Happiness Sprinkles + Book Club ZOOM Link
Taylor Jenkins Reid, fantasy flavors, Merlin and more
Hello, Protagonists! In this post, you’ll find:
🤓 Reader’s Corner - what I’m reading this week
🥳 Happiness Sprinkles - things worth smiling about this month
🔦 Protagonist Spotlight - Winners of the CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY 2025 Writing Scholarships
📚 Reminder! Our “Read Like a Writer” Book Club meeting is this Sunday, May 18th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
» Book Club ZOOM Link at the bottom of this post
🤓 Reader’s Corner: What I’m Reading This Week
The Measure by Nikki Erlick (novel, general fiction) - One day, mysterious boxes show up on the doorsteps of every adult in the entire world. Inside is a single string, the “measure” of your life… This novel is about what happens to the world when everyone knows exactly how much time they have left.
“How Taylor Jenkins Reid Became a Publishing Powerhouse” (article, Time) - Lovely insight into how a woman who wanted to work in Hollywood became a mega-bestselling novelist… whose stories were then adapted for Hollywood.
“Is the Next Great American Novel Being Published on Substack?” (article, The New Yorker) - an interesting piece about serialized fiction on Substack and what it might mean for the future of publishing.
🥳 Happiness Sprinkles: Things Worth Smiling About in May
Here are a few delights that I enjoyed in the past month. I hope they bring a smile to you, too!
Modern Magic Unlocks Merlin's Medieval Secrets - Pieces of a rare Merlin manuscript dating back to around 1300 have been discovered! It’s part of a French-language sequel to the legend of King Arthur. What an amazing find that was “hiding” in plain sight!
Saying No and Protecting Your Time - I am going to recommend this podcast episode to all my friends (especially those who are moms) because we definitely have trouble saying no. Lots of interesting stuff in this episode, from psychology studies that show that women take on “non-promotable” work a lot more than men to actionable tips about how to set better boundaries for yourself.
What Does Fantasy Taste Like? - This was such a neat look at the job of flavorists — “You have an idea of what a strawberry should or can’t taste like… Fantasy is a bit different. You’re not going to go pick a marshmallow off of a plant. You’re not going to get a birthday cake growing in someone’s garden. So it’s left open to interpretation.”
The Four Seasons - A remake of Alan Alda and Carol Burnett’s movie, this poignant 8-episode limited series follows three couples/best friends through one year (four seasons) as they navigate the ever-changing nature of friendship, marriage, and family. It’s funny at times but mostly earnest about the way that middle age can catch you off guard. It’s the kind of story that stays with you even after it’s over.
🔦 Protagonist Spotlight - You’re the Hero of the Story!
Every month, I feature a few of our community members to celebrate books, essays, or other projects that you have written. But this month, we’ve got a different celebration:
🏆 Announcing the Winners of the CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY 2025 Writing Scholarships!!
Wow wow wow… once again, you all blew me away with your talent. Choosing the winners was nearly impossible because there was so much beautiful, incredible writing.
But most of all, I love how supportive this community is. I smiled every time I saw someone comment on a writing sample, offering encouragement and compliments. You are all the BEST!
Without further ado (and in no particular order)…
💛 One Winner from Community Votes 💛
Maddie Rune:
💛 Two Winners Picked by Me 💛
Stanley Stocker:
Kathlene Brown:
Maddie, Stanley, and Kathlene: CONGRATULATIONS!! You will receive an email from me later today (when I’m awake! I’m on Pacific time). It will be from evelyn@creativeinspiredhappy.com and we will sort out how to get your $500 award to you.
Honorable Mentions:
(no prize money, but I’m sending you a huge congratulatory virtual hug)
Ami Curo:
Claire Holden:
Raju Tai:
Maryellen Brady:
Accounting note: Because I aim to be transparent, here are the behind-the-scenes numbers of the scholarship funds:
Last year, our community raised $3,908.11 for our 2025 scholarships.
$1,408.11 was spent on these current writing awards (I contributed the difference to get us to $1,500 total).
$2,500 will go toward our scholarship for a high school senior; applications will open in the Fall.
📚 “Read Like a Writer” Book Club
THIS SUNDAY - ZOOM Link below
“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! 🤓
Feel free to come even if you haven’t read the book. (Just be prepared for spoilers.)
Book:
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Time:
Sunday, May 18th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
During the book discussion, we’ll chat about:
This book has sold over a million copies!
We’ll take a look at the way this is structured (psychology and philosophy) to see if we can figure out why this book has been a mega-bestseller for so many years.
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.
Does 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?
The dangers of early success
During the “behind the scenes of writing” portion, we will talk about:
Breakdown of Book Sales: Hardcover vs Paperback vs E-Book vs Audiobook
During our April Book Club meeting, Diana W. asked whether books sell more copies in hardcover, paperback, or other formats. I promised to take a look at my royalty statements and report back with my personal breakdown of book sales across formats, to see if we can discern any general trends or patterns.
Enneagrams Types
Which Enneagram are you?
How can enneagrams help you understand characters?
Writers: Craft the kind of characters that readers fall in love with
Readers: Can you predict what will happen to a character if you know their enneagram type?
Our favorite characters in books, movies, and TV shows (and guess their enneagrams)
I think this is going to be a wonderful conversation!
To prevent Zoom-bombing from not-nice people, the 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
Note for Introverts:
If you’re comfortable being on camera, I’d love to see your smiling faces!
But if you prefer to have your camera off or to change your display name on Zoom, that’s totally ok! (before you sign in to the meeting, go to Zoom and change your display name in Settings/Profile/Display Name).
ZOOM LINK BELOW:
💛