Latest News from the Desk of Sooz
Holy whoa, the last few weeks have been total chaos with the end of the school year + deadlines. But I am through the worst of it, and now visiting family in Georgia.
And oh my goodness, I have had the best time! I discovered a few days ago that my mother has heaps upon heaps of letters that my grandfather wrote his family during WWII.
For those of you haven’t heard me talk about it at events, I’ve been in my “WWII Dad” era the last few years. But I mostly only read about the Western Front and civilian life/adaptations. My Pacific theater knowledge is woefully inadequate.
So this was such a joy to find, since my grandfather was a naval gunnery officer in the Pacific. And I’ve been transcribing his letters while also piecing together what he was really doing during/between each one. Censoring meant he had to be super vague about his location and activities, and some of his most “upbeat” letters came during what I now know were his most horrific moments of the war.1
But now onward to what you came here for!
The Misfits & Daydreamers Primer Series
We’re down to the final TWO in the Misfits & Daydreamers Primer Series, and phew. These are big ones! I’ve apparently had a lot to say about work/life balance, as well as the realities of publishing.
But in case you’ve missed it so far, this is a planned 7-part series, and the topics are:
Following the “Right” Story — Shared Feb. 16, 2026.
Building Characters & Worlds — Shared Mar. 9, 2026
Scenes, Sentences, & Series — Shared Apr. 6, 2026
Revisions & Editing — Shared Apr. 20, 2026
Finding Your Unique Process — Shared May 2026
When Things Get Difficult — We are here!
Publishing: the Honest Truth
Catch up or dive in starting today. No right order or wrong order to see what I’ve been writing about on Substack over the last four years.
Reminder: this is a separate series from my much more robust Susan Dennard Writing Academy! If you want truly deep dives on all these topics spanning back to the early aughts of my writing advice, then the Academy is the place to explore.
6. When Things Get Difficult
Many of you have followed me for many, many years. So you’ve seen my career dip to its lowest moments, then rise to its highest…and dip back down again.
And you’ve seen my life rise to its highest moments…and you’ve seen me get hit hard. Repeatedly.
That is the joy (and challenge) of a long career: you hit all the highs—personally and professionally—and you hit all the lows. The real success is if you’re in it long enough for that to happen.
Do I wish life had been a bit gentler to me and my family? Sure. Ha! Do I wish I were a mega bestseller with guaranteed sales and a big advances? YOU BET! But…
I’m also just really glad to be here. I’m really glad I get to wake up and write every day—or that I get to wake up at all, for that matter!
And look: I won’t pretend I’m some saint who doesn’t get into grouchy tailspins because a plot just will not cooperate. (I’ve been stuck in one of those grumpy moods for weeks now!)
But I will say I’ve gotten a lot better about at least recognizing when I’m squeezing the bird too tightly—and hey, a decade ago, I still put all my energy into publishing/writing only. My emotions and identity were completely tied to success and output. Setbacks set me back personally.
But I’m not that person anymore, and phew!
I’m so much happier.
Motivation & Mindset
Audio: Staying Motivated: Here I talk about what actually keeps me going—the spark of new ideas, the foundational need to connect with my readers, and how assessing your relationship with external pressure can be help you find happiness.
Battling Your Own Impatience to Finish the Writing: As my taekwondo teacher tells me constantly: “Patience, Miss Susan. You’re not patient enough.”
I’m really not, guys. I want every book to be done now.
Finding Your “Fulfillment Metric”: Sometimes what works for YOU in your downtime doesn’t work for me. I really hate the advice to “just relax” or “take a vacation.” No! My idea of a “vacation” is what I described at the top of this newsletter: transcribing old letters and making a timeline. I need mental stimulation to unwind.
Finishing What You Start: Do you really need to? I’ve stopped believing in the myth of “don’t start new things until you’ve finished other projects,” and my output (and completion rate) has exploded!
Your Last Book Won’t Write the Next: I really wish people would let go of past manuscripts. Because every new story is a chance for fresh discovery and success. Past performance—good or bad—doesn’t predict what comes next!
Redefining What Success Looks Like: As mentioned above, my biggest gains in the last few years have come from detaching myself from what everyone else thinks success looks like. It’s okay to reimagine what you want in your career!
Audio: Strengths as a Writer: I love Clifton Strengths. Understanding mine and working with Becca Syme transformed my life. And what I’ve learned about Strengths has helped me both understand my own writing better, but also everyone else’s processes too.
Writing Even When It Sucks: Oh, the eternal question: write what sells or what you love? I think you can all guess my answer on the subject.
Chasing Perfection: “Perfect” is a moving target that will never stop moving for your writing and your life. It’s hard, but sometimes you’ve just got to accept, “This is good and I’m done now.”
Burnout & Recovery
Procrastination or Burnout?: Is it “laziness” or do you just need a break? (Shocker: it’s rarely laziness.)
Hitting Cement Walls and an Industry of Burnout: This is an old newsletter from the start of my Substack, but the things I worried about then—the systemic burnout baked into publishing—have only gotten MUCH worse in the last four years.
Publishing employees (and authors) are exhausted!
Finding Flow Again After Burnout: How do you get back into the creative stream after everything has dried up? I have been in this state multiple times in my life, and I won’t pretend it’s easy… But it is doable.
Burnout Recovery: Again, me and burnout go way back. Baby burnouts and some mega burnouts too. But I always come back from it!
Balancing Creative Work With the Business Stuff: Holly Black once told me that story immersion is like swimming in cool water—keep jumping in and out, and you’ll never acclimate. I’ve never forgotten that advice, and it’s what works best for me. All in on X, then all in on Y, then all in on Z.
Cross Finish Lines & Celebrate Milestones: I share this advice which I myself never take. But hey—maybe you’ll do it! That part where we actually celebrate our accomplishments and hard work.
Healing & Resilience
Take the Time to Heal: This is tough to read, so you can skip through the first half. I won’t be upset, I promise. But I go into my near-death delivery, the PTSD that resulted, the utter cruelty of my own self-talk, and how I slowly (so slowly) learned to extend myself the same grace I give my friends.
The writing will still be there when your body is ready. I promise.
Grieving the Loss of a Dream: Even after discussing grief that I can’t have a second child, I had to go through that grief all over again—and with far more intensity and physical impact—when we lost a baby a year ago.
Honestly, I’m still grieving that loss. A lot. And I do “just want to cry a little bit.” Often. And it’s okay! That’s part of life.
Learning to Forgive Ourselves During Tough Times: Sometimes we can’t stay on track with the words—and that’s okay. Truly OKAY. (I won’t pretend I’m great at accepting this myself, but I am getting better!)
You’re Not a Failure: How to rewire your brain to create healthier thought patterns. This was a skill I learned in therapy, and it has been transformative for my life in so many ways.
It’s Been a While: This is about adjusting to my new normal (again) after intense life disruptions and difficulty. Phew. I’ve gotten pretty good at this by now!
Writing Rituals as a Mom: I was not prepared (no one can be) for how much becoming a mother would change my writing life. What an adjustment! I won’t pretend it’s easy, but I did eventually find a new rhythm.
Quitting Social Media
I WILL FOREVER EVANGELIZE THAT ALL OF YOU QUIT SOCIAL MEDIA. AND YOU CAN IGNORE ME. BUT I WON’T STOP SHOUTING IT. Because do the benefits really outweigh the cost? I can’t answer that for you, but I’d bet for many people, the answer is no if you really drill down and get honest with yourself.2
Ahem.
What Happened When I Got Off Social Media: Here’s my original post on quitting social media. I wrote more words in 2023 than any year before. And oh yeah, most importantly: my mental health improved dramatically.
What Happened When I Got Off Social Media, Part 2: The one-year update. Holy smokes, I thought I wrote a lot in 2023? 2024 was only bigger and better.
Goals Achieved for the Fluid Creator: Okay, I know I also shared this in the last primer, BUT. I had even more gains in 2025, and so much of that is thanks to quitting social…So I felt I ought to share again here.
Okay, back I go to transcribing letters from 1945. I’m so happy my grandfather was a sentimental hoarder and kept all these—and that my mom kept them in turn!
I’m also almost done (finally!) with the Stange & Deadly reboot. I finished the climax last week! Just have a few denouement scenes to write. Woohoo!
💚 - Sooz
For my fellow WWII nerds, he was the gunnery officer on a LCS(L), and he was there from day one of Operation Iceberg through the end.
How much of your unwillingness to quit is based in fear? How much is based in a desire to control the uncontrollable? Again, not everyone would be better without social media….but a lot of people sure would.