by Suzanne Lieurance
June has five Mondays, and we’re making the most of them.
There was no Writers’ Book Chat in May — Memorial Day fell on our last Monday of the month, so we gave ourselves the holiday. But June more than makes up for it. With five Mondays on the calendar, we’re fitting in two book chats this month, and both books are by the same author: Austin Kleon.
Everything is Centered Around Our Monthly Themes
Before I tell you about the books, I want to let you in on something you might not realize about Write by the Sea.
Everything here — the Morning Nudge emails, the Monday Morning Manifestors sessions, Manifesting Monthly magazine, the monthly writing challenges, and yes, the book chats — is planned around a single monthly theme. Each month, that theme is chosen to move you one step closer to your writing goals. The books we discuss in our Writers’ Book Chat aren’t random picks. They’re chosen specifically because they deepen and extend whatever we’ve been exploring together that month.
Which brings us to Austin Kleon — and a little story about how May’s book ended up in June.
If you haven’t discovered him yet, you’re in for a treat. He writes short, punchy, visually rich books about creativity — the kind you finish in an afternoon and think about for months.
Here’s what we’ll be chatting about:
Monday, June 23 — Steal Like an Artist
Steal Like an Artist was our May book, chosen to complement May’s theme of Creative Capacity. His premise is simple but quietly radical: nothing is truly original, and the sooner you embrace that, the freer you’ll be as a creative person. When Memorial Day landed on our last Monday of the month, we lost our chat date — but we didn’t want to lose this book. It’s too good, and it has too much to offer writers who are working to expand what they believe they’re capable of creating.
Monday, June 30 — Show Your Work
Show Your Work, the follow-up to Steal Like an Artist was always planned for June, and it couldn’t be a better fit for our June theme: Visibility as a Writer. Kleon makes a compelling case for why putting your work out into the world — even when it’s messy and unfinished — is one of the most powerful things a creative person can do. If visibility feels scary or uncomfortable to you, this book was practically written for this conversation.
Two books, two themes, one month — and together they tell a complete story. First you expand your creative capacity. Then you find the courage to let the world see what you’ve made.
Both chats happen during our Monday Morning Manifestors live sessions on Zoom. If you’re already a member, mark your calendar. If you’re not yet a member, this is a wonderful reason to join — you’ll get to experience firsthand how all of the pieces at Write by the Sea fit together, all working in the same direction, all working for you.
Join Monday Morning Manifestors here.
Grab your copies, get reading, and we’ll see you on Zoom.
Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books and a transformational Law of Attraction coach for writers who are ready to stop waiting to feel like the real thing. At Write by the Sea, she guides writers through the identity shift that changes everything — not just the writing, but the whole life built around it. She is the publisher of Manifesting Monthly magazine and the host of Monday Morning Manifestors.
