"I’m beginning a year of writing abundance, and this has been day one." I love this. Have been thinking this last night as well. As always, such warmth to have an update from you, Summer.
On dropping the phone or other precious things - don’t think too hard about it, or it may happen!!
I lost my engagement ring in a little park in the mountains near my home, fiddling with it while on a small bridge. I got folks with metal detectors to hunt for it, but it never surfaced. I think a bird has it in its nest somewhere. I remember the “bounce, bounce, bounce” of it onto the bridge slats, then the thought, “oh no, don’t fall down there...” and down it went.
I stumbled upon A Writer's Notebook while researching how to get rid of books. (My wife is all in; for me it's like wrenching them from my cold, dead hands.) I happily went down the rabbit hole that took me to Project 1,825 Things. Last year I made a point of writing something every day and instead of coming up with something out of whole cloth, decided to just write about what I did the day before.
Sometimes it seemed like a list and other days it gave me some insight into myself. This year, I'm taking a different approach: If we indeed learn something new every day, I'm going to write down one thing I learned the day before. Additionally, if laughter is the best medicine, I will write about one thing that made me laugh the day before. Sometimes both learning and laughing are easy to remember.
Other davs, not so much. It's forcing me to not onlv write, but to reflect.
Happy new year, Summer, and thank you for Five Things. I am going to try to do it weekly. I like the way you accumulate fragments that are polished enough to imagine a finished piece. It’s so much more encouraging than scattered notes or Shitty First Drafts. I also think the format gives your subconscious time to percolate ideas properly. I keep sending people the link and recommending it!
Thank you so much Susanna. I like it for the same reasons, and I'm glad it's helpful. When I do shitty first drafts, they are too all over the place, and notes rarely become anything or make it out of the notebook. Happy New Year!
Jan 2, 2023·edited Jan 2, 2023Liked by Summer Brennan
That's helpful. I've been using pen and paper to do 5 Things during your Essay Camps, because my sense is my writing is more from the gut when I'm doing it in long hand with a pen. However, then it becomes a 'thing,' because I have to go back and try to decipher my handwriting and then transfer it onto my laptop to work with it in the editing phase. All these 'things' can become barriers to doing more writing. Maybe I'll give the laptop a try next time around, for the sake of simply getting it done and doing it more.
I like to write longhand when I'm doing the first draft of something larger, like a book, or something else planned, so that I actually keep writing to get a draft down and can't stop to edit as I go. But yeah, for this, there is something about typing it that feels less precious, which is ironic. I kept a handwritten diary for a long time, but found I ended up pouring a lot of my anxiety and stress into it—it was hard for my entries not to become like lists of all the things I needed to do, all my worries for the day. So much striving. And for me, yes, typing them on a computer makes it so much easier to go back and mess with later to edit. Curious to hear how this goes for you!
This conversation, between you and Maia, is stimulating. When I write longhand, my handwriting becomes an issue and somehow I also become quite repetitive (as in writing lists and complaining about the same thing over and over). I remember when I first started writing on a computer and how freed I felt. Finally I could write as fast as my thoughts! But then it’s also so tempting to edit as one types .., Ah, me!
yes, pros and cons to both! i find as i get older, it feels hard to write for long periods of time in long hand... my hand simply gets tired and the words are illegible! Trade-offs in both methods...
In an online writing Zoom a guest host shared a writing prompt/journaling format that is similar to the Five Things form. I've enjoyed it. It's revealing what comes up to the surface.
Thank you Summer for this post, I loved it! As I do all of yours. Thought you might like to know that I have shared it and your newsie with my own newsletter crew this week (due out on Sunday). It's here is you'd like a peek https://companyonsundays.substack.com/
So nice to hear from you again Summer. We are all wishing you a wonderful 2023, especially given the mess 2022 was for you. Please do update us on the status of your “courtesan” book and the feelings you may have now that you’ve spent some time with your new painting. But mostly, thanks for sharing your writing, and so much more, with us.
This is awesome! It reminds me of a creative technique used in stand up comedy where they write and perform a new minute of stand up material every week to build a new hour special. Probably working through those 5 ideas with a group of people after you come up with them or once a week go over what you come up with would really help it all blossom.
I just read this, near the end of July, and really, any day can be the start of a new year, right? I remember a commercial for Special K cereal when I was a little girl, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life!" and of course it was about dieting because that was the only way women talked about food, or thought about food in the late 60's, restricting rather than enjoyment. And, I remember being amazed, at 6 years-old, that any day could start a whole new trend in my life!
So I'm starting the 5 things essay for 365 days in July, as a way to excavate what I'm carrying around in my head, and to hone/practice really looking at the world. Though I'm not looking at Paris, I am looking at the fruit trees in my yard, how shiny and strong the leaves, and yet three of them are not bearing fruit this year. The peach, the plum, the persimmon. They seem to have embraced being crones! Casting shade, thriving, yet barren.
I'm an admirer of your work, Summer. Thanks for all you share with us.
I love the idea of this a lot. When you want to write but are struggling to get the words out of your head and onto the page, this is the perfect way to go about it.
This is a very interesting writing format. Did you invent it yourself? I am thinking that it might help me with my fiction writing as well. I love doing the worldbuilding but I struggle with writing the stories, it takes me a long time. By using you method, I can explore scenes, characters on a daily basis. Another advantage I see, is that I can explore alternatives for plots, scenes. Usually, the first two ideas are either a copy of something I 'saw in a movie' or a plot twist that everyone knows already. I know this method from product management: quickly writing down ideas for how to solve something or for new features ideas without any discrimination.
I developed this version of it, so maybe? But the idea of breaking down a piece of writing into five numbered parts actually has a pretty long history online for some reason. I have never used it for fiction, but I don't see why it couldn't work for that! For me it helps with focus, to actually write down thoughts and observations in a way that is useful, while keeping the pressure off. I'm not sitting down to write "an essay," just these pieces that may be of use later on. https://summerbrennan.substack.com/p/the-five-things-essay
Thank you, I'm very exciting to read more from you and explore this writing method. I am sure it will also work for fiction. As I mentioned, especially within a developed secondary world.
"I’m beginning a year of writing abundance, and this has been day one." I love this. Have been thinking this last night as well. As always, such warmth to have an update from you, Summer.
On dropping the phone or other precious things - don’t think too hard about it, or it may happen!!
I lost my engagement ring in a little park in the mountains near my home, fiddling with it while on a small bridge. I got folks with metal detectors to hunt for it, but it never surfaced. I think a bird has it in its nest somewhere. I remember the “bounce, bounce, bounce” of it onto the bridge slats, then the thought, “oh no, don’t fall down there...” and down it went.
Oh no!
Challenge received!
Joining you.
Only mine will be 1,820 things in 364 days.
I will not think, just write.
and go deeper, and higher.
(maybe these five lines are five things today...)
I stumbled upon A Writer's Notebook while researching how to get rid of books. (My wife is all in; for me it's like wrenching them from my cold, dead hands.) I happily went down the rabbit hole that took me to Project 1,825 Things. Last year I made a point of writing something every day and instead of coming up with something out of whole cloth, decided to just write about what I did the day before.
Sometimes it seemed like a list and other days it gave me some insight into myself. This year, I'm taking a different approach: If we indeed learn something new every day, I'm going to write down one thing I learned the day before. Additionally, if laughter is the best medicine, I will write about one thing that made me laugh the day before. Sometimes both learning and laughing are easy to remember.
Other davs, not so much. It's forcing me to not onlv write, but to reflect.
Hi Paul, welcome! Your daily writings sound like a great exercise.
Happy new year, Summer, and thank you for Five Things. I am going to try to do it weekly. I like the way you accumulate fragments that are polished enough to imagine a finished piece. It’s so much more encouraging than scattered notes or Shitty First Drafts. I also think the format gives your subconscious time to percolate ideas properly. I keep sending people the link and recommending it!
Thank you so much Susanna. I like it for the same reasons, and I'm glad it's helpful. When I do shitty first drafts, they are too all over the place, and notes rarely become anything or make it out of the notebook. Happy New Year!
Gorgeous. So textural I was there walking at your side... Do you write these fast drafts in your laptop or by hand in a journal?
These I have been doing on my laptop, mostly because it feels low stakes and I can get them down more quickly.
That's helpful. I've been using pen and paper to do 5 Things during your Essay Camps, because my sense is my writing is more from the gut when I'm doing it in long hand with a pen. However, then it becomes a 'thing,' because I have to go back and try to decipher my handwriting and then transfer it onto my laptop to work with it in the editing phase. All these 'things' can become barriers to doing more writing. Maybe I'll give the laptop a try next time around, for the sake of simply getting it done and doing it more.
I like to write longhand when I'm doing the first draft of something larger, like a book, or something else planned, so that I actually keep writing to get a draft down and can't stop to edit as I go. But yeah, for this, there is something about typing it that feels less precious, which is ironic. I kept a handwritten diary for a long time, but found I ended up pouring a lot of my anxiety and stress into it—it was hard for my entries not to become like lists of all the things I needed to do, all my worries for the day. So much striving. And for me, yes, typing them on a computer makes it so much easier to go back and mess with later to edit. Curious to hear how this goes for you!
This conversation, between you and Maia, is stimulating. When I write longhand, my handwriting becomes an issue and somehow I also become quite repetitive (as in writing lists and complaining about the same thing over and over). I remember when I first started writing on a computer and how freed I felt. Finally I could write as fast as my thoughts! But then it’s also so tempting to edit as one types .., Ah, me!
yes, pros and cons to both! i find as i get older, it feels hard to write for long periods of time in long hand... my hand simply gets tired and the words are illegible! Trade-offs in both methods...
First “Five Things” yesterday using Notes on my phone. Definitely low stakes and easily transferred to my laptop for future use. Thanks for this idea!
I love it! That is definitely the spirit of the thing.
In an online writing Zoom a guest host shared a writing prompt/journaling format that is similar to the Five Things form. I've enjoyed it. It's revealing what comes up to the surface.
Would be curious to hear more about it!
Thank you Summer for this post, I loved it! As I do all of yours. Thought you might like to know that I have shared it and your newsie with my own newsletter crew this week (due out on Sunday). It's here is you'd like a peek https://companyonsundays.substack.com/
Thank you Skye!
Many thanks for this
Philippe
"I’m beginning a year of writing abundance"
Wow, the momentum matches the energy of the fireworks and NYE revelry!
Thank you for the inspiration and nudge forward....
So nice to hear from you again Summer. We are all wishing you a wonderful 2023, especially given the mess 2022 was for you. Please do update us on the status of your “courtesan” book and the feelings you may have now that you’ve spent some time with your new painting. But mostly, thanks for sharing your writing, and so much more, with us.
This is awesome! It reminds me of a creative technique used in stand up comedy where they write and perform a new minute of stand up material every week to build a new hour special. Probably working through those 5 ideas with a group of people after you come up with them or once a week go over what you come up with would really help it all blossom.
I just read this, near the end of July, and really, any day can be the start of a new year, right? I remember a commercial for Special K cereal when I was a little girl, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life!" and of course it was about dieting because that was the only way women talked about food, or thought about food in the late 60's, restricting rather than enjoyment. And, I remember being amazed, at 6 years-old, that any day could start a whole new trend in my life!
So I'm starting the 5 things essay for 365 days in July, as a way to excavate what I'm carrying around in my head, and to hone/practice really looking at the world. Though I'm not looking at Paris, I am looking at the fruit trees in my yard, how shiny and strong the leaves, and yet three of them are not bearing fruit this year. The peach, the plum, the persimmon. They seem to have embraced being crones! Casting shade, thriving, yet barren.
I'm an admirer of your work, Summer. Thanks for all you share with us.
Thank you so much, Natalie! I haven't been as consistent as I wanted to be with this project, but one can always start, and also always re-commit!
Summer - love your work :)
I am starting a movement to ask Substack to put in a poetry section on the website - https://substack.com/profile/10309929-david/note/c-15537618
Feel free to support, and thank you as always :)
Thanks for the head's up!
Thank you Summer!
I love the idea of this a lot. When you want to write but are struggling to get the words out of your head and onto the page, this is the perfect way to go about it.
This is a very interesting writing format. Did you invent it yourself? I am thinking that it might help me with my fiction writing as well. I love doing the worldbuilding but I struggle with writing the stories, it takes me a long time. By using you method, I can explore scenes, characters on a daily basis. Another advantage I see, is that I can explore alternatives for plots, scenes. Usually, the first two ideas are either a copy of something I 'saw in a movie' or a plot twist that everyone knows already. I know this method from product management: quickly writing down ideas for how to solve something or for new features ideas without any discrimination.
I developed this version of it, so maybe? But the idea of breaking down a piece of writing into five numbered parts actually has a pretty long history online for some reason. I have never used it for fiction, but I don't see why it couldn't work for that! For me it helps with focus, to actually write down thoughts and observations in a way that is useful, while keeping the pressure off. I'm not sitting down to write "an essay," just these pieces that may be of use later on. https://summerbrennan.substack.com/p/the-five-things-essay
Thank you, I'm very exciting to read more from you and explore this writing method. I am sure it will also work for fiction. As I mentioned, especially within a developed secondary world.