The books influencing my novel

The Digest: June 2025

I’ve talked about my novel, Dream Big, Inc., via the newsletter before.

Today, I crossed 300 pages in the first draft.

(And I’m still going on wrapping up the climax while feeling out character gaps as draft two problems.)

As you all know, I’m reading classic novels to pick up stylistic and structural tips on how to write better.

But in my recreational reading, I’ve accidentally been drawn to the same ideas, topics, and storylines I’m untangling in my novel-writing process.

My novel feels like a lot of ideas. I don’t know if this is good or not. (It’s a novel, not a philosophy textbook.)

My inner cheerleader-turned-editor says this conglomeration of ideas feels right for a first draft. Something happens to a writer, and they want to recreate that ethical question through characters.

Are there different answers to the same question? Of course.

So these are books I’ve absorbed in seeking answers to the questions I’m trying to answer via writing.

How do we continue to live life as usual whe…