An email not about love.
(You're welcome.) | February 2025
I had an identity crisis a couple weeks ago.
Am I still supposed to be pursuing writing? I asked myself. Which is kind of a big deal. Not just because of my novels—but because it’s also my day job.
I ran through the reasons why writing wasn’t a good idea in my head:
I’ve never gotten a promotion.
AI is eliminating roles.
It’s a thankless job.
My first book didn’t get published.
And on and on. By the end, I had a pretty damning list.
A list I didn’t know what to do with.
My head spun, my heart hurt. Why would God call me to something so counterproductive? Is it time to pivot, to try something else?
There were no audible answers. No flashing billboard with next steps. Or fortune cookie with guidance. Not even a well-timed Bible verse.
There was nothing to do except keep showing up to work. (You know, because a gal still has to eat—and pay bills.)
So I’d write for work during the day and work on my novel on lunch breaks. I’d submit pages to my writing group. And I’d try to not think about the lingering doubts.
Slowly . . . something started to shift. I’d receive kind feedback on a submission. Inspiration for a scene would strike out of nowhere. The words would flow.
There’s an old saying: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you’re about to succeed.”
Sometimes, you can’t wait for the answers. Sometimes, you just have to keep going and trust that the answers will come.
I’m not sure what answer you’re waiting on. I don’t know what part of your identity the enemy may be attacking right now.
Maybe you think you’re too broken to find love.
Maybe you worry you’re holding others back.
Maybe you believe you’re not cut out to be the parent your kid needs.
Or maybe . . . you’re just on the verge of breakthrough.
Book Progress: 25%
Yep, after a two-month hiatus for health reasons I’m back to working on my novel. It’s felt slow going as I try to get back into old rhythms and establish new ones. But it’s also been strangely easy to pick my story back up.
No re-reading. No feeling lost in the pages. I’ve simply picked up where I left off. Which is to say: we may leave our stories, but they never leave us.
There’s something oddly comforting—and humbling—in that.
Even though I write for the young adult (YA) market, I was shocked to find that I didn’t read much of the genre last year. (I guess we all need a break now and then. 🤷🏻♀️) But I’m making up for lost time since four of the five books I read in January were YA. Can you spot the outlier below?
Book Club is back after taking a short holiday break! This month we’re reading How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang.
Interested in reading along? Here’s a quick snippet about the book:
Two writers with a complicated history end up working on the same TV show . . . Can they write themselves a new ending? A sexy and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance guaranteed to pull on your heartstrings and give you a book hangover from brilliant new voice Yulin Kuang.
Do you have a book I should add to my reading list for 2025? Share in the comments!
The biggest transformation last month was adding a board and batten accent wall to the living room. Check out one of the progress pics below:
I was intimidated to try this project—but a friend helped me with the install (lending me her power tools and expertise) and it ended up being a super beginner friendly DIY.
The most time-consuming part was the caulking. (Which I’d never done before . . . and it turns out I’m shockingly good at the tedious task. 😂)
It was well worth the work because I’m obsessed with how it turned out! I love the depth and dimension it adds to the room. Bonus: it only cost about $100 in supplies. (Pretty hard to beat!)
If you’re curious about how a board and batten wall could look in your space, I highly recommend this calculator to visualize your project.
Pro Tip: One of the best decisions for this project was to skip ripping out the baseboards. Instead, I used a piece of cove moulding and attached it to the existing baseboard, which gave the paneling something to sit on that was level for installation. This blog walks you through how to do it.
I also tackled a bunch of odds and ends around the house: hanging mirrors and art, boxing away the last of the Christmas decor, and installing the prettiest wall shelf in my bathroom.
It’s been exciting to tackle some projects that add character and story to the house after so many hours spent trying to get it to a livable baseline.
So a friendly reminder to you (but mostly me) . . . good things take time. Our homes, our writing, and ourselves included. 💛
Happy February, friends.
—Rachel