I’ve been mentally hibernating for the past few months, weathering transitions both personal and professional, and working hard on some big new things — a few still germinating, some already in bloom. In parallel, spring is here in the Pacific Northwest, but its arrival has felt rushed and bumpy. We’re expecting snow tonight, even though daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths have been showing off their bright petals for weeks already. Like the weather, I feel a little scattered. Exciting things are afoot but I’d like a few more weeks of “wintering” to fully process them. (I’m currently deep into Katherine May’s beautiful book on the subject.)
I promise l’ll share more than this cryptic teaser in upcoming months. The first “big new thing” to announce is that I’ve shifted my newsletter to Substack. I hope you find the format convenient and easy to read. Let me know what you think!
A Tip
A client recently asked me if they should watermark their manuscript prior to sending it out into the world — to beta readers, to an editor, or to agents. A watermark is typically a large transparent word or image plastered across each page, for example the author’s name or “DRAFT.”
My answer is no. Watermarks are distracting to the eye and quickly annoying for the reader in a 300-page document. Instead I recommend making sure you have a cover page for your manuscript, including your name, the project’s title (even if temporary), your address, and other contact information. If you’re concerned about copyright, you can also put your name in the manuscript’s footer for good measure. But remember, your work is protected by copyright the moment you create it.
You can read a little more about watermarks on the Chicago Manual of Style’s Shop Talk blog (scroll down to #3). The Copyright Alliance’s website is helpful as well.
News
I attended the AWP conference in Seattle last month. Thousands of writers in one space for four days. The experience was overwhelming, exhausting, and amazing. My favorite part was meeting virtual literary friends in real life: my colleagues from Artful Editor and Literary Mama, my writing group buddies, friends from my memoirist book club, and various writers I’ve known or followed on social media for a while. I attended some fabulous panels too, but these in-person connections felt invaluable. Did you go to AWP? What did you think?
I’m thrilled to have an essay included in the forthcoming anthology, Sharp Notions: Personal Essays from the Stitching Life, out from Arsenal Pulp Press later this year. If you enjoy creative nonfiction and stitching of any kind, you will likely love this book. You can pre-order it here.
I hosted the first Lunch Edits meeting last month. This inaugural Zoom was great! Five of us shared a lively and interesting conversation about our writing projects and various aspects of revision and editing: different editing levels, the tricks of choosing POV, the value of writing group feedback, agent queries, and more. Join me for Lunch Edits the first Wednesday of the month. It’s free, casual, and fun. The next one is this week, April 5 at 12pm PST. Zoom link here.
A Question for You
My family is fascinated by ChatGPT. My husband has been discussing with colleagues how to use it to save time in the writing of memos and other tedious, repetitive tasks, when clear and concise information is important but a personal touch is not. My teen and tween find the possibilities of this AI tool exhilarating and hilarious. We’ve had fascinating chats about ethics, plagiarism, creativity, and the future. Meanwhile I vacillate between absolute horror and tentative curiosity.
My concerns about ChatGPT are two-fold: the theft of intellectual property from writers and artists on an unprecedented scale (AI content is aggregated from everything that exists out there, first created by thoughtful humans) and the loss of unique voice and original style (everything ChatGPT churns out hums with the same monotonous and polished digital speak). But its useful capabilities are appealing: I’ve been able to generate a list of ideas for social media content related to a particular project, for example, and in her newsletter, Jane Friedman shared the tip of asking ChatGPT to research comps for your book proposal.
Have you used ChatGPT yet? If so, I’d love to hear what you tried, what happened, and what your impressions are — good, bad, or both.
Literary Links
What happens after you tell your story? That’s a story in itself. — Eva Wiseman for The Guardian
Raymond Chandler's Ten Commandments for the Detective Novel — Speed City Sisters in Crime
The Anatomy of a Literary Journal Contract — Writers Relief
Recent Reads
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan — A chilling dystopian take on government’s involvement in parenting, as experienced by a single mother of color who suffers one very bad day. In a nutshell: what might happen if Child Protection Services were privatized. A riveting intellectual exercise, beautifully written, very stressful.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich — A loyal customer dies and haunts a bookstore managed by a complex, troubled Indigenous woman, in the early days of the pandemic. This novel defies categorization. Charming, devastating, hilarious, mystical, rife with existential anguish and love. I adore Erdrich’s writing.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb — This mystery follows a Black classical musician whose family heirloom violin disappears on the eve of a prestigious international competition. While tracking down the fiddle thief provides an intriguing hook, the protagonist coming of age compels the reader. A tight read with an endearing central character.
What have you read lately? Please share your recommendations.
Happy Spring! I hope wonders are in the works for you. Hit reply or email me at jennybartoy AT gmail DOT com. I’d love to hear from you.
Jenny