A note from Jane
Do you ever receive compliments that make you realize something has gone wrong?
Sometimes people compliment me on how quickly I respond to emails, but if that compliment comes through too often, it’s a sign I don’t have my priorities straight. I don’t want to die with people praising me for email responsiveness.
For that reason, dealing with incoming email has long been the last task of my day, after I finish everything else. That means if priority work takes longer, or something unexpected happens, I simply don’t get to email. This does cause problems at times, but the trade-off has been worth it.
On podcasts and other interviews, I’m sometimes asked how I can be so productive. This is also meant as a compliment, but I worry about this one as well. It’s probably because I filter all such comments through a memento mori lens. Do I want this sentiment to appear on my tombstone or in the first line of my obituary, that I was seen as immensely productive?
Knowing how I want to be remembered helps me stay on track.
Jane
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Jane’s Electric Speed List
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It’s not too soon to think about holiday gifts
If you love advent calendars, don’t miss this offering from Kinda Kawaii: it’s a bookstore stationery shop!
Wisdom on aging from women over 70
In the last issue of Electric Speed, I shared an article on 27 notes about aging. That prompted the following recommendation from reader Peter Werrenrath: “I thought you and your readers might enjoy this: the gals at Women Over 70 inspire thoughtful aging with humor, compassion and intelligence. And, if you are interested, you can hear my mom’s words of wisdom on aging by searching for Elizabeth Werrenrath. She was interviewed at 110, and she’s now 111.” —Peter Werrenrath
A thoughtful look at the nature of time and how social media warps our sense of time
I’m rather sparing in my use of social media these days, but this article by Gurwinder has made me even more attentive to what I’m doing when I open such apps. He writes, “The problem is not just that time passes us by; we pass time by, because we’d rather do other things than worry about it. So how do we keep ourselves committed to a long and memorable life? How do we remember to remember?” Highly recommend especially if you keep memento mori.
Attention all US authors whose books may have been trained on by AI
As some of you may know, a US federal court recently found that AI company Anthropic infringed authors’ and publishers’ copyrights by downloading millions of books from Library Genesis and Pirate Library Mirror to train their AI model. (Learn more about Bartz v. Anthropic.) The court also certified a class comprised of all rights holders of copyright-registered books downloaded by Anthropic from these sites.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys are now collecting contact information from all US authors and publishers who may be part of the class to ensure that they receive official notices in the case going forward and have the opportunity to opt out or to stay in the suit and receive their share of the award. The attorneys have created a website where rights holders can confidentially provide this information.
Any author who believes they may be part of the class should sign up at the website. (You don’t have to know for sure.)
Mastering the Art of the Synopsis with Jessica Strawser / Sept. 10, 1–2:30 p.m. EDT
It’s one of the most despised documents of all time: the synopsis. Agents and editors sometimes ask fora synopsis because they need to know—from beginning to end—what happens in your novel or memoir.
The synopsis reassures publishing professionals (before they spend time reading your manuscript) that the way your story plays out lives up to your query letter’s pitch, with character actions and motivations that are realistic and make sense. It shows them the scope of your work and how well it is paced. And it might reveal big problems in your story—e.g., “it was just a dream” endings, lack of plausibility, a category romance ending in divorce. It can also reveal wonderfully complex characters and masterful plotting.
In this 90-minute live class with Jessica Strawser, you’ll go beyond the basics of what a synopsis should include to learn how to write a synopsis that’s lean, powerful, and engaging.
Your turn: graphic novels and memoirs
In the last issue, I asked if you have a graphic novel or graphic memoir to recommend. Here’s a selection of what you said.
- Maus by Art Spiegelman is really the granddaddy of the genre. Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home (spoiler alert: not all fun). They Called Us Enemy by George Takei is a book for these times.Sister Helen Prejean’s classic account of the death penalty is due out in a new graphic adaptation at the end of October. I wrote the script for Dead Man Walking Graphic Edition, the illustrations are by award winning artist, Catherine Anyango Grünewald. —Rose Vines
- I got started with graphic novels and memoirs with the complete Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, about Satrapi’s experiences during the Iran revolution. Can highly recommend, especially now. Currently I’ve been following indie comics artists, and love the sci-fi story Drive by Dave Kellett for its cute, funny yet poignant story. For a sweet twist on paranormal romance, Fangs by Sarah Andersen. —Heather CF Button
- Yes Is More is a graphic novel about the work of Bjarke Ingels Group, a well-known architectural firm based in Copenhagen. Using the graphic novel format let them put commentary over sketches, drawings, and photographs and describe how they designed their building projects in such a interesting way I had never seen done before. —Todd Sattersten
- Kelcey Ervick’s The Keeper is excellent and such an engaging and important read, especially now as we look at the shut down of civil rights and liberties. —Darien Gee
- Since a lot of my columns are about conservation and environmental justice, the graphic memoir Holler by Denali Sai Nalamalapu really intrigues me. —Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
- Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton is an engrossing graphic memoir. Set in Alberta, Canada, during the two years Beaton spent working (to pay off her student loans!) in the country’s messy male-dominated oil industry, an environment rife with sexual harassment, isolation, and exploitation of the land and its people. —Andrea Firth
- Good Talk by Mira Jacob. I loved it for its thought-provoking content and its innovative visual style/choice. —Cynthia Morris
- Graphic novels aren’t usually a go-to genre for me but I love love love anything and everything by Lynda Barry. My Perfect Life and Come Over, Come Over were key to me surviving high school (and beyond). —Katel LeDû
- I highly recommend Bloody Mary, the graphic novel by German author Kristina Gehrmann about England’s Bloody Mary Tudor. The look of that girl on the cover! —Gesine Schulz
- The graphic novel memoir Stitches by David Small was an NBA finalist. I read it years ago and the book left quite an impression on me with its portrayal of difficult events from his life. —Yvonne Ventresca
- Paying the Land by Joe Sacco, about the complicated history and present of the arctic. —Cate P.
Next question: This question comes from reader Jane R. Snyder: “I have been collecting quotations on index cards (remember those?) since junior high school. I’d love you to ask your readers what is their most favorite.” Hit reply and let me know—I will give preference to shorter quotes for inclusion in the next issue.
Do you have a question you would like Jane to ask all readers? Offer up your suggestion, and she might feature it.
Free resources featuring Jane
Upcoming online classes
Meet Jane at an event
- Craft & Publishing Voyage (cruise ship!), Aug. 27–Sept. 3, 2025
- PNWA Conference (Seattle, WA), Sept. 11–14, 2025
- New Frontiers in Writing (Amarillo, TX), Sept. 26, 2025
- Red Pencil Conference (Seattle metro area), Nov. 8, 2025
“At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential.”
—Marshall McLuhan
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