A Stitch In Time
This week, in the writing life, I started a project (okay, maybe two) that have nothing to do with writing. For a few years I was painting furniture, collecting bits and pieces from Salvation Army and salvaging them. But in an effort to have less, not more, I stopped adding things to the house. There went the hobby.
But then my daughter cam home for the summer, and she pulled out her sewing machine, asked for craft supplies (she’ll be 21 in 6 weeks) and when she’s not working has been hold up in her room creating things of her own from clay animals to fabric pouches and other creations.
She pulled out a small cross stitch kit I’d given her years ago for Hanukkah, and asked me to show her how to do it. I wanted to show her a finished project so I headed right for the top bookshelf in my family room where a small pillow I’d made for my grandmother has sat for past eleven years, since she died. It’s such a good feeling to know exactly what you need to make a moment meaningful.
It wasn’t there. Of course it wasn’t. I’ve packed up most of my personal stuff in preparation for an eventual move.
Sigh.
So I sat down next to her and showed her how to find the center of the Aida cloth, how to count the squares, how to stitch each x. I spent my twenties cross-stitching. Perhaps she would as well.
Or, she could hate it.
But I remembered how much I liked it!
Off we went to the craft store again.
And that night I watched TV without the appendage of an iPhone but with that of an embroidery needle. It has been good to take a break from any and all things editing and writing related. I don’t usually want to do that, you see. When I picture a wonderful day, more than not, it includes a notebook or my laptop. But it’s good to let the mind rest (ask anyone who knows me well, it’s not something that happens often), and to create in a new (old) way.
How would you fill the jar?
Books And Such
Did you know Reader’s Digest Condensed Books was a thing? Or still a thing? Apparently it was very popular in the 1950s, and was revived some years back and is going strong. THE GOOD NEIGHBOR was included in the May edition of Reader’s Digest Select Editions. I haven’t seen a copy in person, but snagged this fabulous photo from Facebook. I haven’t read the other books but the cover is perfect for The Good Neighbor, don’t you think? Makes me want to curl up and read it all over again.
Also this week, author Laura Nicole Diamond featured me in the Writer’s Life section of her blog, so of course I’d share that here in my Writing Life post! You can read that interview here. In it I explain why this has been my personal mantra for decades, and will continue to be.
One of my favorite parts of this week was meeting Beth Havey, fellow WFWA member, for the first time. Beth is a loyal WFW reader, so let’s all wave to Beth! HI BETH! We met at a charming restaurant in the town where I live, where, it just so happens, Beth used to live. Meeting writer friends has to be one of my favorite parts of the writing life. Let’s all send Beth some query-juju as she’s on the quest for a literary agent!
Editing Woes
The only thing I don’t like about freelance editing is that I often have to prioritize it over my own editing. The deadlines for freelance are immediate, and someone is counting on me for feedback, whereas my own deadline is farther away. I also approach this work differently. I freelance edit by the page, meaning, I read a portion of the submission, and then edit it, and move forward. I can choose to do ten, twenty, thirty, or fifty pages in a sitting, then I move onto another freelance project, or other work.
When it comes to Left To Chance, I have to set aside a day. Yes, a whole day, or at least half a day. Because once my brain train leaves for that destination there is no jumping off to see the sights, I’m on it until the end of the line.
Oh, the travel metaphors!
I guess metaphor will meet life when I head back to South Haven, Michigan to conduct more research for book #4. You remember Boop and Hannah, don’t you? That’s where their story unfolds. I’m just hoping this time to get a little sunshine! (In the 60s and windy on the lake means cold. My friend stayed in the car while I took pictures!
In honor of Father’s Day, here’s a look back! Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
And in a look forward, this week I’ll see both of my kids AT THE SAME TIME, finish up a few freelance manuscripts, and I have two full days set aside for my own writing life. (Fingers crossed on that one!)
Amy xo
I have quite a few of the Readers Digest condensed books that my father-in-law gave to me before he passed away. I found several authors that I now follow, based on reading one of their condensed books. I didn’t know they were thriving. Thank you for that information.
So many people have fond memories of those books, Patricia! It’s all new to me. I hope to get an author copy, as I’d love to see how they condensed The Good Neighbor. Neither I, nor SMP, were involved.
Amy, I’m confused because I looked up these books and it said they were discontinued in 1997.
What?
It’s called Reader’s Digest Select Editions now. Not easy to find online, and there seems to be only a landing page for it via RD.
THANK YOU. I’ve been Googling Readers Digest Condensed Books and coming up with nothing! Thanks for telling me this.
Try this link — although it’s not a heckuvalotta info!
https://us.readersdigest.com/offer/bhe/se_2198_alt/index.jsp
Amy…I had no idea Readers Digest Condensed Books were still around. I learned something new today. 🙂 At any rate, congrats on being included in the May edition.
Sounds like you have a jam packed week ahead of you. I have been in the midst of revisions of my WIP and had to take Thursday and Friday off to do ‘real world’ things…like cleaning the house before the health department decided my house was a threat to the neighborhood! But tomorrow, I will be back on that train myself and hopefully, nothing will come up to derail me. Here’s to a happily busy week ahead for both of us!
Good luck, Beverly — with the cleaning and the writing! For me, the former is the more challenging of the two. Sad, but true.
Cleaning is the bigger challenge for me, too. And that’s why it takes all day when I finally decide the cleaning has to be done. I can always think of things I would rather do than chase down fuzz bunnies…or in my case, fuzz elephants. 😛
I’d be interested to hear what you think about the condensed version after you see it. I loved the classic editions of those volumes back in the day, but as an author, I’m not sure how I’d feel about it. Frankly, as a reader/fan I’m not sure how I feel about The Good Neighbor being squeezed into a shorter space.
I look at it this way, Kathy. Readers of the condensed books likely wouldn’t have read The Good Neighbor in paperback or ebook, so it gets me brand new shiny readers. Reader’s Digest has an excellent reputation for putting out quality condensed books. And, last but not least, they paid for the right to do this. I love my work as an author but it is a business, and selling these rights is not unlike selling translation rights where someone will take your work and make it make sense in another language. I would be curious to read the condensed version to see what they took out. I don’t write conventionally long books anyway, so it makes me wonder!! THANK YOU FOR BEING A READER AND FOR CARING! XO
Excellent points about condensed books, Amy. Thank you.
Congrats Amy on the RD publication. Reading your piece today about hobby and cross stitch sent me digging in a closet for the kit I stopped working on as a gift for my cousin. Let me say “humbly” that I’m the queen of cross stitch. Most of my family members own one of my creations. Although I prefer the “stamped” model. Thank you for sharing. Hope you and your daughter have fun. Happy Sunday.
Hi Micki!
I have the counted cross stitch now but have decided to try some stamped embroidery next. I found some vintage iron-on patterns and find myself dreaming of embroidered flour sack towels. My name is Amy and I am a flour sack towel addict.
Hello Amy and Beth! One of these days, Beth, I will see you again. Our paths have crossed so many times over the years. Glad you met Amy, which I hope to do sometime in the near future.
🙂
I agree, it is good to change our muse’s diet–occasionally, from words to (use your imagination).
I would fill the jar with blackberry jam–from blackberries grown on my property.
That sounds wonderful, Leanne! For some reason I’m picturing it filled with buttons (not that buttons are to be enjoyed). I make granola and that would also be a good choice! 🙂
Amy, thanks so much for including me in this post. I just got home from Chicago last night–enjoyed being on Lake Michigan in Long Beach, watching the sun set. I imagine THE LAST BATHING BEAUTY did that a time or two.
I certainly remember Reader’s Digest condensed books–my mother subscribed for a while. And I also like the idea of new and shiny readers. Congrats on that one. Going to check out the link you provided.
Once I’m in the groove of writing, I think like you it would be hard to switch to someone else’s work. Setting aside days for that and days for your own would seem the best choice. Happy Writing, Beth
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