Note: This is a typed version of the handwritten letter I sent to my email subscribers. If you’d like to see the handwritten version (and the doodles I send along with it), subscribe to Letters from Elise
dear you,
This month’s letter comes from my kitchen table. My mom just finished refinishing our four chairs (thanks, Mom!) and the final product is so satisfying to see!
Each chair had a little surprise to show us along the way - several of the chair legs, and one of the back-rest spindles, are a completely different colour wood! When Mom sent me a photo of the first red leg on the first chair, I had to laugh. It happened to be the very last piece of the chair she uncovered. Four chairs later, my kitchen table is surrounded by four of these beautiful pieces full of character.
I was so inspired by Mom’s work, I asked her to teach me using my own (smaller) project, so I’ve taken up woodworking for the summer.
If you’re wondering what that means for my writing projects, don’t worry! This just means I can procrastinate writing with sanding when I get stuck on my manuscript. (I’m going to procrastinate either way, may as well be productive about it.) The good news is, I am 62,000 words into my current manuscript, [TITLE REDACTED BECAUSE IT DOESN’T HAVE ONE YET], which must be complete at 80,000 words or else the world as I know it will cease or something. That’s more than 75% done! The less good news is that the last 25% of manuscripts have always given me the hardest time. Lots of rewriting, scrapping, and writing again. Between bouts of lying on the floor and convincing myself I have not, in fact, forgotten everything I thought I knew about the English language (again) and I can, indeed, string enough sentences together to create a whole scene and even - gasp!:O - a whole book.
Luckily, I’ve done this song and dance more than a dozen times before. The work will get done. It’s a simple matter of putting butt in chair and words on page over and over until it’s done. So what am I writing, you might ask? It’s a book about a girl, who has been separated from her family, learning how far she’s willing to go to get home. This one is set in a fantasy world inspired by the years my family spent living in Morocco when I was a kid. There will be magic powered by words, at least two two-headed snakes, and one very angry goat.
Stay tuned for the next update! My hope is to reach 100% by the end of July. In the meantime, feel free to pitch your name suggestions for the goat. She may have a part to play yet before the end!
yours,
elise
P.S., If you’d like to see the handwritten version (and the doodles I send along with it), subscribe to Letters from Elise :)
Tea of the Month: Paradise
This month, I’m excited to introduce “Paradise,” a chamomile, lemon verbena, and lavender tea from the founder of DavidsTea at his new tea company, Firebelly Tea! The exciting part for this sleepy-time blend is that Firebelly reached out to my co-host and I at The Tea Grannies podcast to send us free tea in exchange for some social media posts featuring their products. Our first brand deal as a podcast! If you’d like to buy some to try, use the code MIRAYA 10 at firebellytea.ca when you place your order for a wee discount!
