Christmas in New York, how to write a well-balanced scene, and a woo-woo invitation.
Welcome to my December author newsletter, babes!
Greetings from yr friendly neighborhood novelist.
Monthly writing tips, pop culture recs, and secret peeks into the publishing process. Let’s go!
It’s December in NYC, which means it’s time for this annual thought cycle: 1. We should see the holiday windows in the city! 2. Good god, there’s a lot of people on Fifth Avenue… 3. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE, THIS IS A LIVING NIGHTMARE 4. Home at last! Not doing that again next year. 5. We should see the holiday windows in the city!
Since we last caught up, I’ve dressed as a kitty-cat for Halloween (my wife and I share a “meh” attitude to Oct 31st—she hates scary things and I’m just lazy!); celebrated Thanksgiving at home; performed at Joe’s Pub (can’t resist the good light of a green room selfie); and—drumroll please—I FINISHED MY NOVEL. Release the balloons!!
MOST WONDERFUL, my queer Christmas rom-com, officially went into production with The Dial Press (PRH) last week, which means it’ll get a professional copy-edit, and be laid out to look like an actual book, ready for printing. It means the editorial process is over: the story is complete.
And this is meaningful for me for more than the obvious reason of “Phew, I did it.”
I spent a lot of time feeling bad about my last book, ISLAND TIME, because it didn’t sell as well as my previous book, IT HAD TO BE YOU. Sales and review figures are finite, and hard to argue. I deemed both myself and the book a failure. Which felt absolutely terrible. And, despite the numbers, it just felt wrong.
I absolutely loved writing ISLAND TIME, and I loved the story. After a bit of therapy and a bit more soul-searching, I came to understand that I needed to overhaul my belief system when it came to success. Rather than seeing success deriving from others (sales and reviews), I need to define success for myself. If I defined the book as successful, using my own metrics, then no one could take that success away from me: it could never be a failure, even if it didn’t sell a single copy. That is the practice I am actively in now, and I’d love you join me in it.
This Friday December 15th, at 12pmET, I’m going live on my Insta with my editor Katy Nishimoto for a Spiritual Send-off + Completion Ceremony for MOST WONDERFUL. It’ll be weird and woo-woo, and you can watch live, and be part of the experience. Come create a healthy creative mindset with me!
JOIN ME ON INSTA ON 12/15, 12PMET!
Scenes must be a balanced meal, featuring a blend of 1. Action/description: what the characters are doing, and the space they are in 2. Dialogue: what is said 3. Narrative/Interiority: their thoughts, which includes memory/flashback. Let’s look at why each one is important.
Action/description. This allows us to SEE the scene: to imagine it playing like a movie in our heads. The more we see the scene, the more immersed in the story we’ll feel. Too little action, and we’ll be unable to picture what’s going on. Our imaginations will fill in the gaps and, without enough information, we may be picturing something radically different to what you, the writer, intends us to see.
Even small gestures help ground the scene, and show us what’s happening. “I don’t mind.” Richard insisted, raking a hand too fast through his hair. “I really don’t.” Here, the action helps us see the character and understand the complexity of the moment (methinks he DOES mind!)
If a location is familiar to readers—a restaurant, for example—you just need a few brushstrokes to specify what kind of restaurant it is: linen tablecloths or sticky floor? If it’s unfamiliar—a space station—you’ll need to pause the narration of the immediate events, and describe it to us.
Dialogue. This lets us HEAR the scene. Here, ensure each character’s lexicon—the way they speak—is unique to them. In my genre of rom-com, witty banter is par for the course, but I want to avoid all characters having the same clever way of speaking, or we risk not having unique characters with unique points of view.
Avoid “as you know” dialogue, which is when characters tell each other things they already know, for the benefit of the reader. “We’ve been friends our entire lives,” Wilder said to me. “Our mothers met at the hospital and we’ve been in the same grade at school together every year.” If Wilder and I have been friends are entire lives, there’s no need to point it out to each other. This “as you know” writing crops up in early drafts, as you figure out the story. It should be revised out for naturalistic conversation, and the context worked in a different way.
Avoid too many long dialogue blocks, and use dialogue tags to keep track of who is speaking.
Narrative/Interiority. Essentially, everything that isn’t action or dialogue lets us deeply UNDERSTAND the scene. The novel is the artistic format that offers the most psychological insight into characters, as—unlike screen stories—we are privy to characters’ direct thoughts. Use narrative and interiority to let us in on how your characters are processing everything that’s going on around them. “I don’t mind.” Richard calculated this new deadline would take him the next month to finish. So much for Christmas. “I really don’t.” Here, using third-person, the narrator is able to drop directly into Richard’s head for his thought, So much for Christmas.
Especially in first person, avoid withholding thoughts and feelings from the reader, unless you’re deliberately creating a mystery. We want and expect to be privy to their brain working.
Once you have a drafted chapter, use three highlighters to identify your mix. If one color is looking a little anemic, address the imbalance in your revisions. Good luck!
⚡️Flash Book + Story Coaching Sale!⚡️One-off session usually $250, now $200. Three-package session, usually $600, now $450. Sessions never expire, so grab ‘em now, and we can book in for the New Year!
🎁Book coaching also makes a unique gift for the aspiring writer in your life: inspiration and actionable feedback to help them meet their writing goals. Offer ends 12/15. Limited to ten writers! 🎁
🎯“Having a book coach like Georgia is a MUST for anyone struggling to get to the next stage with their manuscript. She will help you succeed! She is worth the investment - and then some!” —Giovanna Bernardo
🎯One hour of Georgia’s coaching spring-boarded me into my revision and I feel that now I have a much more compelling story.” — Sarah Constanza
🎯“If you’re looking for a coach who truly cares about your characters and the story they have to tell—and who will inspire, motivate, and challenge you throughout the writing process—don’t pass up a chance to work with Georgia.”— Taylor Hugo
FIND OUT MORE!
My Writers’ Groups are a nurturing, inspiring online community that provides group mentorship, targeted guidance, and practical support for promising writers.
I mentor two types of Groups: Beginners and Advanced. Apply now to start writing in 2024. Limited spots.
Beginners: This community is for those working in any genre but with no (or very little) formal training. You want to write, but have no idea how or where to start. You need community, advice, education, and accountability. If you want to start the first draft of a novel, short story, essay, or memoir, this is for you. FIND OUT MORE.
Advanced: This community is designed for pre-published romance and women’s fiction/uplit writers whose professional aim is publication, and have self-directed or institutional experience writing. Maybe you’ve taken a writing class or been part of a writing group. Maybe you already have a writing practice, have read a few craft books, have completed a draft, and/or are part of a literary community. FIND OUT MORE.
I’m reading: The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
The queens of rom-com are back, with the sizzling and hilarious The True Love Experiment. Sparks fly when a romance writer and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the ultimate Hollywood love story—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script. I love that beloved writing duo CLo fight the good fight when it comes to defending and championing the romance genre. This is their sassiest, sexiest book yet.
I’m watching: American Symphony (Netflix)
My friend Suleika Jaouad, author of the best-selling memoir Between Two Kingdoms, stars in this bold, beautiful documentary with her husband, the musician Jon Batiste. It’s an intimate and moving look at the intersection of art, healing, and commitment. I highly recommend their unique love story.
I’m performing at: Generation Women at Joe’s Pub (1/10)
Join me on January 10th at Joe’s Pub for our first show of 2024: New Year, New You: Stories about Reinvention + Change. Our intergenerational community will be gathering together to share feel-good stories of fresh starts and inspiring new beginnings. Tickets make a great gift idea: Grab the best seats in the house now!
One final update: I’m no longer offering extra content for paid subscribers. Since becoming a mum last year, I simply don’t have the time to produce that content on top of everything else I do, and keep my sanity! Paid subscribers will still be able to access the archives, and receive my eternal and undying love.
That’s it for now! HMU with Qs about writing in the comments. I reply to every message and I’d love to hear from you.