Read This Book…

A few years ago, I participated in Jami Attenberg’s 1000 Words of Summer initiative, which ran for a couple weeks in June. The idea was that you would write 1000 words every day. If you signed up for Attenberg’s newsletter, she’d send you an encouraging email every morning. She asked some of her friends and colleagues to guest write some of the emails, including authors like Kiese Laymon, Lauren Groff, Carmen Maria Machado, and more. It quickly became one of my favorite summer writing initiatives.

Now, Attenberg has turned 1000 Words of Summer into a writing book that is intended to inspire you all year around. 1000 Words takes the best of Attenberg’s letters and expands on them, making an incredible book on writing. The book is structured around the seasons — a metaphor for the different stages of writing — splicing letters from different writers with Attenberg’s short chapters.

Sitting down to write this, I had a moment to think through why I loved this book so much. For me, it’s the combination of practical, detailed advice on ways that you can schedule your day or plan your writing that will give you the skills and motivation to succeed. For example, Alexander Chee explains how a new pen and pad of paper can be inspiring to him. He says, “And what I know by now: the legal pad and pen is like a change in the wind in my heart, a new idea raising its hand.” And Lauren Groff gives excellent advice on the importance of seeing your writing project to the end: “If you can attend to your beast with patience and faith, you will encounter the beautiful truth, which is that the mere fact of showing up will one day be good enough.”

If you or a friend is struggling with their writing project, I can’t recommend 1000 Words enough. It’s the kind of book that will be read, reread, and adored over and over again.