How a Rom-Com Novel Got Me Writing Again

I recently finished reading a book called “By The Book” by Jasmine Guillory. Published by Disney, the book is a loose, contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast. If you want to pick up a delightfully fluffy story with a smattering of Disney’s intellectual properties/copyrighted characters, this one’s for you.

In the book, our protagonist, Izzy (our “Belle”), is a book editor who’s tasked with getting her publisher’s celebrity client, Beau — the “Beast” — to write a memoir. It’s a heartwarming, cheesy read, but it left an impact on me.

Izzy sought to inspire her client to write, but she, too, was a writer. However, she’d given up on her dream, thinking her writing was sub-par.

Her tips, though, were spot on:

• Show up every day, even if you don’t feel like it. Consistency is key.

• You can write out of order. Put pen to paper and just write something.

• The first draft isn’t supposed to be perfect. Write now, edit later.

Inevitably, Izzy returns to her writing, and finds inspiration to keep on. I resonated a lot with her challenges, and just a day after finishing the book, I actually pulled out my laptop, brainstormed ideas, and wrote. Little by little, I’m showing up, and I encourage you to do the same, too.

I myself have a ways to go, but I must admit it feels great to flex my writing muscle and put my writing out there.

I was given this itch to write, and it feels good to scratch it. Little did I know a rom-com would be the thing to get me started.