The best way to make time to read

It can be hard to make time to read in our busy lives, but this is the best, most enjoyable way to make time to read that I’ve found yet!


I woke up one morning last week and did. not. want. to. write. Not one email; not one proposal; not one sentence. I wanted to roll over, reach for a book on my nightstand, and burrow into the covers for a day of reading with Pepper.

make time to read

But here’s the thing: spring is such a busy season in the publishing world, so I can’t make time to read during the day. And after a long day of work, I’m usually too drained by bedtime to reach for the stack of books on my nightstand. So sometimes, it feels impossible to make time to read.

The solution? Reading Night.

(Doesn’t that just sound fun?!)

Reading Night is a pact between you and whoever you live with—husbands, roommates, toddlers, unemployed dogs named Pepper—to throw your cares to the wind for a night and do nothing but read. It’s by far the best, most reckless, and enjoyable way to make time to read.

Anyone can declare a Reading Night whenever they need it, and everyone joins in on reading something. It’s kind of like a pause button on life–it slows and hushes the house for just a few hours in an otherwise insane-o week. It reminds us that very little is more important than slowing down to make time to read.

make time to read

Here’s how you make time to read with a Reading Night:

  1. Cancel or reschedule all your plans or appointments (it’s okay to be this person every once in awhile).
  2. Pop something stupid-easy in the slow cooker or oven (might I recommend this or this?) or order in pizza.
  3. Collect blankets, pillows, and other nesting apparatus. Leave cellphones, iPads, and laptops in another room.
  4. Help kids pick their own book or other quiet activity.
  5. Park yourself on the couch with a book and a glass of wine.
  6. Repeat for the rest of the night, until you feel better about the day and basically all of life.

But I get it–pressing pause to make time to read is not always easy.

I know how hard it is to extract ourselves from our everyday pressures for even one night. Some nights, I try to relax, but all I can think about is the 1,000 things I should be doing and how I just can’t make time to read that night.

But a Reading Night is something families, marriages, kids, you need. That’s because it’s not only about books. It’s about a few precious hours of quiet, without screens, without to-dos, where we can “read to know we are not alone,” as C.S. Lewis put it.

So to celebrate how good it feels to come home to a book and to a Reading Night, I created this free book art print to inspire you to make time to read. It has my favorite Kathleen Norris quote: “Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier.”

make time to read

 

Click here to download this free book quote art print!

 

 


5 quick reads for the week

  1. I am so thrilled to see my wonderful client, Nik, be nominated for a James Beard award in the Photography category for his book, Season! And by thrilled I mean jumping-for-joy, hugging-everyone-in-sight way too excited!
  2. This Native American artist is bringing representation to comic books and bashing stereotypes, one frame at a time.
  3. How to simplify your submissions to literary journals, because simpler is always better.
  4. I know I always cringe when I throw away mountains of plastic after putting together dinner, so I love that The Salt has some recommendations for reducing plastic waste in your kitchen.
  5. And here’s your publishing meets politics intrigue of the week.

What we’re eating this week

I cooked ONCE this week. Bitter laugh. But it wasn’t my fault, I swear! I was only home one day between a very fun weekend at The Greenbrier and a trip to NYC for work.

So this week let’s cheat—I mean, curate—our reporting.

A Highly Curated and Extremely Accurate Account of This Week’s Eating

Monday: Delicious cheddar brats made by a family friend, and sad boiled broccoli made by me.

Tuesday: Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi Linguine! See? I made a thing.

And that’s it. The End.

Cheers!

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Here’s how to crush your creative goals in 2019

Best word count tracker printable: a word count tracker printable to help you crush your creative goals in 2019!


I love this time of year. The decorations, the gifts, the parties, the cheeriness, the promise of a deep exhalation and some time off.

In just a few days, Jarrett and I are going to sit down together to do our Year End Review. It’s a tradition that started with my Monthly Review system, but it’s been completely eye-opening in helping us see the year past and the year ahead.

We review our finances, celebrate accomplishments, pinpoint problem spots, and set our goals for next year. I like order (correction: I crave order), so my goals fall into a hierarchy:

  1. Faith + Service Work
  2. Health
  3. Relationships
  4. Work

word count tracker printable

So with just a few days left in the working year of 2018, my mind is already turning to 2019. And I’ve realized my big Work goal is simple: I want one hour each morning to create.

To write, to design, to edit, whatever. For clients, for you guys here at c&b, for me, whoever. But I want just one hour in the day where emails, notifications, and small to-dos can’t infiltrate.

What’s your big creative goal for 2019?

If it’s also to get That Big Project done—you know, the one on your bucket list—but you just can’t wrap your mind around how you’ll find the time, I have hope for you.

I created my new Literary Paper Co. membership to work specifically for writers, artists, and creators who are ready to make big progress on their big projects—things like writing a book, or launching a blog, or brainstorming a business.

Even if you feel like you’re barely keeping up with your life now, this is the way to carve out a few precious minutes for your creative work.

Each monthly package is designed to help you establish a creative routine that takes just 7 minutes. But by giving your best energy to your creative work, you’ll start to see how even 7 minutes a day can add up to major progress toward your major goals.

I don’t want 2019 to be one more year where we let the things we care most about slip through our fingers because we can’t find the time. One more year where the demands of the world drown out the demands of our creative souls.

word count tracker printable

So if you want 2019 to be different—if you need it to be different—come join our happy family of creators who are getting it done with Literary Paper Co.

The last day to order is this Sunday, December 16th!

All January packages will be sent on Monday, December 17, so the cut-off for placing your order is this Sunday, December 16th.

I can’t wait to share these products with you and to hear all about the amazing things you’ll be making in 2019!

 

I’m ready to crush 2019—sign me up!

 

Tell me more about what I’ll get in the subscription!

 

 Questions? (I love questions.) Head to the comments section of this post, and hit me with ‘em!

 


What I’m reading this week

  1. I can’t wait to put this to use. (And yes, Polly, Rachel, and I are making a book on this!)
  2. Kristen always has wise words on the writing life, but I especially like this thought: “The simplest way to circumvent resistance is to make an action automatic, to turn it into a habit, a consistent practice.” That’s what a Literary Paper Co. subscription is all about!
  3. So much beauty here
  4. And even more beauty for your day.
  5. All the writing retreats for 2019, in one place.

What we’re eating this week

Here’s what I want: a drone that follows me around while I travel with a packed cooler of delicious, homemade, healthy-ish food. And while we’re at it, let’s build a wine fridge into it, too. I’m sure Amtrak wouldn’t mind this if I slip them some hush-money that is actually just a hoagie. I’d cover up most crimes for a hoagie, personally.

word count tracker printable

(We had a beautiful snowfall in Richmond on Sunday.)

Monday: I’m home, and I MacGyver together a very inauthentic, only loosely Vietnamese pho from some leftover homemade stock. Luckily, sriracha is the great equalizer.

Tuesday: You know, I still love my Instant Pot. Do you, or have you gotten tired of hearing about them? I’m just getting the hang of making pasta in it, and now I’m hooked on a Chicken Pesto Shells concoction that is sort-of-ish healthy-ish.

Wednesday: I’m in NYC, so just hangin’ with my drone full of hoagies and wine bottles.

Thursday: Jarrett is in NYC for meetings, too, and we’re going to wine and dine my Yaya at Ye Olde Smashburger.

Friday: It’s the Stonesong holiday lunch! I’m so excited. Trading in my drone for merriness and feasting with the very best work family around.

Cheers!

 

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This is the thing I’m most excited about this year

It’s morning. I have a few minutes of quiet before the alarm goes off and Jarrett wakes up and the house comes to life. But these few minutes of quiet with a blank sheet of paper and a steaming mug of coffee—they make my whole day.

No matter what else happens in my daythe chaos, the surprises, the worry, the dishes (oh, the dishes!)I always feel better if I start my day by doing something creative and making headway on a big project. From there, the rest of the day feels like downhill skiing.

printable writing tracker

Moments like that are precious, and I know we’re all craving more of them. More time to write. More space in our schedules for creativity. More quiet in our homes so we can think, for pete’s sake. And much more energy for the things we want to bring our best selves to.

But if I’ve learned one thing it’s that having a creative life of your own isn’t a luxury—it’s a need. It invigorates you. It brings you to life. It makes you feel like you again. 

That’s why I’m so proud to share with you something special I’ve been working on. Over the past 5 years of writing this blog, I’ve been listening to your stories of feeling squeezed in your creative lives, feeling uncertain about publishing, feeling doubtful you can do it at all.

At the same time, I’ve spent the past 5 years as a literary agent (and 5 more as an editor) watching the people who are doing it all—the bestselling authors, the career writers, the artists, the cooks, the bloggers who finally got to make that book they’ve always dreamed of.

And here’s a secret: they’re struggling with the exact same fears, doubts, and scheduling snafus as you are. We all are.

But after 10+ years of what I jokingly refer to as Author Adventure Academy, I’ve learned some of the tricks, tips, and most importantly, foundational habits, that have helped the most successful creators power through anything to get That Big Thing done.

Now, I want to teach those habits to you—not as a course, not as a book, not as any online program. (Those are all great, but they have their limits.) Instead, I want to give you the actual items and the actual plan that you can start using every single day to make big progress toward your creative goals.

I really want 2019 to be the year we all stop saying “I want to write that book” “I want to make that thing” “I want to take that risk” and start doing it. Because spoiler alert: the doing is insanely fun once you get past the whole scared-poopless part.

Sound like the kind of 2019 you want to have?

 

Click here to find out more!

 

 


What I’m reading this week

  1. Oh, the drama.
  2. 17 inspiring gifts for writers (I want #16 so desperately).
  3. Click for the adorable graphics; stay for all the amazing book recs (I spy Season, by my author, Nik Sharma)!
  4. Stuck? Here are 252 ways to get going again.
  5. Vacations are really just an excuse to create a travel reading list, aren’t they? Yes, yes they are, I tell myself.

What we’re eating this week

Guys, we are just hanging on. I’ve been working so hard on my Big Thing (see above) that meal planning, cooking, and even grocery shopping are kind of nonexistent around here now.

Current state of the fridge: 4 eggs, 8 florets of boiled broccoli, one prosciutto butt that I don’t know what to do with, almond milk, and…SCENE. (I feel like there’s a Chopped challenge in there, but not even I would watch it.)

printable writing tracker

And apparently, Pepper feels the same.

Monday: Rooted around in the freezer and found drumsticks, ground sausage, and Trader Joe’s frozen root vegetables. Cooked them, ate them, then it was over. I give this show a 1-star review.

Tuesday: Rooted around in pantry and found a bag of Rancho Gordo beans I’ve been saving for a week juuust like this one. Cooked them plain because I just cannot with the chopping this week. Yelp review would read: “Great ingredients and menu items, but the chef sucked.”

Wednesday: Jarrett’s in DC, so yes, I will eat Trader Joe’s frozen ravioli alone on the couch while working. Trader Joe’s gets a 5-star review for literally keeping me alive.

Thursday: OMG I don’t know. We might die.

Friday: Sweet Mary please let us go out to dinner; I PROMISE I’ll cook SO MUCH next week.

Cheers!

Something cozy + cute + free for you!

This cute plaid iPhone wallpaper and cute plaid desktop wallpaper are perfect for the cozy winter months! 


Are you lazy about seasonal decorating? I am.

If I’m lucky, I’ll get a few pumpkins, some mums, a plaid blanket or two, and call us Fall-ified.

This laziness does not run in the family. No, not at all.

cute plaid iphone wallpaper

But one thing that I do almost always do is change my laptop and phone backgrounds to something cozy. Because it costs zero dollars; it’s stupid easy; and it really makes a difference when you spend half your day on a screen.

So today I have something for you that costs zero dollars, is stupid easy, and will hopefully really make a difference in your day.

Cute plaid desktop wallpaper

I designed this cute plaid desktop wallpaper for you guys, and I highly recommend you take its advice and get yourself nested in with a book, a blanket, and a hot mug STAT. And yes, it has a matching plaid iPhone wallpaper!

Consider these my big THANK YOU to you in this season of giving thanks. I am so grateful for all of you who read, write, and talk about books along with me.

You can download this free desktop background and phone wallpaper, as well as dozens of other free literary printables, by signing into The Library.

 

Click here to download these free phone and desktop wallpapers!

 

 


5 quick reads for the week:

  1. I am so honored to have two of my books make Amazon’s Best Books of the Year list! And yes, Once Upon a Chef and Season do make great holiday gifts. 😉 
  2. Wise words from Kirsten of Well-Storied on how to make time to write.
  3. Don’t forget: ideas aren’t pizza, so there’s more than enough to go around.
  4. It’s time to get down to work on our Thanksgiving menus, and I’m always on the lookout for new Thanksgiving recipes.
  5. The National Book Awards happened this week, and The New York Times is keeping us posted, Oscars-style!

What we’re eating this week

(Well, actually, this was the menu for last week. Please tell me I’m not the only one who can’t get it together this time of year.)

It’s a slap-dash, slop-bucket kind of cooking week. We hosted our big Friendsgiving on Saturday (so fun!) and now we have ten trillion pounds of leftover ham to eat ourselves out from under (so fun!). What do you do with ten trillion pounds of ham? I have five answers for you:

Monday: Run away from the ham by grilling out a friends house. Ham: 0, Us: 1.

Tuesday: Ham is like bacon is like pancetta is like what I need to make carbonara? That was my questionable thesis for dinner, and hey, it sort of checked out. Ham: 1, Us: 1.

Wednesday: Hide from the ham and when it’s not looking, go out to dinner. Ham: 1, Us: 2.

Thursday: Jarrett’s traveling for work, so it’s me and Ham alone in the house. We know how that’ll go. Ham: 2, Us: 2.

Friday: We’re eating chicken for dinner! Just kidding. It’s ham again. Ham: 3, Us: 2.

Hoping you enjoy a big ol’ turkey on our behalf this week.

Cheers!

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