Inspiration & Perspiration:
Danielle Trussoni’s Newsletter

July 18th, 2020

“Genius is 1 Percent Inspiration and 99 Percent Perspiration.”
– Thomas Edison

Good morning from the writing cave, where I am staring at a vase of blue hydrangeas and trying to make progress on my new novel.

This has been a busy week for me. I’ve been writing the first draft of a new novel, which has been both exciting and frustrating. Exciting because I love the story, but frustrating because, well, writing is hard and I find myself spending hours and hours at my desk and often see only a page or a page and a half of writing at the end. Writing a novel requires that one looks at the long game and while I do measure my daily word count, I try to see the bigger picture rather than get caught up on details, especially in the early stages.

I had a welcome distraction in the new novel Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It is a beautiful and spooky novel, one that feels very close in spirit to The Ancestor.

If you liked The Ancestor, I am certain you will like Mexican Gothic.

And here is my weekly request for reviews! If you have read The Ancestor, I would be so grateful if you would review it on Amazon or Goodreads. Every review helps me reach new readers. Here are links for you to follow to review

I’ve been inspired this week by the research I’m doing for my novel. I’m reading old biblical texts mostly, but while reading about 19th century antiques, I found this photo of a Victorian locket with hair folded into the back. I want to find some way to incorporate it into my new novel!

I’ve also been inspired this week by memories of Yaakov Sullivan, a friend and neighbor who died recently of cancer. He was a funny and lighthearted guy who spoke French with my husband and worked at the local wine store Palate. He lived around the corner from us and would sometimes stop by to hang out on our porch. We will miss him.

As Covid-19 infections grow, I hope you and your family are safe. We are still in lockdown here in the Hudson Valley. Our part of New York is in stage 3 of reopening: we have outdoor dining at restaurants, and everyone is required to wear a mask when going into a store or restaurant.

I feel incredibly lucky to be able to work through this time, and I know that there are many out there struggling. I hope that you are able to find some peace during so much tumult.

Being in nature, reading books, writing, reflecting—these solitary activities are keeping me sane. I’d love to hear from you about what you’re doing to keep your equilibrium during this time. What are you reading? What are you watching on TV? What are you doing to stay connected to the world?

If you are looking for a way to stay connected, and would like guidance with your writing, you might consider taking one of my writing workshops this fall. I am offering two: fiction and nonfiction. Here are the details and, of course, email me if you have questions.

Thank you for sharing my week!

Yours,
Danielle Trussoni