Some things take time

:: There's something special in that freedom we feel when writing certain kinds of stories. And I hope that when people read the book, they feel that freedom inside them, too.

Dear Friends,

Back in 1999, I enrolled in the Master’s program at the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars, with a focus on literary nonfiction.

In the years since then, I’ve published many books, but not one was literary nonfiction.

And then, just last week, I submitted the manuscript to West Virginia University Press for my literary memoir, An Autistic Girl’s Guide to Horses.

I feel like I’ve accomplished something incredible (writing a literary memoir), but also that I’ve come full circle, back to the writing I always wanted to do, when I was just twenty-two and enrolling in the Hopkins program.

Of course, of course, I’m proud of the other books I’ve written. They are my life’s work. They help people. They change the world. (I also really like writing my romance novels, and there is a new trilogy coming soon.)

Writing AGATHA (I give all my books pronounceable acronyms), though, was a journey through something else altogether. It was a chance to go back to my roots.

And it was a chance to tell a story that I want to tell—without restrictions. To tell a ripping good story, to make jokes, to be free in a way I have never felt with my other books.

There’s something special in that freedom we feel when writing certain kinds of stories. And I hope that when people read the book, they feel that freedom inside them, too.

Of course, writing something so deeply personal inevitably causes some anxiety. After I wrote the first draft, I reviewed it closely to make sure that I was fair to all the characters of the story (whose names have been changed, but still)—because no one is only bad or only good. We are all human.

Even Darth Vader.

Look for it in 2027.

Speaking of anxiety...

Register now for my FREE, 1-hour, online masterclass on anxiety and accommodations in higher education. It is useful for teachers, parents, students, administrators, and anyone else who wants to learn more about anxiety (is it really on the rise? Is it really real? Spoiler: yes) and accommodations for students.

You can read all about it and register for it here; it is on April 15 at 4 pm ET.

If you can attend the live event, we will have a Q and A period where we always have good conversations.

If you can’t make it that day, register anyway, and you’ll get a link to the replay.

I hope to see you there.

Love,

Katie