in song lyrics. As in: Once you hear the mondegreen, you can’t un-hear it.
- Ever feel like your book might end up in the wrong section of the bookstore? Marie Lu’s leap from YA to adult fantasy shows that genre shifts can open creative floodgates if we’re willing to stretch.
- Bookstores aren’t dead, they’re just getting warmed up. Barnes & Noble is blooming again with local curation. More aisles, more signings, more serendipity; good news for future you.
- If you’ve ever worried your novel is “too quiet,” this article is a must-read. It explores what makes a concept “high,” why that matters (and why it doesn’t).
- Next week, on November 13, I’m hosting Hooked From the Start live on Zoom. We’ll cover the must-haves of your first page and dive into a live critiques. Want your page read live? Join us here.
Happy writing, my friends,
P.S. This year’s Word of the Year is… 67? Dictionary.com crowned "67" a vibe, not a number. The why, explained here (kinda).
October 31, 2025
If there is no love between the author and the story…
Boundary-breaking characters, book bans, and the wild ride of drafting
Happy Halloween, everyone! I'm going to the party tonight dressed as Morticia Addams. Check my Instagram tonight for a pic. And tag me to share yours! I love, love, love Halloween!
Eight great things worth sharing this week:
- "If there is no love between the author and the story, there is no love between the reader and the story." – Elif Shafak
- Before Wonder Woman, there was Olivia Rutigliano’s heroine Dora Myrl, a pistol-packing “lady detective” from 1899 who disguised herself as a man to fight crime. They both prove that boundary-breaking characters have always been part of literature’s DNA.
- From “this is trash” to “bestseller!” Hank Phillippi Ryan chronicles the wild ride of drafting with hilarious honesty. Favorite moment? When she alphabetizes her bookshelf mid-meltdown. It's funny because it’s true.
- Ever feel too scattered to write? You’re not alone. This piece on mindfulness and the writing life explores how even a few minutes of meditation can shift your whole writing session.
- “Writing, it turns out, is a difficult joy.” Sue Monk Kidd lays bare the pressure of following a blockbuster debut and how letting go of that pressure helped her rediscover joy.
- Book bans aren’t just headlines, they determine what gets read. The Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to hear its first case on the topic since 1982.
- Nerd Work of the Week: Agathokakological ~ made of both good and bad. As in: His agathokakological nature kept people guessing.
- On November 13 at 5pm PT, I’m bringing back Hooked From the Start - a writer favorite for good reason. We’ll dig into what makes a first page work, and if you're up for it, your first page could be featured for live feedback during the workshop or on my YouTube channel.
Happy writing, my friends,
P.S. Shelves full of happy endings? Yes, please. A romance-only bookstorejust opened in Cincinnati, and it’s pure joy. Building a community around what we love is never frivolous. It might even be revolutionary.
October 24, 2025
What stays with you when you stay with it
Halcyon days, comparison mode, and new poetry
Eight great things worth sharing this week:
- "But on paper, things can live forever. On paper, a butterfly never dies." – Jacqueline Woodson
- Ever feel like starting something new would be easier than fixing your current draft? Amy Gallo Ryan stuck with one novel for ten years and learned the power of staying faithful to a story and what stays with you when you stay with it.
- Have you ever felt that writing workshops leave you unexpectedly deflated? This blog post breaks down why that happens and how professional feedback can make all the difference.
- Was the first Canadian novel even... Canadian? Emily Zarevich dives into a centuries-old literary identity crisis. Don’t sweat where your story fits. Just write it. The labels can come later.
- When someone trashed her novel, Lyn Liao Butler turned her cringe-worthy book club moment into a bestselling thriller. Even rage can find its healing shape on the page.
- Nerd Word of the Week: Halcyon ~ a time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. As in: They reminisced about the halcyon days of their childhood.
- Mark Waddell’s interview is a good one for anyone feeling stuck in comparison mode. His advice? Define success for yourself.
- New Poetry Spotlight: Between, by Amelia Díaz Ettinger, is luminous and full of heart. “These poems are filled with both ferocity and gratefulness, each one an invitation to get close and see what is here, sometimes beautiful, sometimes unwanted.” - Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Happy writing, my friends,
P.S. A bookshop in upstate New York almost disappeared, but the community rallied with events and crowdfunding to keep the doors open. Communitymade the difference. Find yours.
October 17, 2025
Why bother writing a good book
Sangha tokens, clay on the wheel, and the 11:45 a.m. spiral
Eight great things worth sharing this week:
- Novelist Dale Ivan Smith gathers three favorite rules for drafting: write as if no one will ever read your messy pages, focus on getting “clay on the wheel,” and trust that revision is where the magic happens.
- Why bother writing a good book when mediocre ones seem to sell just fine? Author Greer Macallister has an answer (three, actually).
- Nerd work of the Week: Lachrymose ~ tearful or given to weeping. As in: The ending of the book I was lachrymose.
- On October 22, 6 to 9 p.m. PT, I’m teaching Write the Hard Parts live on Zoom with San Diego Writers, Ink, using mindfulness to move you through tough emotions on th epage. Save your spot here.
- Your stance shapes your strength. Susan Watts shares simple breath-plus-posture tweaks for writers that keep your mind sharp and your body happy.
- Want professional notes on your pages on a regular basis? In our Mindful Writing Community, you can earn Sangha Tokens by simply showing up, then redeem them for pro feedback when it matters. Learn how it works.
- Curious about AI but protective of your voice? On my blog recently I shared how to use AI as a tool, not a co-author, so it supports your process while you stay the writer.
- "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." – Sylvia Plath
Happy writing, my friends,
P.S. Check out “One Writer’s Routine” on McSweeney’s (I'm not sure if it makes me proud or embarrassed to be a writer)