If anyone needs a refund for this month's payment - I am yet to work out how to keep some bits paywalled but not take further subs - please send me a message with your email address you used to subscribe and I will figure out how to refund ASAP. Sorry about that! Best, c
Thank you, Charlotte, for the thoughts and wisdom you’ve already offered. I am full of respect for your decision, because an artist should not be compelled to write for others…as you have so vividly articulated. And you are being consistent with your own values, adhering to your needs, brave in your actions. I look forward to more wisdom, in whatever form you choose to share. Onward with the next book!
Charlotte I very much enjoyed this, your last, Subtraction. I went straight to Rachel Cusk for reasons you will understand, and to Thao Nguyen Phan. All power to your forthcoming - I look forward to it as I need constant guidance in the “disobedience” department! Jude x
PS there is no rush to talk paintings and boulders but it is in my mind...
Hi Helen - very sorry about that, I'll refund your payment as soon as I work out how. I was trying to allow paid subscriptions to remain for the archive, without taking new ones but I think I've stuffed it up. Will pause all subs and see how I go. Apologies! Best, C
Thank you Charlotte. I am so impressed by this decision. You're work helps me enormously. I will miss your posts. I will be going over and over your content for some time. Good luck with the new book.
As an avid reader, I'm always surprised when I hear others comment that they won't read an author again. Sure, you may prefer book #4 from 10 years ago, but I don't understand the view that an author can only write "x". I am no where near the person I was ten years ago... does the author not have the right to also change?
Thank you for what you do and congrats on short-listing!
As always, I love your utter honesty here, both about the slog to write a scheduled newsletter and the decision to step away. As much as I have loved reading your thoughts every week, I've been thinking a lot about how the increasing pressures put on creative people to do so many EXTRA things to keep the wheels spinning (the wheels of WHAT? There's the question...). I learnt, when writing a weekly newspaper column for several years, that it is utterly ridiculous to expect any human being to dutifully cough up a fresh set of wise insights or witty observations at a set length, on schedule, every week. And yet we did in newspapers - and now authors are increasingly being pressured to do it.
I absolutely love and value how you have championed the messiness of the creative process, Charlotte - so please continue to be messy, even if it means finishing up here. Brava! Cx
Can’t even begin to imagine why someone would take the time to write this wonderfully chewy and thought provoking newsletter on an island retreat...get out there and disobey, CW!! You have been too good to us.
I’ll be all ears as to what comes next. Go out there and call out that non-judgmental voice for that roped up character of yours - I reckon Anne E did something like that very well in The Wren. And congrats of course on the newest news. May you weather that storm 💖💖💖
Huge thanks Charlotte, for this and all your writing on creativity. I’ve found all of it so very helpful and valuable this past year, as well as your excellent masterclass. Go well, good luck with the writing, and also with getting through the incredible Booker journey
Thank you so much for these offerings Charlotte. It’s a huge commitment to keep showing up and you’ve had a massive year and so it’s understandable to show yourself kindness and say I’m done for now. Rest recharge and enjoy writing your next novel. Take care. Anne 🌼
Hi Charlotte, fab essay as ever, thank you. Totally get your decision to redirect precious resources and energy! I've so enjoyed reading your wonderful monthly missives and have appreciated how much spirit and thought you've put into them. I'm glad you've had a fruitful time of it over here in the UK this summer too. Best of luck moving forward and I'll keep an eye out for future projects :-)
I will very much miss your monthly essays, Charlotte; I always get so much out of them. But I think it's fundamental to put your own work first and I wish you the very best with your new project; it sounds fascinating to me.
Thank you, as always, Charlotte. There is so much “nice” fiction around, and while I’ve read my share of airport novels & appreciate them, my own disobedience has been driven by insisting on non-human narrators that force readers to see the world in new ways. Risky, but enjoyable! I’ve loved reading this substack, and I’m also glad to see that you’re moving on! This moving on is a form of disobedience in itself - allowing you getting you closer to your true work. Hurrah!
Totally understand your decision, Charlotte. Your Substack posts have been the most useful I’ve read, and I will return to them from time to time. All best with the new work.
If anyone needs a refund for this month's payment - I am yet to work out how to keep some bits paywalled but not take further subs - please send me a message with your email address you used to subscribe and I will figure out how to refund ASAP. Sorry about that! Best, c
Thank you, Charlotte, for the thoughts and wisdom you’ve already offered. I am full of respect for your decision, because an artist should not be compelled to write for others…as you have so vividly articulated. And you are being consistent with your own values, adhering to your needs, brave in your actions. I look forward to more wisdom, in whatever form you choose to share. Onward with the next book!
Charlotte I very much enjoyed this, your last, Subtraction. I went straight to Rachel Cusk for reasons you will understand, and to Thao Nguyen Phan. All power to your forthcoming - I look forward to it as I need constant guidance in the “disobedience” department! Jude x
PS there is no rush to talk paintings and boulders but it is in my mind...
Brilliant as always. I understand and respect the decision to call time on this project, but the loss is ours.
Hi Charlotte - I got charged for subscription this month but I thought you were calling time on it?
Hi Helen - very sorry about that, I'll refund your payment as soon as I work out how. I was trying to allow paid subscriptions to remain for the archive, without taking new ones but I think I've stuffed it up. Will pause all subs and see how I go. Apologies! Best, C
Thank you Charlotte. I am so impressed by this decision. You're work helps me enormously. I will miss your posts. I will be going over and over your content for some time. Good luck with the new book.
As an avid reader, I'm always surprised when I hear others comment that they won't read an author again. Sure, you may prefer book #4 from 10 years ago, but I don't understand the view that an author can only write "x". I am no where near the person I was ten years ago... does the author not have the right to also change?
Thank you for what you do and congrats on short-listing!
As always, I love your utter honesty here, both about the slog to write a scheduled newsletter and the decision to step away. As much as I have loved reading your thoughts every week, I've been thinking a lot about how the increasing pressures put on creative people to do so many EXTRA things to keep the wheels spinning (the wheels of WHAT? There's the question...). I learnt, when writing a weekly newspaper column for several years, that it is utterly ridiculous to expect any human being to dutifully cough up a fresh set of wise insights or witty observations at a set length, on schedule, every week. And yet we did in newspapers - and now authors are increasingly being pressured to do it.
I absolutely love and value how you have championed the messiness of the creative process, Charlotte - so please continue to be messy, even if it means finishing up here. Brava! Cx
And ohhh the Patti Smith interview....🥰
Can’t even begin to imagine why someone would take the time to write this wonderfully chewy and thought provoking newsletter on an island retreat...get out there and disobey, CW!! You have been too good to us.
I’ll be all ears as to what comes next. Go out there and call out that non-judgmental voice for that roped up character of yours - I reckon Anne E did something like that very well in The Wren. And congrats of course on the newest news. May you weather that storm 💖💖💖
Huge thanks Charlotte, for this and all your writing on creativity. I’ve found all of it so very helpful and valuable this past year, as well as your excellent masterclass. Go well, good luck with the writing, and also with getting through the incredible Booker journey
Thank you so much for these offerings Charlotte. It’s a huge commitment to keep showing up and you’ve had a massive year and so it’s understandable to show yourself kindness and say I’m done for now. Rest recharge and enjoy writing your next novel. Take care. Anne 🌼
Hi Charlotte, fab essay as ever, thank you. Totally get your decision to redirect precious resources and energy! I've so enjoyed reading your wonderful monthly missives and have appreciated how much spirit and thought you've put into them. I'm glad you've had a fruitful time of it over here in the UK this summer too. Best of luck moving forward and I'll keep an eye out for future projects :-)
I will very much miss your monthly essays, Charlotte; I always get so much out of them. But I think it's fundamental to put your own work first and I wish you the very best with your new project; it sounds fascinating to me.
Thank you, as always, Charlotte. There is so much “nice” fiction around, and while I’ve read my share of airport novels & appreciate them, my own disobedience has been driven by insisting on non-human narrators that force readers to see the world in new ways. Risky, but enjoyable! I’ve loved reading this substack, and I’m also glad to see that you’re moving on! This moving on is a form of disobedience in itself - allowing you getting you closer to your true work. Hurrah!
Totally understand your decision, Charlotte. Your Substack posts have been the most useful I’ve read, and I will return to them from time to time. All best with the new work.