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Collaborations
Here are a bunch of blogs that we wrote ourselves! And maybe there will also be some stuff about a book we wrote together.
All Posts
For Arlen, Always
My eulogy for a dear friend.
Rachel Stuck
May 21, 20245 min read
Day 30: Seven Letters to My Tears by Rachel Stuck
I find everything I need in the pretty ways humans say things.
Rachel Stuck
Apr 30, 20207 min read
Day 29: No Possum, No Sop, No Taters by Wallace Stevens
A Probably Wrong and Definitely Too Brief Analysis
Rachel Stuck
Apr 29, 20204 min read
Day 28: Excavation at the Santa Barbara Mission by Wendy Rose
It encompasses the intensely private sense of identity as well as the immensity of cultural assimilation and genocide.
stuckandmericle
Apr 28, 20203 min read
Day 27: Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath
Like Plath, I’ve made some terrible relationship decisions (though none so bad as marrying Ted Hughes).
stuckandmericle
Apr 27, 20205 min read
Day 26: Marginalia by Billy Collins
Part of what’s appealing to me about this poem is probably plain old narcissism.
stuckandmericle
Apr 26, 20203 min read
Day 25: The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
He, aware of my circumstances, smiled in that way, in that specific way that says “This is a smile that meets your sadness.”
stuckandmericle
Apr 25, 20203 min read
Day 24: Les Trois Oiseaux by Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo
I can’t believe how well this poem addresses the themes in our novel.
stuckandmericle
Apr 24, 20202 min read
Day 23: First Song by Galway Kinnell
There I was, hurdling through Austin suburbs, dropping my book like a freak.
stuckandmericle
Apr 23, 20202 min read
Day 22: The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell
It is a brutal and necessary read.
stuckandmericle
Apr 22, 20201 min read
Day 21: The Colonel by Carolyn Forché
This is not a happy poem, and I’m truly sorry for what you are about to go through.
stuckandmericle
Apr 21, 20203 min read
Day 20: I, Too by Langston Hughes
It is amazing to me when a work of art is able to bridge the perceived apathy of high school students.
stuckandmericle
Apr 20, 20202 min read
Day 19: The Flurry by Sharon Olds
Did her renown as a writer stop me from, after a few beers, emailing her and telling her that I might pee my pants if she actually responded?
stuckandmericle
Apr 19, 20203 min read
Day 18: The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter by Ezra Pound
Another love poem, what? Don’t worry, it’s also about isolation and how your childhood rots away and stuff.
stuckandmericle
Apr 18, 20203 min read
Day 17: Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda
Ugh, gross, a love poem.
stuckandmericle
Apr 17, 20203 min read
Day 16: Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota by James Wright
This one gobsmacked me.
stuckandmericle
Apr 16, 20202 min read
Day 15: We Lived Happily During the War by Ilya Kaminsky
When I asked this man what he missed most while living on the street, his answer surprised me.
stuckandmericle
Apr 15, 20202 min read
Day 14: Kissing a Horse by Robert Wrigley
How lucky was I to spend so many days of my childhood with horses?
stuckandmericle
Apr 14, 20204 min read
Day 13: The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll
So is it weird that this poem reminds me of my mom?
stuckandmericle
Apr 13, 20204 min read
Day 12: The Second Coming by W.B. Yeats
This Easter Sunday, you probably have plenty of feel-goods on your feed, so here I’m offering some balance! After all, why have hope when you could be hopeless?
stuckandmericle
Apr 12, 20202 min read
A Gift Guide for the Writer in Your Life
Is this basically Rachel's wish list? Why yes, yes it is. All prices are 'ish.' Engagement in Social Media: $0 This is free AND easy! Make a commitment to like/share a certain number of your writer's social media posts. Beta Reading: $0 A free and precious gift you can give is your response to your writer friend’s work. Offer to read a blog post, article, or query letter before she sends it off. If you’re feeling super generous with your time, offer to beta read my—erm, her—n
How to Be a Master Beta
It is best to do beta reading in a suit and in a building made of glass.
Book Research, Part 3
"We gabbled loudly over the whooshing white noise of my phone while crapping in synchronous harmony..."
Book Research: Part 2
Is it my hair?
Book Research: A Necessary Evil
AND THEY WERE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD FROM AGAIN...
The Plot Thickens and Thins
I know some people don’t derive the joy from spreadsheets that I do, and there are many different ways to plot.
Why I Write
Tiffany When I was a kid, I wanted to be just about everything when I grew up. Marine biologist, veterinarian, geologist, botanist, concert pianist, ballerina, Cyndi Lauper, a goat farmer. I especially longed to be a member of the crew of the Starship Enterprise. I had a chemistry set I played with, a microscope, a rock-tumbler, a collection of interesting plants, two snakes, and a pet rat. I lived for the joy that came with discovering something new, something I’d never seen
FaiLUre BuILds ChArActEr
Originally published October 19, 2016 Rachel Creating characters was both the easiest and most difficult part of collaborating on a novel. It is also what I would do completely differently if Tiff and I were beginning from scratch, or if I wanted to start writing with John Green who keeps bugging me to work with him. I’m like, “Chill, John! I’m super busy!” Characterization was easiest because we did it wrong. Kind of like how math is easy for me. Since this started out somew
First Blog Post: The Process
Rachel Like all brilliant ideas of the 21st century*, the decision to write a novel together occurred over a bottle of pinot noir and a bag of Taco Bell. I had been dreaming of writing a cheesy high school romance, but my snooty writer brain wouldn’t allow me to do it. So of course, I enlisted the help of my best friend. She was equally too snooty to write a YA romance on her own, but she was on board with my idea at the first nacho. (This was before we discovered the Cheesy
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