This is amazing!!! I love reading these BTS pieces so much. It's nice to hear how you develop these, and nice to know I'm not the only slow writer out there!
I've actually been trying to work on a short satire writing guide that has a list of some formats in it but I hadn't thought about it as a paid extra, but that's a good thought! I'm always trying to figure out what would work best.
Hi Julie! Thank you for sharing this! You know I am a huge fan of your hotlines and now I have them all in one place! I'd read a whole book of them. Clearly, I need a lot of help! :)
I particularly enjoy seeing the before and after for the opening paragraph. When we read a good piece, it's easy to imagine that it came out of the author's head fully formed ... even though we know that's not the case. Thank you for sharing this peek behind the curtain!
Thanks for this suggestive piece. Yes, writer envy is a real thing, perhaps akin to penis envy, as there are so many (too many) successful dickheads out there, some of this success owing to political (PC) considerations, I think, some to the poor taste of editors (humpf!), but none for sure to our own faults. Humor, at any rate, is a great way to get a distance from ourselves, the suffering, sentient, transient creative human being.
Fun, funny, and (in)formative. Fank you very much!
Of course 😊
I love reading about process, thank you Julie!
I love the hotline piece. So clever.
Thanks, Elizabeth 😊
I've been in a rut recently so this piece came at the perfect time. Thank you for sharing!
Of course, and hope you are able to get out of the rut soon.
This is amazing!!! I love reading these BTS pieces so much. It's nice to hear how you develop these, and nice to know I'm not the only slow writer out there!
Also you could most definitely use that format list as an extra for paid subscribers...
I've actually been trying to work on a short satire writing guide that has a list of some formats in it but I hadn't thought about it as a paid extra, but that's a good thought! I'm always trying to figure out what would work best.
Excellent piece. Thx for the advice. 🥰👏🙏
❤️
I imagine you could write or edit a whole book of writer’s/artist’s despair pieces, like an anti-Austin Kleon. Anti-inspirational but funny!
I always appreciate these pieces explaining your process, Julie!
My favorite line:
“If an author friend’s book is getting turned into a movie while yours is getting turned into a coaster at your second cousin’s yurt, press 7.”
Concrete, true, and “yurt” is a funny word to land on!
Thank you! Yurt is a good word. I also have a document of funny words I keep. I should check if yurt is in there :)
Hi Julie! Thank you for sharing this! You know I am a huge fan of your hotlines and now I have them all in one place! I'd read a whole book of them. Clearly, I need a lot of help! :)
Thanks, Liz. I need a lot of help too!
I love reading about your process. In my country writing humour is just for a minority.
Sorry to hear that although I think some of the US pubs will also take pieces from writers in other countries too.
I particularly enjoy seeing the before and after for the opening paragraph. When we read a good piece, it's easy to imagine that it came out of the author's head fully formed ... even though we know that's not the case. Thank you for sharing this peek behind the curtain!
Of course and yes definitely not fully formed for me, although that would be nice.
So good! I love how clearly you write about your process, and it's such a great idea! If only this helpline actually existed...
Thank you and I too could really use the real version of this :)
Thanks for this suggestive piece. Yes, writer envy is a real thing, perhaps akin to penis envy, as there are so many (too many) successful dickheads out there, some of this success owing to political (PC) considerations, I think, some to the poor taste of editors (humpf!), but none for sure to our own faults. Humor, at any rate, is a great way to get a distance from ourselves, the suffering, sentient, transient creative human being.
Yes, certainly never our own faults.
Some days it feels like my job is operating the writer envy hotline! Great idea, Julie. Thanks for sharing how it came to be published.
I definitely wish someone would create it for real sometimes!
Loved the final piece!
I’ve been thinking, if so much humor is a reaction to pain, would we have less humor in a world without pain?
And also: shouldn’t I be hilarious all day long right about now?
Thank you! I know. We should all be very hilarious right now.