Evelyn Griffith - September Monthly Newsletter
|Evelyn Griffith|
Monthly Newsletter
First of all, thank you so much for subscribing to my author newsletter. If you’re new, I’m grateful to have you join me. If you’ve been here since the beginning, welcome back and thank you for your continued support!
In this newsletter, I hope to tell you about what I've been working on, what’s new in my writing world, and how my career has developed recently.
Professional Development
Happy October everyone! I don’t have a lot to discuss this month as far as professional development goes. Some of you may know that I’m currently working on applying to jobs all across the country. There’s some that are remote, some in NYC, some in Seattle (or near it anyway), and a bunch of others. I’ve been having lots of fun daydreaming about what my life in these places might look like if I were to beat out the competition, but it’s been crickets so far. There were two rejections (for jobs that I probably wasn’t qualified for anyway if I’m being honest), but a bunch of the ones I’m really looking forward to hearing from have yet to send me a rejection. And, as someone in the writing industry who is very used to not hearing from anyone for months at a time, I’m doing well keeping my hopes up. Silence is not a no, after all.
For now I’m focusing on my rhesus and trying to do well finishing up my MFA (more on that later!)
The Undiscovered
The Undiscovered is still going strong with over a thousand subscribers and over 35 articles. I’m still scheduling out into January which is an amazing weight off of my shoulders during the semester, and I’ve been interviewing authors throughout the weeks since we last touched base. They’re all wonderfully amazing people with such vastly different knowledge sets and life experiences. I’ve enjoyed talking to them and learning about what they’ve known and experienced, and I think my interviewing skills have gotten better too. I’m able to ask more insightful questions and illicit responses that are meaningful and interesting. I’ve been able to make my interviewees laugh too, which honestly feels like a huge compliment. If they’re comfortable enough to genuinely laugh in my presence, even when they’re doing this thing that’s so new and scary for some of them, I’d call that a win!
I’ve just been enjoying the process and cruising along, since I don’t currently have the time to dedicate to big expansions.
Progress on The Singing String
If you’re curious about this project’s origins, you can read about it on my website!
The Singing String is moving right along as well. As I’m sure you can imagine, it’s been my main focus this semester (since it is actually my thesis). It’s been great to have dedicated time to work on it and I’ve definitely been using it. I did a complete overhaul of the second half up to chapter sixteen, and I’m really liking what it’s turned into.
The Singing String is moving right along as well. As I’m sure you can imagine, it’s been my main focus this semester (since it is actually my thesis). It’s been great to have dedicated time to work on it and I’ve definitely been using it. I did a complete overhaul of the second half up to chapter sixteen, and I’m really liking what it’s turned into.
As you can see in the photo, I spent several hours in my school’s conference room, with no natural lighting or people around to talk to me, and I charted out the main questions in my book, some of the overarching plots, what beats we needed to land on, and ultimately how this all was going to tie back to Paisley and her journey.
While this was happening, I also got comments back from three wonderful beta readers (shout out to Megan Wing, Jordan Saffold, and Julia Johnston). Their comments have helped me find direction for the book and also know where my blind spots are. It was a genuine joy to read some of their critique even though it left me sighing and wondering when the dang thing will ever be done.
One final momentous thing happened. I was speaking with my professor and thesis advisor about the book and I told her that I wasn’t quite sure what the core was. What’s the question I’ve been spinning on for so long? Why am I writing this? It’s something that’s been bothering me for a long time, I’ve always felt intuitively this central Idea, but I was never able to put it into words. But, through our meeting, I was finally able to lock down what the whole question of the book is:
What does it means to change blind faith into solid belief, even when the world around you wants to crush it?
It’s so exciting to have a solid central thought to latch onto with this book, something that binds it to its roots and keeps it focused on Paisley as a character. And this really links into the mapping I mentioned earlier because the goal of that now is to figure out how each chapter, each scene, contributes to Paisley’s character development around this central theme/question.
Before I start the Next Section
(Read this if it's your first time joining me!)
I struggled for a while, regarding whether or not I should include a section about my Christian walk in my author newsletters. Not only is it deeply personal, but it also might make some people feel that my writing is trying to alienate them. Regarding that concept, I want to say that while I am Christian, I never want my writing to be accessible only to a Christian audience. My faith is deeply important to me, yes, but my writing does not always deal with Christian concepts or theology. In fact, before I begin the next section I actually want to ask your forgiveness. I’m not used to writing about my faith journey and this is mainly because I find it incredibly difficult to do so. To express my thoughts in a succinct way about something that’s so all-encompassing for me and to distill it down so that anyone can read and relate to it is deeply challenging. Many times in the past, I have given up and decided that writing in allegory would be easier. You’ll have to excuse my clumsiness and my selfishness because one main reason why I decided to include these updates is that I simply need the practice. I want to be a writer who can write about their faith (for those who want to know about it) and I have an ever-growing respect for authors like C.S. Lewis and Tolkien and Keller who wrote so eloquently and accessibly about something so complex, personal, and vast.
That being said, I hope you’ll be patient with me as I give myself the chance to develop this bit of creative nonfiction one small piece at a time. But, I also ask that you would permit me the selfish (perhaps undeserved) chance to show you that my work is for all people and audiences that wish to know it.
A Note From Someone Who Loves the Lord
I’m not planning to say a lot regarding this, but I had a really difficult week recently where I was feeling insecure, paranoid, anxious, stressed, and ultimately on the edge of depression. I wasn’t feeling like myself even in the slightest, and when that happens (when you don’t really like who you are or feel connected and at peace with your inner self) you have to lean on something that orients you into who you are. For me, that’s God. I didn’t have anything else that was truly able to center me in my identity at that time. I didn’t want to write, I didn’t want to read (and if I did, it didn’t help), I relied on my friends a lot, but every day I would have time alone too where I couldn’t escape my own mind. I tried. I watched TV, played video games. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it didn’t, but regardless I had to retreat from the fantasy world I was in, and return back to the Father, to meditate with him and be in His presence and let Him do His healing work.
My dear friend and mentor Greg Johnston has been telling me for a long while that I should try more often to sit in my uncomfortable emotions with God. Ask WHY I feel the way I do, what it means, what the root cause of it is. If I’m angry, maybe the root layer is that I’m hurt. If I’m stressed maybe the root is anxiety. So, what was the root layer of this experience?
The truth is I don’t know, but I’m glad that I can have this connection with a higher being, who’s infinitely kinder, wiser, smarter, and more understanding than I’ll ever be. It’s such a gift to be able to lean on Him and know that no problem is too small or too great for His attention.
I was able to sit out by the water on the first cold windy day we’ve had since the summer heat hit, and just listen to gentle instrumental music on my headphones and draw. I felt truly peaceful for the first time in a week during a time that I felt was dedicated to Him. My problems weren’t solved, but I was able to sit in my emotions and be at peace with the discomfort in a way I haven’t in a long time. I finally made the space. He made the space for me.
Conclusion
Thanks so much for reading, and I hope that you’ll join me again next month for updates on all these wonderful things!
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