A very quick piece of news to start, mostly because I am so excited to finally be able to share it. I am delighted to announce that my online course, Master the Art of the Synopsis, goes on sale today, May 18, 2023, at noon, Pacific Time. The class expands upon a synopsis course I’ve been teaching for years, both virtually and in person, with supplemental materials including a workbook and sample synopses. Students will have lifetime access, and be able to work through the units at their own pace. So if you or someone you know is grappling with writing a synopsis for their manuscript, please do check out the course.
Recently, while listening to the Books Unbound Podcast, I heard my new favorite bookish term: a mashed potato book. The hosts coined the phrase to refer to a book you purchase with great anticipation, excited to read it, but when you get it home, you stash it on the shelf to save for the right moment—after you get some work done, or finish your current read, or for when you need a distraction—akin to eating everything on your plate before the mashed potatoes because you want to save them for last. Well, with the mashed potatoes, sometimes they get cold, or you get full, and with books… sometimes that right moment takes far too long to come.
We all have those books, right? The ones that sound fabulous or come highly recommended or are the last of a series you’ve been dying to finish. But for whatever reason, they still linger on the shelf, until you wonder if you’re ever going to read them. So the ladies of Books Unbound declared it Mashed Potato May, a month for tackling some of those long neglected reads. It’s definitely an idea I can get behind, despite coming upon the concept a little late in the month. The real challenge was choosing a book; there’s no shortage of unread books in my apartment, and many have been gathering dust for ages.
Ultimately, I allowed myself to be swayed by my need to read a book before watching the film. I read and adored Rules of Civility by Amor Towles years ago, and so picked up A Gentleman in Moscow promptly upon its release, then The Lincoln Highway a few years later. And—you guessed it—have yet to read either one. But production is underway for the TV adaptation of A Gentleman in Moscow, featuring Ewan McGregor, so I’ve dusted off my copy and put it on the TBR pile right beneath my current read.
Scoping out the shelves, however, I did come to a realization that a significant number of my mashed potato titles got added to my collection in the last five years or so. I’m not sure if there were more books published that I just couldn’t resist, or if life sped up enough to slow down my reading. Either way, I’m excited to dig in and start catching up, and as May is half over, I’m aiming for a mashed potato per month. Enough to see a little progress while not stressing over all my other reading.
Do you have any mashed potato books lingering on your shelves? Anything you’re excited to read soon? Or do you keep up with the books you bring home? I’m endlessly fascinated by other people’s reading habits.
As much as I am a book lover, what really drives me is the art of storytelling, in all shapes and formats. This makes me a nerd for structure and word play and layered meaning… you get the idea. So, I love interviews where Lin-Manuel Miranda talks about his process writing Hamilton: An American Musical. He’s always very generous with sharing stories of where he got inspiration, how he tackled structure and theme, and funny behind-the-scenes moments he clearly cherishes. Recently, Miranda went to Australia to see the Brisbane production of Hamilton and sat down for an interview where he discusses, among other things, the long process of translating the musical into German. It’s fascinating, and I highly recommend.
Reminder: I will be reopening to submissions for a brief time starting June 1st, so if that’s something you’ve been waiting for, please mark your calendar. Anyone looking for a response on something currently in my queue, I am still working my way through the last of my backlog, so you should hear from me soon. Thanks so much for your patience!
A few more links to share:
The Best Reviewed Books of the Week - Some intriguing new titles out in the past few days.
Taxonomies for Storytelling – An interesting look at stories as tapestries that weave together a certain number of threads to create a new and intriguing whole. Makes for a good writing exercise.
Dragons, Decolonization, and More: May’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books - I’ve been a decided SFF mood lately, and some of these sound amazing.
Florida School District Is Sued Over Book Restrictions - Book banning pisses me off faster than just about anything. No one has the right to remove availability for other people.
The Literary Film and TV You Need to Stream in May - Some fun titles, both recent and older.
Currently in my tea cup:
Currently on my nightstand:
HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD by Ava Wilder
A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles
That’s all for now. As always, I appreciate you reading. I hope you’re having a great reading/writing month, and I’d love to hear what has you excited at the moment. Until next time.🥰
My mashed potato book is The Mirror and the Light, the last of Hilary Mantel's Cromwell series. I think I have been hesitant because I know it ends badly for Crum (history spoiler!). I pledge to read it this summer.