Woo Wednesday

Woo Woo
Through a number of sources, a shop in Salem, Mass. called HausWitch landed on my radar recently. I recently heard an interview with the owner, Erica Feldmann, on the WitchWave podcast hosted by Pam Grossman, and decided to check out their online store.

I sent one of their spell kits to a friend as a gift, and I purchased Erica’s book HausMagick for myself. This is a great little book that focuses on raising the vibe in your home and making it a sacred space for yourself. A lot of the information is pretty basic, so it’s accessible for anyone who’s new to crystals, herbs, etc. But it’s also a nice primer on thoughtful touches and rituals you can use to make your home feel protected and special.
Since we’re all spending more time at home, it might as well feel good, right? Check it out!
Woo Writing
I’m plugging away on the new book. It’s a prequel to High Lonesome Sound, as I’ve mentioned before. It’s still early days, but the story is starting to gel for me. Keep in mind, High Lonesome Sound took me two years to write, so I’m not expecting to have the draft done quickly. Especially since this book also involves a LOT of historical research, which makes me happy.
I’m also excited that I’ll be hosting my first Wells Writing Workshop write-in this Friday at 10:30am Central Time.
This is a new feature I’m trying out to add more value for paid subscribers. The plan is to work for about two hours with a couple of breaks built in to chat. You don’t have to be writing fiction to join in—it’s also a great way to have some accountability and focus on just about any project you’ve been dragging your feet on. If that interested you, be sure to subscribe now and I’ll make sure you get the super secret Zoom link!
Woo Mind Maps
July’s theme is Word Craft. On Monday, subscribers received a post about how I use word lists for adding texture and layers to my stories. But did you know you can also use word lists to inspire just about any project?
Mind Maps are a great, organic way to get down ideas, especially if you’re visual like me. I often use Scapple to create maps for my books, but I’ve also used it for other projects like vacation planning, visioning goals for a year, or just working though a problem.
Here’s one I made early in the process for the the fourth Prospero book, Volatile Bonds.

But I’m just as likely to create a word map on a sheet of notebook paper. Probably more so because I like the tactile experience of putting ink directly on a page.
Let’s say I want to figure out my goals for the next three months, here’s what a mind map might looks like for me:

I created that in about five minutes, but it’s based on brainstorming I’d already done because the quarter actually started a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, it’s a great tool to use if you’re stuck on a plan or on a scene. I even make my kid use mindmaps when he’s planning a big paper or has a large project to do for homeschool. Give it a try!
I think that’s all the woo for today. What’s woo with you?