"Just get the ball over the net." So very encouraging Charlie. Thanks for this. And also, I have a question. "If you make an admission of something unflattering about yourself and then include a disclaimer, you water down the thing you just said and it makes you unlikeable." Can you elaborate on what you mean by a "disclaimer"?
What an inspiration! I have so much to learn from this - like a spectator watching from the other side of the chain link fence at the tennis court holding my dog on a leash, watching you get the ball over the net - time and again.
And this was so shiny: "The act of writing them becomes its own vehicle for time travel."
Thank you Charlie :). I won’t if you won’t either :) As hard as it is at times to push through to the finish is why your perspective of getting the ball over the net is so important to me.
I love that “Just get the ball over the net” approach — making it a layup! This got me thinking about a thing I read on George Saunders. When he got into an MFA program, he told his mentor, another writer, Tobias Wolff, he was doing more realistic, direct from life, “real writing.” Wolff told him: “Just don’t lose the magic.”
Then, Saunders goes on to say, “I have no idea what he’s talking about. Why would I do that? That would be dumb. I go forward and lose all of the magic, for the rest of my time in grad school and for several years thereafter…Somehow, under the pressure of suddenly being surrounded by good writers, I went timid and all the energy disappeared from my work–I’ve lost the magic indeed, have somehow become a plodding, timid, bad realist.”
On it being “selfish, fun, and easy” — I think the fun part is key. I’m a believer in play with writing/creativity. I think that’s how you keep the magic. And I feel like that’s kind of what you’ve done with the memoir explorations and learnings you’ve incorporated into your writing. So, I think in you getting the ball over the net, you hopefully won’t lose the magic. But that also doesn’t mean you can’t and won't change your mind about how you want to approach it at any point with the next 200 issues, or however many you decide you want to write! Keep going, just don't lose the magic :)
& Happy belated congrats!!!? But also?? Side note: am I crazy?? There’s an Issue 190 for Nov. 7 and an Issue 190 for Nov. 14 — is this issue 201?? lol
I love this, Sandra. Don't lose the magic. So important! I also think of it as fire. There has to be an energy of excitement around the writing, at least for me.
And OMG there is a double issue of 190!! Haha I cannot believe I did that and also can't believe you noticed! ...that's okay. I just went through and deleted a bunch of them that were too cringeworthy, so now the numbers are all messed up. :)
Yes! Exactly! The energy of excitement is the magic. I have a hard time understanding how/why people write when they don’t have that. It’s like, if you have zero enthusiasm — why are you doing this to yourself? Lol But, I think that’s actually the case for a lot of people writing. They don’t have any excitement, especially around the process, so there’s endless friction. Though, I do think some friction is a necessary thing, but I think those people just hit walls of it.
And speaking of your excitement; incoming rant: one of my favorite things, particularly when I’m reading someone new, or for whatever the medium, is to go way back through their catalogue of work and start from the beginning. Even though some stuff is bound to be cringey to them, I feel like there’s such an earnest excitement and unparalleled energy that exists when you look back one earlier work that just can’t be recreated. I love it.
I think it’s so special when people leave all their work up for others to discover. It’s a concrete way to see how far a person’s work evolves and that they’re prone to being cringey as fuck, too, because it’s so human and I wish people wouldn’t hide that. I hate that it’s easy to remove stuff from others because of that, though, to be clear, I get it lol
But also, I went back to look at what you deleted (WHY?!!) and I noticed you also have two Issue 47s lol So everything has always been a lie, Charlie. NotHiNg iS rEaL.
I agree with you about leaving up cringey pieces of writing—generally. If you go back through my writing you will find plenty of it. The pieces I have deleted were ones in which I was not sensitive to other people. It's fine for me to be embarrassed of myself, but it's not okay to write about others in inconsiderate ways. This is something I have learned over time, and am a much better writer for it.
Also, that is so funny about two 47s!! Hahaha. Get it together, Charlie.
(Because you don’t have to explain yourself to me or anyone). I think it’s especially important to be protective of people in our lives in our writing, so I completely understand. :)
Did you read my journal and then write this to get me out of my funk? Thank you for this one, Charlie. Copied down a lot of these sentiments as I read them. Also did you know I played college tennis, so I especially loved it. Thank you thank you.
Wahoo Charlie, this was such a refreshing piece to read! I love the metaphor of writing alongside tennis. Cheers to lowering the stakes and becoming more accepting of what is good enough to share. Your courage continually inspires me :-)
I was hoping this was about Pickleball...lol. Great concept as I feel like I just "get the ball over the net" in many aspect of my like...marriage, parenting, work...even friendship. Keep up the great work. Your Transparent Tuesdays are very relatable and I look forward to them.
Love this, love that you’ve made 200 posts, and love the podcast episodes (I wish you did them more frequently! However, I understand life with kiddos and such doesn’t always allow for it). You’re def in my top three favorite writers on here, and I thoroughly look forward to your posts every week!
Congrats of 200 editions of getting the ball over the net, Charlie! Your consistency is exemplary and one of the many ways you inspire me. You make it look easy, even when it isn't!
"Just get the ball over the net." So very encouraging Charlie. Thanks for this. And also, I have a question. "If you make an admission of something unflattering about yourself and then include a disclaimer, you water down the thing you just said and it makes you unlikeable." Can you elaborate on what you mean by a "disclaimer"?
Hi Rick, thank you!! Great question. Perhaps disclaimer is not the best word...
Consider it a teaser to listen to the episode. :)
What an inspiration! I have so much to learn from this - like a spectator watching from the other side of the chain link fence at the tennis court holding my dog on a leash, watching you get the ball over the net - time and again.
And this was so shiny: "The act of writing them becomes its own vehicle for time travel."
Here's to 1,000 more!
Thank you so much, James. I'm so glad we met in that breakout room in WoP. Your pieces are incredibly moving. I hope you never stop writing.
Thank you Charlie :). I won’t if you won’t either :) As hard as it is at times to push through to the finish is why your perspective of getting the ball over the net is so important to me.
+1! I was going to say here is to the next 200, but James' intention is better.
I continue to learn so much from you about being vulnerable in my memoir writing. Thank you Charlie!
Let’s throw a party after the next 200 on the way to 1,000!
Thank you so much, Karena! Vulnerability for the win. :)
I love that “Just get the ball over the net” approach — making it a layup! This got me thinking about a thing I read on George Saunders. When he got into an MFA program, he told his mentor, another writer, Tobias Wolff, he was doing more realistic, direct from life, “real writing.” Wolff told him: “Just don’t lose the magic.”
Then, Saunders goes on to say, “I have no idea what he’s talking about. Why would I do that? That would be dumb. I go forward and lose all of the magic, for the rest of my time in grad school and for several years thereafter…Somehow, under the pressure of suddenly being surrounded by good writers, I went timid and all the energy disappeared from my work–I’ve lost the magic indeed, have somehow become a plodding, timid, bad realist.”
On it being “selfish, fun, and easy” — I think the fun part is key. I’m a believer in play with writing/creativity. I think that’s how you keep the magic. And I feel like that’s kind of what you’ve done with the memoir explorations and learnings you’ve incorporated into your writing. So, I think in you getting the ball over the net, you hopefully won’t lose the magic. But that also doesn’t mean you can’t and won't change your mind about how you want to approach it at any point with the next 200 issues, or however many you decide you want to write! Keep going, just don't lose the magic :)
& Happy belated congrats!!!? But also?? Side note: am I crazy?? There’s an Issue 190 for Nov. 7 and an Issue 190 for Nov. 14 — is this issue 201?? lol
I love this, Sandra. Don't lose the magic. So important! I also think of it as fire. There has to be an energy of excitement around the writing, at least for me.
And OMG there is a double issue of 190!! Haha I cannot believe I did that and also can't believe you noticed! ...that's okay. I just went through and deleted a bunch of them that were too cringeworthy, so now the numbers are all messed up. :)
Yes! Exactly! The energy of excitement is the magic. I have a hard time understanding how/why people write when they don’t have that. It’s like, if you have zero enthusiasm — why are you doing this to yourself? Lol But, I think that’s actually the case for a lot of people writing. They don’t have any excitement, especially around the process, so there’s endless friction. Though, I do think some friction is a necessary thing, but I think those people just hit walls of it.
And speaking of your excitement; incoming rant: one of my favorite things, particularly when I’m reading someone new, or for whatever the medium, is to go way back through their catalogue of work and start from the beginning. Even though some stuff is bound to be cringey to them, I feel like there’s such an earnest excitement and unparalleled energy that exists when you look back one earlier work that just can’t be recreated. I love it.
I think it’s so special when people leave all their work up for others to discover. It’s a concrete way to see how far a person’s work evolves and that they’re prone to being cringey as fuck, too, because it’s so human and I wish people wouldn’t hide that. I hate that it’s easy to remove stuff from others because of that, though, to be clear, I get it lol
But also, I went back to look at what you deleted (WHY?!!) and I noticed you also have two Issue 47s lol So everything has always been a lie, Charlie. NotHiNg iS rEaL.
I agree with you about leaving up cringey pieces of writing—generally. If you go back through my writing you will find plenty of it. The pieces I have deleted were ones in which I was not sensitive to other people. It's fine for me to be embarrassed of myself, but it's not okay to write about others in inconsiderate ways. This is something I have learned over time, and am a much better writer for it.
Also, that is so funny about two 47s!! Hahaha. Get it together, Charlie.
This makes so much sense, thank you for sharing!
(Because you don’t have to explain yourself to me or anyone). I think it’s especially important to be protective of people in our lives in our writing, so I completely understand. :)
Did you read my journal and then write this to get me out of my funk? Thank you for this one, Charlie. Copied down a lot of these sentiments as I read them. Also did you know I played college tennis, so I especially loved it. Thank you thank you.
I did not read your journal, Emma, but a lot of what we talked about in our last conversation inspired this piece. :)
And I did not know you played college in tennis! Next time we hang out we should play, or rather, you should teach me how to play.
Ahhh congrats on 200 issues 🥳! An apt metaphor for writing online.
Thank you, Michelle!! It was funny how it hit me while I was playing tennis. Always thinking about writing...
So you know how I said I was going to hang a sticky note on my laptop that that “I hate poorly written endings” on it?
Well, I’ll surely be adding a “just get the ball over the net” one right next to it.
Love it Charlie, excited to listen to the pod
Thank you, Haley! Your laptop is going to be covered in sticky notes haha. Curious to hear how/if the podcast resonates.
Wahoo Charlie, this was such a refreshing piece to read! I love the metaphor of writing alongside tennis. Cheers to lowering the stakes and becoming more accepting of what is good enough to share. Your courage continually inspires me :-)
Keep it up!! I am cheering you on
<3 Jen
Thank you, Jen! Cheering you on, too!
I was hoping this was about Pickleball...lol. Great concept as I feel like I just "get the ball over the net" in many aspect of my like...marriage, parenting, work...even friendship. Keep up the great work. Your Transparent Tuesdays are very relatable and I look forward to them.
Thank you so much for the comment and for reading, Chuck!
It’s good you stick to where you really belong and just make the tennis thing a stick in the edge whenever you feel like exercising.
This inspires me to stay where one really fits in.True talk!👍
Thank you, Olufunmi!
Congrats Charlie :) I’m always inspired by your writing and looking forward to your next 200 posts and memoir!
Ahh thank you, Elizabeth!
Woah big congrats on 200!! Here's to more balls over the net.
Thank you, Becky! Let's get it.
"Release the things that feel heavy and shameful, and travel back in time."
I've found zero consequences to doing this. It's nice to read your authentic pieces. Congrats on 200!
Zero consequences and so much relief. Thank you so much for being here, Miche!
Love this, love that you’ve made 200 posts, and love the podcast episodes (I wish you did them more frequently! However, I understand life with kiddos and such doesn’t always allow for it). You’re def in my top three favorite writers on here, and I thoroughly look forward to your posts every week!
Wow, Bradley, thank you so much! And I'm so glad you like the podcast episodes!!
Congrats of 200 editions of getting the ball over the net, Charlie! Your consistency is exemplary and one of the many ways you inspire me. You make it look easy, even when it isn't!
Here is to however many more editions you want!
Thank you, Camilo!
200! Total 🏆 I'm inspired to get my shitty post out and over the net.
Heck yea, Elizabeth!