Week of 12/14-12/20
Book Buds:
Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate. I hope night 1 last night was sweet. Apologies to be getting this out to you later than usual! I meant to send Saturday :)
Thanks to all who came to book club last week. Emily told me she had a great time, and I thought it was a great conversation. Beautyland salon was also INSANELY good. Rachel, Chris, Aimee, and Elizabeth were amazing. I hope to do it again next time Cottage Street has open studios!
I have a new Substack out just last week. Check it out here.
Here’s what’s coming for us this week:
The Next in Person Retreat is filling up!
If you’re planning to come, snag your spot sooner rather than later. Retreat is January 10 at Cityspace in Easthampton as usual. This time I’m going 10-5 instead of 6. I think til 6 is sort of a long day. Book Buddies get a 10% off discount using the code BOOKBUDDY10 at checkout. You can add a half hour coaching session to the mix for $50 (make sure you do that at checkout as well). You can also come for a half day - 3 hours, for $55.
Link for full day registration is here.
Book Club Help Requested:
Next week I will make the first half of 2026 Book Club schedule. Do you have suggestions about what we read? If so, YAY thank goodness, I need the help; AND please email them to me using the subject line “Book club suggestions.” This way I won’t lose them. Genna I know you texted some to me and I’ve written those down. Ali, I know you sent some somewhere but I don’t remember if it’s in email or whatsapp so if you could email again or just remind me at our Saturday meet, that would be awesome.
I love book club so much. Thanks for making it so great.
Feedback Group Submission Schedules!
IRL Group Wednesdays @ beautyland 6:30-8:30: Meeting is December 17. Genna and Chris have floor time. Next meeting is the following week, so flagging that unusual schedule here. We don’t meet again until January 7, 2026 when Aimee and TBD will have the floor.
Noon Crew Thursdays 12pm - 1:30: Next Meeting is December 22 at noon (weird date, it’s a MONDAY!) and Jill has the floor, pages due December 18. and our next meeting is January 8. Ina will have the floor then and have pages due on the second.
Weirdlings Thursdays 12pm - 1:30: Ed has pages due on asap for our December 18 meeting. The rescheduled New Years Day meeting will happen at noon on Wednesday 1/31 and I think it’s Erika’s turn then. Let’s confirm when we’re together on Thursday.
Kool Kids Thursdays at 7pm - 8:30: Susan and Hilary have the floor for the next meeting on December 18. We meet again on January 15 when Kristin will have floor time. I just realized I need to move our January 29 meeting because that is the night of the George Saunders field trip, so let’s make sure the schedule is all set next time we see each other.
OG Crew Thursdays at 7:30pm - 9: Next Meeting December 29. Tom will have floor time and his pages are due by December 23 if possible
Saturday besties 12:30pm - 2: Ali and Nora have pages due asap and the next meeting is December 20. Georgia and Helen will have pages due by December 29 and the following meeting will be on January 3.
12/16 and 12/20 Gen Writing Prompt
December 16 and 20, 2025
Titles
I’m terrible at titles. My book has had at least 10 different titles. I think we’re good now, but you never know. A title is tricky because it is really a workhorse for the story. It should tell you multiple things at once. This makes it hard to pick one, but also makes a title an excellent prompt, so let’s roll with that this week.
Write a piece inspired by one of the following titles:
Turtle Soup
Advice from a Squirrel
You Really Messed with My Confidence
Whale Song
Two Strikes
Genius Lost
Your Bestie
Here, Here Kitty Cat
The Victor
Mother May I
The Accountant and the Liar
Rose Cake
You Should have Told Her No
Success Stories!
Rebecca Tiger has a new piece out in Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine: The Woman of Your Life.
Genna Sarnak won the Phil Lit Journal 100 word Contest for Fall 2025. Read “Our Love” here.
Elizabeth Bayou-Grace Seiler has a new post in her Substack, Poetry is Politics, which if you have not subscribed, I urge you to get on that RIGHT NOW.
Got a success story? (publication, residency admittance, did you finish a draft of something that took half your lifetime to do?) Email me to tell me about it (include links where applicable) and I’ll post it here and on Substack.
Need Gift Ideas?
A short term book buddy membership could be a great Christmas gift for the writer in your life who already has too many notebooks. I designed some giftable packages in case you wanna hop on that band wagon. Here they are:
Three Months of Book Buddies Standard (Gen writing +feedback group): $500
Three Months of Book Buddies Basic (Gen Writing only): $350
One month of Gen Writing: $125
Seat in January 10 Retreat: $100/$150 with coaching sesh
Want a Book Buddy T-shirt or sweatshirt? Look out for an email later this week about Book Buddy merch! I know I said that last week, but truly, I’m doing it now :)
Also, don’t forget that if you refer a writer to me and they become a book buddy you get a free 1hr coaching sesh with me as a result!
That’s all for now, folks.
Keep writing. You’re all incredible.
Your bestie -
Kate
