Write Squad News

Let's merge. Let's unite. Let's get Bookish!

Hey squad,

I have news! Thanks for your patience while the newsletter was on a mini hiatus, which wasn’t as long as I’d anticipated.

Sometimes I wish I was one of those people who had a clear vision, a clear direction and a clear focus. But, I’m not. Frankly, I’ve never been that person. There’s no doubt I’ve tried to be that person. Tried talking myself into focusing on a clear path, but ultimately it’s not the way I’m wired.

I’m the type of person who trusts my intuition and listens to my insticts. And while that’s good in one sense, it also means I ebb and flow in different directions. I liken it to trying out a pair of jeans. You have to wear them in and see if they mould to you comfortably. Sometimes they do, but sometimes they don’t. But you don’t know until you’ve ‘lived’ in them for a while. That’s how my life is. And, although it used to annoy me that I’m like this, I’m at a point in my life where I’ve accepted it. It’s who I am. And it’s the authentic version of who I am.

As I ebb and flow and try on things for comfort, I often find I need time and space to think. To work out if I need a different fit. Hence the recent pause.

And now, I’ve realised that the size of jeans wasn’t the problem, just the style. And you know what? The solution (or style if we’re sticking to the analogy) was staring me in the face.

To refresh, here’s what I wrote in the last WSC Fortnightly News:

Writers and readers and books all intersect. Readers love books. Writers love books. Writers are all readers. Some readers are writers. But we all share the common love of story.

Writers are all readers.

Some readers are writers.

We all share the common love of story.

There it is. As plain as day.

So, today I’m announcing the merging of my two newsletters—the WSC newsletter and my reader newsletter—into one fabulous newsletter: Bookish with Jodi Gibson!

Bookish is for lovers of words, stories and books. For those who read them, and those who write them.

In the monthly newsletter there will be things for readers and writers.

There will be my own writing progress updates, as well as announcements and special offers. I’ll share what I’m reading and watching as well as introduce you to other authors and new books you might like. There’ll also be giveaways now and again, because who doesn’t love a free book?

For writers there’ll be everything you’ve been used to here. The usual writing tips & advice, informative articles and links, pitching and author opportunities, as well as what’s happening on the podcast and any specials and deals on my mentoring and workshop offerings. I also want to develop a series kind of like a Q&A with aspiring and emerging authors.

There will also be a section on my Bookish Substack where I’ll share more long-form advice and articles on writing craft, tips etc. You can subscribe to this section in addition to the Bookish newsletter and receive an email every time it’s updated, or simply head to the Substack app or site to see what’s new when you feel like it.

If you’re a subscriber here, you don’t need to do anything as you will automatically receive your first Bookish Newsletter which goes out Monday May 5th. Or, if you wish to opt out please let me know (no hard feelings). You will also be able to unsubscribe at any time from the Bookish newsletter/email or your Substack profile.

For those who are interested, I’m also meandering down the path of exploring my relationship with creativity. Exploring how to nurture, feed and connect with my creativity. And also how moving towards a slower, less-busy life can allow creativity to thrive. This is a deeply personal journey and one I’m looking forward to exploring. I’m not sure where it will lead, but I’m tossing around the idea it could lead to a non-fiction book for writers and creatives. What that looks like exactly I’m not sure. But I trust in myself that it will evolve as I probe my curiosity. I will be documenting the process on a separate Substack called Nest. Again, feel free to subscribe, or not.

So that’s the news for now. Stay tuned for your first Bookish with Jodi Gibson newsletter in May (or let me know if you don’t wish to receive it) and until then keep writing, keep listening to the pod, and continue to top up your creative well with curiosity. All good stories stem from curiosity.

See you all soon!