The weird thing about bird talk

... there's chirping in the Zeitgeist

Sorry to the bird lovers out there. Yesterday’s avian effort was much better. Not quite sure what happened to this poor, contorted creature… BUT, I swore that I would not hide away even my saddest efforts. And so…

For the past several months, I’ve been meeting in semi-secret (online, in person) with my friend, editor, and now writing conspirator, Sarah. We are working on a psychological thriller so tender and new the working file name is “The Thriller.” We are both ridiculously busy, so the only way this project is progressing is by way of these weekly writing sessions during which we discuss the plot twists and turns, decide who needs to write what next, and then - we write.

Miraculously, the pages are accumulating and, at some point, we will have a manuscript ready to tear apart, edit, rewrite, wring our hands over and, perhaps, someday submit somewhere.

I’m having a blast working on the book - LOVING the uber-collaborative nature of the project, and equally, enjoying the designated time each week to connect with Sarah. We chat of other things, of course, not just character descriptions and neighbourhood maps - but also of family, travels, work, and what we are reading.

Today, Sarah mentioned Amy Tan’s book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles.

Full disclosure - I believe if you click on the cover or the link above and then purchase a copy, I may someday receive a few pennies from Amazon. Truthfully, I’d be just as happy if you order from your local independent or go find a copy at your library. Disclosure box ticked.

This sounds absolutely marvelous - Tan’s fine writing combined with what appear to be lovely drawings! Could you ask for a better book with which to curl up on a winter’s eve? Mine is on the way from another branch of our regional library - I’ll let you know when it arrives and if I am as enamoured with it in the flesh as I believe I shall be.

Turns out, Tan was inspired by John Muir Law’s book, about which I wrote back in 2023.

All this reminded me of how much I enjoyed his work, so much so I’ve requested The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journalling again and, if I spend as much time poring over its pages as I did last time I had it out from the library, I really will need to get a copy of my own.

Chatting about these two books, I discovered that Sarah, too, would like to establish a regular drawing habit and so, she and I have decided to challenge ourselves (and each other) to do a drawing a day in 2025. There are no limits on what we may decide to tackle, or efforts to be considered too small. A stick figure is fine. A wonky bird is fine. But each day we will produce something visual for the other person. Well, perhaps not for the other person exactly - more that we will share a drawing as proof that we are holding up our respective ends of the challenge.

Surely it will be easier to come up with a sketch each day than contribute hundreds of words to a complicated novel? To ramp up the accountability pressure even higher, we will chronicle this project right here. I can’t guarantee that we’ll get a post up every day, but at minimum, a weekly summary post should be doable. Right?

For those of you who are subscribers, you will know immediately how things are progressing. And if you aren’t yet a subscriber - why not???

Bonus - now that we seem to be well into the novel and have not yet given up, we may just share some tidbits about how things are progressing on that front as well. We anticipate a bit of a dialogue evolving right here before your reading eyes… illustrated epistolary substacking? Why not?

Are you planning to take part in a challenge of some sort in 2025? NANOWRIMO? Inktober? A poem a day in April? A hundred day challenge of some sort? Or a drawing a day starting Jan. 1?

Suzan Colón

’s Selfietember? Let me know in the comments and we can follow (and cheer you) along.