Hello, Protagonists!
In this post, you’ll find:
🎥 The video replay of our May Book Club meeting
🤓 June Invitation + Book Club Discussion Questions: REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES
“Read Like a Writer” Book Club is for our community members who want to dive even deeper into how great books work. Come nerd out with us! 🤓
»I usually send the replay out on the Tuesday after our meeting, but since I’ve got a great podcast episode for you tomorrow, this one’s coming at you a day earlier than usual. Surprise!
🎥 The video replay of our May Book Club meeting
If you missed our book club meeting, you can watch the replay now.
We had such a fantastic discussion of Ego is the Enemy and talked about:
This book has sold over a million copies!
We took a look at the way this book is structured.
The Creative Ego Trap
Holiday says that we must “resist the impulse towards ego in our creative pursuits” because “believing in your greatness kills creativity.”
Put another way, if you believe that you’re extraordinary from the get-go, you might not put in the work to acquire the skills that would actually make you extraordinary.
Did this resonate with you?
Does Holiday believe in no self-confidence at all? Or is there a balance between self-confidence and ego that makes it possible for writers and other creatives to pursue their dreams, which are not guaranteed to come true?
Humility as Creative Strength
How does this relate to giving and receiving feedback?
During the “behind the scenes of writing” portion, we talked about:
Breakdown of Book Sales: Hardcover vs Paperback vs E-Book vs Audiobook
An overview of my royalty statements for a breakdown of book sales across formats, to evaluate for general trends or patterns.
Enneagrams Types
How can enneagrams help you write or understand characters?
Read an overview of types here
Take an enneagram quiz for fun here
Mentioned in the meeting: Enneagram for Writers article
Craft book recommended during the meeting for revision:
Blueprint for a Book by Jennie Nash
Agent Querying questions
How do you know when a manuscript is ready for querying?
What do you do when you get a request from an agent, but you want to revise the manuscript some more?
Is a "revise and resubmit" actually a big deal?
»To keep our members’ conversations private from the general internet, the Book Club replay is behind a paywall.
If you’d like to join us in the Book Club, you can upgrade to a paid membership here:
or:
Get a complimentary paid subscription when your friends subscribe:
1 referral = one-month paid subscription, comped
2 referrals = three-month paid subscription, comped
3 referrals = one-year paid subscription, comped
🤓 June Invitation + Book Club Discussion Questions
Who is invited?
Writers who love reading and want to examine stories more closely, and
Readers who are curious about why they feel the way they do about a book.
When is the next meeting?
Sunday, June 22, 2025 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT
🥰 Introverts, you are welcome to keep your cameras off.
What is our next Book Pick?
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
During the book discussion, we’ll chat about:
Narrative Structure & POV
The novel alternates perspectives, including that of Marcellus the octopus.
What effect does this shifting POV have on the pacing and emotional weight of the story?
How does the inclusion of an animal narrator challenge or expand the traditional structure of a novel?
Would the book still work without Marcellus’s sections?
Theme Integration
What are the core themes (e.g., grief, connection, memory)? How are these explored subtly through setting and character choices rather than overt exposition?
How does Marcellus the octopus metaphorically support the novel’s deeper messages?
Genre-Bending
This novel straddles literary fiction, upmarket fiction, and feel-good fiction with a quirky edge. How do the genre elements intersect?
Why do you think this book resonated so broadly with readers to become a breakout debut?
During the “behind the scenes of writing” portion, we will talk about:
Book marketing and publicity
What do you as the author do?
What does the in-house marketing and publicity team do?
How does a freelance publicist fit into the picture?
What are the most important parts of marketing and publicity?
What actually moves the needle?
I think this is going to be a wonderful conversation!
Book Picks for the Rest of 2025
I’m getting together our book picks for the rest of the year and will send them to you next Tuesday! So keep an eye on your inbox. 😉
May RSVP link is below!
To prevent Zoom-bombing from not-nice people, the RSVP (and Zoom link) is below the paywall.
This also allows us to keep our members’ book discussions private from the general internet; it’s nice to have a cozy, totally private space for just us!
If you’d like to join us in the Book Club, you can upgrade to a paid membership here:
or:
Get a complimentary paid subscription when your friends subscribe:
1 referral = one-month paid subscription, comped
2 referrals = three-month paid subscription, comped
3 referrals = one-year paid subscription, comped
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