#AmWriting

We cover last years’ goals, and which of us feel great and which feel… less great. (And the audio is also less great, because 3 of us gathered in our local library and the acoustics/HVAC system noise were less than ideal.) We end up talking about the ways we feel we need to be as women (supported by some great men) in the coming year and years, the somewhat surprising bro-commentary some of us get around our work, and how we feel like sticking together is going to be the key to maintaining our sense of self in 2025. It got pretty deep. Writer goals, sure, we have those. But we have more. We also reviewed our Words of the Year, then announce this year’s. I guess I should make that a big reveal? But I just don’t have it in me, so here we go:KJ: Inner Compass (which tells me that 2 words is FINE)Jennie: Teflon (you’ll love the discussion around this one)Sarah: Presence (she’s reserving the right to refine this)Jess: Growth (and a surprising announcement about her return to student life! There, there’s your cliff-hanger-go listen.)Links to things we discuss:Pacemaker appFive Year Lie audiobookBlueprint for a Book Winter ChallengeSubmit for First Pages Booklab! What’s your word for 2025 going to be? We love discussing and brainstorming words, so lay it on us in the comments. If you have big goals for 2025 that include writing, finishing or revising a book, you’ll want to join us for the Winter 2025 Blueprint Challenge. Starting January 5, we’ll be walking you through the 14 steps of the Blueprint over 10 weeks. Some of the steps are very short and we combined them into one episode.Every episode speaks to fiction writers, memoir writers, and nonfiction writers. There are workbooks, and you will get a link to the digital download of the Blueprint book of your choice. We’ll also be hosting weekly AMAs (ask me anything), write-alongs, and Zoom meet-ups with coaches—and KJ will be writing her own Blueprint, and Jennie will be coaching her through it in weekly episodes. For more about the challenge, check out these past posts:* What the Blueprint is and why Jennie made it* Introducing the winter book coach hosts* Overcoming Pantsing Pitfalls: How the Blueprint Method Can Save Your StoryIf you finish your Blueprint during the Challenge, you will be eligible to win a review from either Jennie or KJ. (If you missed the #AmWriting Success Story about the writer who won the Blueprint Sprint grand prize in 2022, give it a listen. It’s very inspiring! It’s right HERE.)It’s going to be such a good time and we’d love to have you join us! Plus, we have a sale on annual memberships until December 31, 2024 only—save 25% if you decide you’re in now. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I'm so excited to talk to my friend, Rosa Kwon Easton, about her debut novel, White Mulberry.Rosa holds a very special place in my heart and my history because she was at the first ever workshop where I taught my Blueprint framework, which is a method of inquiry for getting a book out of your head and onto the page before you start to write. At that time, Rosa thought that she was writing a true story about three generations in her family. She was calling it a memoir. And now ten years later, that story is being published as a novel. In this discussion, we talk about that long development process and the profound switch from writing a true story to writing fiction and how Rosa navigated the whole thing.Find Rosa at: rosakwoneaston.com, @rosakwoneaston on Instagram, or at one of her upcoming events.Find out more about Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Book method here.Announcing the #AmWriting Blueprint Winter Challenge—bigger and better and more interactive than any we’ve done before.The Blueprint method will be effective for you if:* You have a new idea for a novel, a memoir, or a nonfiction book you want to pin to the page.* You are stuck somewhere in the middle of a novel, a memoir, or a nonfiction book and can’t figure out how to get unstuck.* You are planning to revise a novel, a memoir, or a nonfiction book and feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task.In the challenge you’ll get 10 podcast episodes on the Blueprint steps, five Author Accelerator certified book coaches who will be answering your questions in live sessions and in our chat for 10 weeks (+ your hosts will be joining in on that, too), write-along sessions, a workbook to guide you, free digital downloads of Jennie’s Blueprint book, and the chance to win a full Blueprint review from Jennie or KJ at the end.#AmWriting paid subscribers have the chance to sign up for all this NOW—and to help you out, we’re offering a December sale on membership. The offer will end 12/31/24—so give 2025 you a gift and sign up now! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Do The Blueprint With Us This Winter!Starting January 5, we’ll be walking you through the 14 steps of the Blueprint over 10 weeks. Some of the steps are very short and we combined them into one episode.Every episode speaks to fiction writers, memoir writers, and nonfiction writers. There are workbooks, and you will get a link to the digital download of the Blueprint book of your choice.We’ll also be hosting weekly AMAs (ask me anything), write-alongs, and Zoom meet-ups with coaches—and KJ will be writing her own Blueprint, and I’ll be coaching her through it in weekly episodes.If you finish your Blueprint during the Challenge, you will be eligible to win a review from either me or KJ. (If you missed the #AmWriting Success Story about the writer who won the Blueprint Sprint grand prize in 2022, give it a listen. It’s very inspiring! It’s right HERE.)It’s going to be such a good time and we’d love to have you join us! Plus, we have a sale on annual memberships until December 31, 2024 only—save 25% if you decide you’re in now.Our Author Accelerator Certified Coach hosts for the Winter Blueprint challenge are:Sabrina Estudillo ButlerAs the founder of Unpolished Words, I’m a book coach and editor for ambitious BIPOC writers. I help them figure out where to start and what to do next so they can plan and write the book they can’t stop thinking about. My mission is to add more color to the bookshelves by helping Black + Brown writers get clear on their ideas and confident in their writing skills so they can share their experiences, expertise, and stories with the world.My vision: Books by us are as widely known, accessible, and revered as the “classics.”I am a nerdy, intuitive, creative soul with a notebook obsession that is kind of getting out of hand. (Okay, it was out of hand when I had two full boxes of journals during our last move.) I’m also a professional nap-taker, a recovering hot cheetos puffs addict, and I’ve watched Parks and Rec so many times I can listen to it like a podcast and know exactly what’s going on. And after a 7-year career as a licensed architect (it was a vibe, just not the one for me), I returned to my first love: books. I got certified in Nonfiction and Fiction Book Coaching through Author Accelerator, and I’ve been living the dream ever since.I intentionally work with mostly BIPOC because I know there are so many of us who have s**t to say, and there aren’t a whole lot of people helping us get it said. So, I made my writers’ (and my own) expression my job. Three years later, it’s still the best job in the world. More at www.unpolishedwords.com.Sara Gentry is a math Ph.D. turned Author Accelerator certified book coach. As a lifelong problem solver, she knows the power of finding the right solution. Now she uses her analytical brain to provide writers with strategic next steps and straightforward feedback so they can finish writing books they love. Sara works with fiction, nonfiction, and memoir writers in one-to-one coaching and novel writers in her yearlong group coaching program, Novel Resolution. She gives back to the writing community by hosting the free annual events KidLit Summer Camp and Novel Kickoff. You can connect with her through her website solutionsforwriters.com or on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter(X) with the handle writewithsara.Stuart WakefieldWith 26 years of experience in theatre, broadcast media, and coaching, I've cultivated a deep understanding of storytelling and its powerful narrative structures. My journey began with a childhood fascination for comic books, TV, and movies, which blossomed into a lifelong dedication to the art of storytelling.My academic and professional pursuits, including an MA in Professional Writing, underscore my commitment to mastering the craft. My own writing achievements, such as my debut novel "Body of Water" being long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize and "Behind the Seams" reaching the semifinals of the 2021 BookLife Fiction Prize Contest, reflect my understanding of what it takes to create compelling narratives. The upcoming airing of my first TV show on the UK's Channel 4 marks another milestone in my diverse storytelling career.This eclectic background sparked my interest in coaching. Known for feedback that resonates and enlightens, I've been the go-to person for manuscript reviews throughout my education and career. As an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, I bring a unique blend of personal experience, professional expertise, and genuine passion for storytelling. My goal is to guide aspiring writers in crafting narratives that are not only vibrant and compelling but also deeply meaningful. Of my client's published books, Daughter of the Seven Hills, by Margaret McNellis, is out now.More at www.thebookcoach.coStuart’s podcast with Jennie can be found at Master Fiction WritingAmy L. Bernstein runs Wordfirst Book Coaching Services, which supports aspiring and experienced nonfiction authors as they develop long-form projects from the raw-idea stage to polished, market-ready book proposals, and points in between. Amy’s client base includes an eclectic group of authors, including a microbiologist, a middle-school educator, and a TV journalist. She also works selectively on memoir projects that blend the personal and professional.Amy’s affinity (and affection) for nonfiction stems from a combined three decades of experience as a print and public radio journalist as well as senior communications roles with detail-oriented nonprofit organizations and state and federal government agencies, where Amy handled everything from drafting Congressional testimony to writing speeches for top government officials.Amy is also the author of several novels and plays, as well as a forthcoming nonfiction book, Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, which is designed to inspire and encourage writers and all creative people struggling with self-doubt.Amy’s new book for writers is Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding InspirationMore at wordfirstbookcoach.com or On Substack: Candace Coakley is a book coach, developmental editor, and mindfulness mentor passionate about helping others embrace the creative process and share their wisdom through writing. With twenty-five years of writing and teaching experience, she founded Candace Coakley Editorial Solutions to help writers clarify their ideas and bring their stories to life. As an Author Accelerator-certified book coach in fiction, nonfiction, and memoir, Candace uses Blueprint for a Book to help writers get to the heart of their stories. She loves helping writers craft authentic, empowered manuscripts and achieve their writing and publishing goals. Her range of services includes all steps of the process, from idea generation to publication and beyond. Her clients have published through various traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing routes.Her lifelong meditation practice is the secret to her sanity and a skill she loves to share with others. She is a graduate of the Mindfulness Mentor Training and has studied with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. She is certified in Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). She is not afraid of helping writers explore dark places and is certified in trauma-sensitive mindfulness. She is also a Reiki practitioner and uses the power of energy healing in all areas of her life. In her spare time, she creates art in her basement art studio. Candace taught nonprofit communications and event management at Boston University and Emerson College and holds an undergraduate degree in Communications from Boston College and an M.A. in Business Organization from Emerson College. She specializes in coaching memoir, and leads workshops and retreats on integrating mindfulness into writing. A graduate of Grub Street’s Memoir Incubator, she has written a memoir about prosecuting and convicting a serial rapist through DNA evidence, and her work-in-progress concerns the power of hope in healing from trauma. She lives north of Boston with her family and rescue dog, Hope. For more info, please visit www.candacecoakley.com or subscribe to her substack newsletter for creative inspiration.All coaches can be reached by email: Sara Gentry – sara@solutionsforwriters.comCandace Coakley – cc@candacecoakley.comSabrina Butler – heythere@unpolishedwords.comStuart Wakefield – stuart@thebookcoach.coAmy Bernstein – info@wordfirstbookcoach.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Regular listeners will recognize the Blueprint for a Book—a method of inquiry Jennie Nash developed to lay a strong foundation for books in any genre that’s not about the craft of writing or building an author platform or any of the steps that come later in the writing life. It’s about understanding what you are doing and why you are doing it so that you can have clarity and confidence. Writer Allison Hammer is a Blueprint stan—she’s used it for years, again and again, often more than once on any given book (KJ seconds that one). We talk about why she adores the method, how she tweaks it (and why Jennie made it so strict in the first place. You can, like Allison, work through the Blueprint steps on your own—but with the Blueprint for a Book Winter Challenge coming up, you don’t have to! We’re going to be sharing more details about the Blueprint Winter Challenge in the coming days, but here’s a little on what it looks like: we have 10 podcast episodes on the Blueprint steps, five Author Accelerator certified book coaches who will be answering your questions in live sessions and in our chat for 10 weeks (+ your hosts will be joining in on that, too), write-along sessions, a workbook to guide you, free digital downloads of my Blueprint book, and the chance to win a full Blueprint review from Jennie or KJ at the end. #AmWriting paid subscribers will have the chance to sign up for all this later this month—and to help you out, we’re offering a December sale on membership. The offer will end 12/31/24—so give 2025 you a gift and sign up now!Links from the episode:Episode 409: From Women’s Fiction to Romance in 30 Days with Ali BradyFind Alison at: www.alisonhammer.com, @thishammer on Instagram, or check out her cowritten works as Ali Brady on IG @alibradybooksFind out more about Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Book method here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Jess here, hosting my entire extended family for the holiday weekend and sending love to you and yours. Enjoy this #WriterGift flashback!It’s the gifts episode! Here are the links you’re looking for:KJ:Redbubble ❄️ Stamp blocks ❄️ Stamp blanks and stencils ❄️ Frixion Pens ❄️ Leuchterm plannerJess:Sarina’s Socks ❄️ Half Broke by Ginger Gaffney (for KJ, but Jess loved it, too!) ❄️ Fillion planner cover by Little Mountain Bindery ❄️ Jess’s favorite sticky tabs ❄️ Pens by Schneider ❄️ Sarina’s stamp with the kinda-sorta True North Series three pine tree logo ❄️ The “Begin” mug Jess wants a case of.Sarina:Hedgehog Pencil Holder ❄️ Post-its that fit over planner months ❄️ Corkicle (it doesn’t come with the sticker, sorry…)#AmReadingJess: Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar ShafirKJ: The Other Bennet Sister by Janice HadlowSarina: The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio AxelrodZowie! Thanks for listening. If you want to check out our last gift episodes (and guides), click the years: 2019 2018 2017.If you’ve got other ideas we should know about, share them in the #AmWriting Facebook group.And if you’d like to subscribe to the shownotes email or support the podcast, click the button.To give a subscription as a gift, click THIS button!Big news, #AmWriters: our guided Blueprint for a Book Challenge was such a hit this past summer that we're going to run it again in January! Plus, we're adding even more interactive elements so you can connect with other writers.It’s a great way to start or refine a book idea, get some professional guidance from our Author Accelerator coaches, and stay motivated to do the hard work of thinking before you write.Whether you're writing fiction, nonfiction or memoir - this challenge could be just the thing you need. We will be launching in early January, so stay tuned to these podcasts for all the details, check the show notes, and make sure that you are a supporter of the #AmWriting Podcast, so that when it comes to January, you'll be ready to go. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

It is of course the inimitable, the unconquerable, the inexhaustible Jo Piazza, all of whose adjectives require me to use spell check. I am a long time fan of Jo, and she’s been on the pod before—see also Episode 393, I Want to Sell Books, But I’m Also Writing What I Want to Write. She is the author of, most recently, The Sicilian Inheritance and coming soon, Everyone Is Lying to You, which started out as a serial in her weekly email/Substack, Over the Influence. She’s also the host of a great podcast, Under the Influence.As far as I know she’s the first person to pull off this feat. She probably isn’t, but we’re going to roll with it as a working theory. This is a great convo, and you will undoubtedly leave inspired, as I was, to write your own serial. (I probably won’t but I WAS inspired.)Join Jo’s Substack and vote on the cover HERE.#AmReadingJo:The Displacements, Bruce Holsinger (author of The Gifted School)Nightwatching, Tracy SierraHere One Moment, Liane MoriartyKJ:I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, Glynnis MacNicolThe Wedding People, Alison EspachJo’s email/Substack Over the InfluenceBig news, #AmWriters: our guided Blueprint for a Book Challenge was such a hit this past summer that we're going to run it again in January! Plus, we're adding even more interactive elements so you can connect with other writers.It’s a great way to start or refine a book idea, get some professional guidance from our Author Accelerator coaches, and stay motivated to do the hard work of thinking before you write.Whether you're writing fiction, nonfiction or memoir - this challenge could be just the thing you need. We will be launching in early January, so stay tuned to these podcasts for all the details, check the show notes, and make sure that you are a supporter of the #AmWriting Podcast, so that when it comes to January, you'll be ready to go.#AmWriting is made possible by our “stickers” - readers who financially support the Podcast. As a thank you, Stickers get access to bonus content - like our Blueprint for a Book Challenge. To receive these posts and support the Podcast, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

The Anxiety is RealYou can’t swing a Blackwing pencil without hearing another creator worrying about generative A.I. And we get it—the ubiquity of generative A.I. tools has soared over the last two years. In this episode we aim to take a deep breath and discuss the topic from a candid but calm position: why authors are worried, why we should be worried and what to do about it (besides anxious posts on social media.)Things to freak out about: a Two Part ListIn service to our measured discussion, we lay a bit of background. Sarina tells us why The Authors Guild is suing OpenAI, and why you should join the Authors Guild. Then we mine two different veins of anxiety: * Column I: Billion dollar AI tools stole our intellectual property to train their models, and…* Column II: AI might take my job.We delve into both these concerns, discussing ongoing litigation, the potential for licensing content to AI companies, and more. We also discuss how AI tools are affecting other parts of the publishing industry (such as audio book narration) and the pervasiveness of generative AI in our everyday lives. #AmReadingKJ: The Paradise Problem, Christina LaurenJess: The Widow on Dwyer Court, Lisa KuselSarina: Nora Goes Off Script, Annabel MonaghanThe Love Hypothesis, Ali Hazelwood Hey readers—KJ here. This episode of #AmWriting is brought to you by my latest, Playing the Witch Card. I wrote this at a moment when I needed more magic in my life—but it turned out to be a book about how until we know who we are and what makes us happy, even magic doesn’t help. My main character, Flair, is a total control freak who fears the chaos created by her family deck of Tarot cards and the cookies it inspires her to make until she decides that she can harness their power to control the world and people around her—but that’s not what the cards are for at all. I was inspired by what I see as the real magic of Tarot cards—and tea leaves and palm reading and every form of oracle: they help us to see and understand our own stories. As someone for whom stories are pretty much everything, I love that. You can buy Playing the Witch Card on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org and my local indie—and I hope you’ll love it too. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Today we’re talking about the need for a writer to be resilient over the long haul of a career and my guest is A.S. KingA.S. King has been called “One of the best Y.A. writers working today” by The New York Times Book Review and is one of YA fiction's most decorated. She is the only two-time winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award (2020 for Dig and 2024 for The Collectors) and has won the LA Times Book Prize for Ask the Passengers. In 2022, King received the ALA's Margaret A. Edwards Award for her lifetime achievement to YA literature and 2023, she accepted the ALAN Award for "artistry, courage and outstanding contributions to YA literature."Amy – which is her real name – has taught for years in MFA programs and is working on her PhD in creative literatureI wanted to talk to Amy because I heard from a mutual friend – Caroline Leavitt – that Amy’s publisher had made a change to her promotional team just weeks before the launch of her newest book, Pick the Lock, which one reviewer described as "a punk opera, a primal scream, and a portrait of a family buried in lies."Many of our listeners are trying to get their foot in the door with their first book, or to get a career off the ground with their second or third and here is someone who has written 15 books, who is at the top of her game, and who still has things like this happen – which is to say things that go wrong, things that don’t go her way.I thought a conversation about what it feels like at this stage in a career would be illuminating – and was I sure right. Let’s get to it.Find A.S. King at AS-King.comHeads up!Join me—KJ—for Novelmber, which is very hard to pronounce but is my word for reclaiming my writing space in November. Think NaNoWriMo, our version—daily challenges and stretch goals, formatted by you, for you.There will be write-alongs, posts, a massive Google spreadsheet for sharing goals and updating progress, thoughts on how hard this is, and more than you want to know about why I need this regroup so badly. All writers, every genre, welcome.This is sign-up only—I don’t plan to spam the whole #AmWriting community with my wails of writerly distress daily for an entire month—but it’s also for everyone who wants in. I hope you’ll join me—I don’t want to go this alone.Don’t worry, signing up is simple! Here’s how:Click here to go to your #AmWriting account, and when you see this screen, toggle “Novelmber” from “off” (grey) to “on” (green).THAT’S IT!Once you set that up, you’ll get all future Novelmber emails. Any audio or video will show up in those, along with write-along schedules.You’ll also want to add yourself to the Google Sheet where we’ll all record our overall goal, day’s goals, daily progress and what we’re feeling. I’ve started it off.Join me, help me, let’s make Novelmber WORK! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

I couldn’t resist the subtitle, kids, sorry. It’s not that shocking—but Tim’s journey was definitely only for the bold.I’ve known Tim Grahl—or known of him—for more than a decade. I watched him help writers like Dan Pink launch their non-fiction books onto the best seller list, and devoured and followed his excellent advice about launching my own books (which you can find here at booklaunch.com). Then I watched—or rather, listened—as he pivoted into the world of fiction, enlisting editor Shaun Coyne to join him on a podcast and help him use Coyne’s Storygrid method to work on what eventually, after many revisions and a whole lot of failing in public, became Tim’s first novel, The Threshing. At the same time, he and Shaun were building Storygrid into what’s not just a business, but a huge community of writers and editors. He’s just published his second novel, The Shithead, a very different book from the first… I call it The Firm meets The Alchemist; Tim prefers Fleishman Is In Trouble meets Faust. Both work. We talk Tim’s sideways journey into fiction, and then we talk craft—in particular, how to learn what you don’t know, the myth of the lone writer in a cabin and the importance of feedback and then we dig into a passionate discussion of theme.You can check out The Shithead here. Links from the podBooklaunch.comStorygridShaun Coyne’s book, StorygridThe Prince of Tides, Pat ConroyThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafonThe Accidental Tourist, Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler(KJ also mentions Redhead by the Side of the Road)The Husband’s Secret, What Alice Forgot by Liane MoriartyHeads up! This is probably the only time you’ll see this. Join me—KJ—for Novelmber, which is very hard to pronounce but is my word for reclaiming my writing space in November. Think NaNoWriMo, our version—daily challenges and stretch goals, formatted by you, for you.There will be write-alongs, posts, a massive Google spreadsheet for sharing goals and updating progress, thoughts on how hard this is, and more than you want to know about why I need this regroup so badly. All writers, every genre, welcome. This is sign-up only—I don’t plan to spam the whole #AmWriting community with my wails of writerly distress daily for an entire month—but it’s also for everyone who wants in. I hope you’ll join me—I don’t want to go this alone. Don’t worry, signing up is simple! Here’s how:Click here to go to your #AmWriting account, and when you see this screen, toggle “Novelmber” from “off” (grey) to “on” (green).THAT’S IT!Once you set that up, you’ll get all future Novelmber emails. Any audio or video will show up in those, along with write-along schedules. You’ll also want to add yourself to the Google Sheet where we’ll all record our overall goal, day’s goals, daily progress and what we’re feeling. I’ve started it off. Join me for the first write-alongs HERE. (That’s a link to my Zoom Room.) I’ll be sitting there: Friday, November 1 10:30-12:30 (ALL TIMES EST)Tuesday, November 5, 2:00-4:00Friday, November 8, 9:00-11:00 More times coming. Join me, help me, let’s make Novelmber WORK! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Hi all! Jess here. When I wrote my first book proposal (for The Gift of Failure), I had a foggy idea of what a “comp” was. A book just like the book you want to publish, right? Not exactly. Comps are a really important part of pitching any book - nonfiction or fiction - because it helps an editor understand your vision for the book and consequently, what the publishing house’s vision for the book could be. What does the market for this book look like? Who is on the shelf already? Why is this book similar or different? Like I said, an art. Come with me while I explore the parameters for comps and help you write a better “Comparable Titles” section for your next book proposal. I use the comp section from the proposal for The Gift of Failure to discuss comps in this episode, so here’s what the formatting looks like in that document:Hey readers—KJ here. This episode of #AmWriting is brought to you by my latest, Playing the Witch Card. I wrote this at a moment when I needed more magic in my life—but it turned out to be a book about how until we know who we are and what makes us happy, even magic doesn’t help. My main character, Flair, is a total control freak who fears the chaos created by her family deck of Tarot cards and the cookies it inspires her to make until she decides that she can harness their power to control the world and people around her—but that’s not what the cards are for at all. I was inspired by what I see as the real magic of Tarot cards—and tea leaves and palm reading and every form of oracle: they help us to see and understand our own stories. As someone for whom stories are pretty much everything, I love that. You can buy Playing the Witch Card on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org and my local indie—and I hope you’ll love it too. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe