A note from Jane
Something happened when I turned 35, I don’t know what, but I stopped going to the movies. Once a year is now a high frequency for me.
It would be easy to complain in the abstract—they don’t make good movies any more—but really, the type of movie I enjoy is not all that prevalent (or at least not on my radar). I realized this when talking with a friend about whether we can generalize the “type” of movie we like. For him, it’s dark crime procedurals. For me, it’s decision-making in problematic relationships (romantic, family, friend, or work).
In early 2004 I recall seeing the trailer for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, set to “Mr. Blue Sky” by the Electric Light Orchestra. I immediately visited its enigmatic website and marked my calendar for the release. It became one of my favorite movies of all time. (I felt the same way about a movie released a few years later, Once. RIP Glen Hansard.)
These days, I enjoy stories about problematic relationships through TV series: Somebody Somewhere, Six Feet Under (another favorite of all time), My Brilliant Friend, Pachinko, and—most recently—DTF St. Louis.
But for my once-a-year experiment (trying to keep an open mind), I went to see The Odyssey at an IMAX theatre. It somehow felt necessary to remain in the English major club. But I should’ve put more stock in my initial reaction to its trailer: it’s a fine blockbuster and not for me.
Jane
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Jane’s Electric Speed List
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Countdown timer for Zoom meetings & classes
Last week I hosted Leslye Penelope’s class on Writing From Your Why, and during the in-class writing exercises, she launched a timer visible to everyone as part of the screen share. Now that was a trick I hadn’t seen before. I asked her how she did it, and it’s a native functionality of Canva slide presentations. Zoom offers something similar if you look in the app marketplace, but it’s not as elegant.
BeltScape & PedalScape for your gym time
Whether you use a treadmill, bike, or some other cardio equipment, you might enjoy this site of free scenic walks, runs, and rides.
Another recommendation for digitizing handwriting: Rocketbook
From reader Strata Chalup: “I missed your question on digitizing handwriting, and I was surprised in the answers to see that nobody mentioned Rocketbook. I have no affiliation with them, just a very happy user of their products. They make notebooks in a variety of sizes and shapes, and have versions in some popular planner types such as Panda Planner. They have sticky notes as well, and graph paper, lined paper, notebook paper, etc. The pages feel very much like paper, and are erasable with water, provided you write with Pilot FriXion pens. There is a companion phone app that you use to photograph each page and then the magic happens. The app can do various things based on symbols on the bottom of each page—email you a PDF, save a transcript to Google Docs, etc. You set up what each symbol does in the app, and then on each page you mark the symbol you want to use. A QR code keeps each page unique for digitizing in the app. I have been a fan for years.”
82 sentences taken from the last statements of people executed by Texas
I stumbled on this poem in the New York Review of Books, “82 Sentences, Each Taken from the Last Statement of a Person Executed by the State of Texas Since 1984” by Joe Kloc.
Next online class: The Writer’s Survival Guide to Contracts, Legal Issues & Other Business Basics
- Taught by: Jane Friedman
- Ideal for: Writers of all skill levels and genres who want to feel more confident and informed about publishing contracts and other legal issues that affect their writing.
- Jane says: I’ve developed this new class based on cornerstone information found in my book, The Business of Being a Writer.
- When: Thursday, August 6, 1:00–2:30 p.m. EDT, or wait for the recording delivered the following week
Your turn: audio recording in the field
In the last issue, reader Pete Millspaugh asked, “What audio recording device do you use in the field, both for transcribing your own thoughts and recording interview subjects? I’m not quite satisfied with Apple Voice Memos.” Here’s a sampling of what you said.
- I’m currently using Google’s AI Edge Eloquent. It’s free (major plus!), listens incredibly well, filtering out background sounds. I’ve been using it to dictate while I’m out walking the dog. It keeps your original track on device, and uses on-board AI to clean it up. You can copy and export the text. It’s really useful having the original to refer back to, to jog your memory when the AI “corrects” what it thinks you’ve said. Oh, and did I mention it’s free?! —Matthew Goodall
- I was using a TASCAM professional recorder, but it was easier to use my iPhone and the sound is just as good when using the Shure MV88, a small mic that plugs directly into your phone (you might have to take the case off) and uses its own app, Motiv Audio. The sound is excellent, and I got clear individual voices in a crowded convention center ballroom at lunchtime. —Allison K Williams
- I recently purchased the Soundcore Work and I absolutely love it. I bought it specifically to record my thoughts, ideas, and meanderings for my writing. I’m looking forward to taking it to Scotland next month to record my ramblings. Previously I was dictating into Apple Notes but there were too many times when my phone and my body were in different locations! —Laura Gail Eagleton
Back when I was teaching e-media majors, Zoom products (not to be confused with Zoom the web app) were considered best. I bought one of the handheld recorders, but eventually decided the iPhone was good enough for my purposes. Zoom remains top-notch, just pricey.
Next question: For those of you with smartwatches, do you have a favorite app you consistently use, aside from the health and fitness apps? Hit reply and let me know.
Do you have a tools or resources question you would like me to ask all readers? Offer up your suggestion, and I might feature it.
Free resources featuring Jane
Upcoming online classes
Meet Jane at an event
- Romance Writers of Australia (Darwin, Australia), Aug. 21–23, 2026
- Queensland Writers Centre (Brisbane, Australia), Aug. 24–25, 2026
- AALA People of Publishing (NYC), Sept. 30, 2026 (reporting)
- Author Nation (Las Vegas), November 10–13, 2026
- AWP Bookfair & Conference (Chicago), March 17–20, 2027
“At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential.”
—Marshall McLuhan
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Created by Jane Friedman
I report on the publishing industry and help authors understand the business of writing. My newsletter that helps pay the bills is The Bottom Line, which recently discussed how publishers can support collaborative marketing among authors.
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