June Month in Review: Fiction Writing Update, The Future of Writing Revolt, and... Dogs.
Several years ago, I saw a Chihuahua up for adoption on Facebook.
Her name was Lucy, and she had black, wiry hair.
She was a tiny little thing, even for a Chihuahua — she couldn’t have weighed more than 3 pounds.
And she looked just like a baby bat.
I showed my husband and said, “Look at this dog! She looks like a little bat. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a little bat dog?”
(…Obviously, it would.)
We weren’t able to adopt her as she was in another state, but ever since then, we’ve talked about that dog over and over, laughing together about how cute it would have been to have a mini bat scuttling around our home.
Fast forward to 2023.
I see another dog up for adoption online.
I go to pick him up. I name him Finneas. I bring him into our home.
…And lo and behold, he ends up looking just like a little fruit bat.
My husband and I were just talking yesterday about this and how strange it is, to have talked about having a bat-dog for years…
And then randomly end up getting a bat-dog. (He didn’t look bat-like in his shelter pic at all.)
Finn also does this thing called a “submissive grin” where he bares his teeth while scooting on his side across the floor.
And he looks just like a little Vampire Bat showing its fangs.
I think that the Universe is always listening to our desires and the things we’re constantly putting out into the world.
(…Even things as silly as wanting a bat-dog.)
Right now, I’m putting a few other things I want out into the Universe, and slowly but surely working toward them.
I’ve learned that while these things don’t always happen in my timing, they do tend to happen in general. Sometimes when I least expect it.
(Do you have any stories like this – desires you’ve put out there that have happened much later on? I would love to hear about it in the comments.)
Anyway!
Grab a snack and a cozy drink, and let’s catch up.
I’m writing this from bed, where Finn is curled up next to me in a heated blanket. I’ve got a blueberry scone in my hand, a cup of tea on my nightstand, and lofi jazz beats playing on my speaker.
This has been a common theme lately, as I’ve been cozying up in bed to work, only moving to my desk for meetings and Zoom calls.
Also, with my health issues, I can really only work about four hours a day.
…Which is hard!
But a positive side effect has been that it’s forced me to be really intentional with how I spend my time – and prioritize being calm + cozy while working over pretty much everything else.
(Side note: I got carried away and worked for ~6 hours yesterday. The cognitive exertion completely kicked my ass lol. It’s SO hard to hold myself back when there are so many exciting things I want to do. But I’m learning!)
In other news… Finn turned 2 in June!
We had a little birthday celebration, and I got him a new bag of his favorite treats, a snuffle mat, some Nylabones, and a Dallas Mavericks jersey.
Last year when I adopted Finn, he was so tiny and baby-ish.
He was also practically feral, and would howl any time I left the room (separation anxiety times a million).
But he’s grown so much in a short time.
He knows a ton of tricks (both verbal commands and hand sigals - he’s extreeeeeemely smart!). He no longer has separation anxiety. And he’s just overall such a good boy. :)
Around the start of 2024, I pivoted my focus 100% to my client work.
I had completely stepped away from running Writing Revolt (my online course company where I help freelance writers learn how to get clients).
But last week, I hopped on Zoom calls with some of my Writing Revolt subscribers, asking them questions about their freelance writing struggles.
And those conversations inspired me so much to create all-new, completely updated content and courses!
I think last year, I had just gotten to the point where I just could not bring myself to keep sharing the same kind of content over and over anymore.
It felt a little soul-sucking to constantly talk about the “best niches” or “best writing jobs” or “how to start freelance writing” on YouTube again and again, just because those are the best topics for SEO.
So I’m going into this new era with a different mindset, focusing less on how videos and newsletters perform and more on how much I enjoy creating them. :)
I'm not starting back up right away, but instead, planning to come back to Writing Revolt in a couple of months or so.
Please let me know in the comments if there’s something you’d like to see me teach! I’m very open to your ideas.
On the freelance side of things, the biggest projects I finished in June were:
A conversion-optimized home page for a recruiting SaaS company
A direct response landing page for a performance marketing agency
A UX email for a gaming app
I landed these clients the same way I’ve been teaching freelance writers to land clients for the last 8 years:
By pitching using my Killer Cold Emailing framework.
If you want to learn how to get freelance writing clients, even with no experience, you can join Killer Cold Emailing right here.
(Or dip your toe in with my free class on how to get started freelance writing – even with zero experience!)
In June, I polished the final draft of a new flash fiction piece and started sending it out to lit mags.
I’ve also been sending out some other flash fiction pieces I wrote late last year / early this year…
And steadily accumulating rejections. 😅
The good news?
Many of them have been tiered rejections.
(In other words, the lit mag told me they liked my work and that I should submit again, which is encouraging.)
I’m going to keep writing and submitting, but my main focus for the rest of the year is going to be working on my novel.
I’m very close to being finished with the first draft and excited to start revising, because I know that’s where alllllll the magic will happen. :)
What else has happened recently?
Let’s see…
I started using the Forest app.
This is a productivity/focus app. Basically, you set a timer for your focus session, and while you’re working, a cute little tree grows.
You can’t leave the app to check other stuff on your phone during your focus session. Because if you do?
The tree dies.
…And holy shit, what a game changer. Especially for writing fiction!
I tend to work in either 25-minute or 45-minute blocks, and it’s really encouraging to see how those add up throughout the week!
The app gives you a “forest” full of all the trees you’ve planted, plus, you get to see how long you’ve spent focusing every day.
10/10 would recommend.
Let me know if you decide to try it out or if you have any other writing productivity tips to share!
I started playing a lot of Moonstone Island on Switch.
If Stardew Valley met Pokemon and they had a game baby… it would 100% be Moonstone Island.
If you’ve been looking for a new cozy game, definitely try this one out.
I finished Demon Copperhead and book 2 of the ACOTAR series.
Honestly, I really enjoyed both of them.
I’m curious… have you read either of these books? Did you enjoy them?
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
On a related note… I would also LOVE a book recommendation from you!
What’s a novel you’ve read recently that you couldn’t put down?
Share away:
Thank you so much for reading, friend.
I’d love to hear from you!
What goals are you working toward this summer?
Any new freelance projects you’re excited about?
Or fiction stuff you’re working on?
…I want to hear alllll about it!
Fill me in by leaving a comment:
In your corner always,
– Jorden
P.S. Here’s your monthly dog pic… of Tito, my soulmate in dog form, who passed away last January. (I can’t believe it’s been a year and a half.)
He was the sweetest boy ever and truly one of a kind. I still think about him and talk to him every single day. <3
P.P.S. If you want to learn how to make a full-time income freelance writing…
When you’re ready, here are a few ways I can help you:
Free Training: Learn how to get high-paying freelance writing clients.
Paid Course: Build a $4K+/mo freelance writing business.
Tutorial: Learn how to create a writing portfolio that lands you clients.
I'm thrilled that I came across your course at the perfect time. As someone who's been considering additional support for my copywriting business, I'm excited to sign up for your course within the next two months. I've tried other courses in the past, but unfortunately, they didn't meet my expectations. Now, as I'm seeking a work-from-home income, I feel confident that your course will provide me with the guidance and knowledge I need. I appreciate your expertise and look forward to learning from you.