And suddenly, it's May 2024
new drafts, writing setup, questions, & ttpd
Writing Updates
Well, with While We’re Young and Swiftie 4—which I promise does now have an official-official title, but I still don’t know its reveal date—off my desk, I am drafting my first book for 2026. And it’s hard! I am currently writing this newsletter to avoid working on it while also reassuring myself that I’m still doing my job.
*hums* I am so productive, it’s an art…
It’s not that I don’t like the concept or characters, I love them! It’s almost like I’m so excited for this project that I’m too afraid to dive into it. If I do say so myself, the banter between my FMC and MMC is white-hot, and I was surprised how quickly their rapport developed. I’m obsessed with my MMC. His name is Henry.
I think part of the hesitation is that I haven’t written a first draft in a over a year, I’ve just been revising 2025 stuff, so Perfectionist Kaethe is out in full force…and she needs to go away now. I stop thinking about writing a flawless first draft, and just write a first draft!
My other reservation is that I will be stretching myself by writing a romantic trope that I’ve never successfully written before, which is also a trope that I don’t normally gravitate toward as a reader. But I think it is the perfect one for this book, so I’m going to shoot my shot.
Funnily enough, I feel more confident after typing all this. So tomorrow, not today, because I’m going to fold laundry after this, I’m going to get it together and type a lot of words. And I’m going to change the font to something fun. Times New Roman makes me feel like I’m on a deadline, which I am, but maybe Garamond will work some magic!
And Another Thing!
I now have a standing desk! It was always in the pipeline to try, but my writing posture has been terrible so I finally bought one and watched C assemble it. My routine is now sitting in the morning (in my TikTok shop criss-cross chair, which I don’t think does my back many favors but I still love it) and then I raise the desk after lunch. I bought a padded floor mat for my feet, which has been a game-changer.
Now I wish I could get a walking pad, but truthfully I don’t think I’m coordinated enough to write and walk at the same time. Either no work is getting done, or I’m going to go sailing off that thing.
Reader Q&A
Is your last name pronounced like “Walter” or “Walth-er” or something else?
It’s pronounced “Walth-er” with a hard “th.” But it is mistaken for “Walter” all the time, and people also like to tack an “s” onto it. “Walthers” or “Walters.” I remember I was so nervous it would be mispronounced at my college graduation, but not only did the professor recognize the surname, she also pronounced it in its native German. “Valter.”
Thoughts on The Tortured Poets Department?
It has been a lot to unpack, but grows on me with every listen! Lyrically, she is in a league of her own (I mention my current favorites later in this newsletter). The book/movie edits I’m now seeing on TikTok kill me. “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and there was a “loml” for Jo and Laurie…
No one ever asks about Josh and Leda. How are they doing?
After getting married this past October (see here) and honeymooning in South Africa, Josh and Leda are planning a summer trip to the Azores. But Leda refuses to call it a “babymoon,” because she does not follow trends like that…
Any exciting summer plans?
I am moving to California next month, so a cross-country roadtrip is on the horizon! In a twenty-foot U-Haul! Towing a car!
What Taylor Swift song represents each romance? (Ex. Mer and Wit)
I love this question (and am totally cheating by doing multiple songs for each), but I do want to note that I have my own interpretations of Taylor’s songs; as a listener, I appreciate (and am fascinated by) her Apple Music playlists and Swiftie TikTok theories, but as a writer, I don’t subscribe to them. Once I select songs for my books, they become all about the characters.
Maybe Meant to Be (2020)
The “umbrella” song for this book is “You Belong With Me (Taylor’s Version,” but breaking it down by couple…
Nick & Sage: “Sparks Fly (Taylor’s Version)” x “It’s Nice to Have a Friend”
Luke & Charlie: “Out of the Woods (Taylor’s Version)” x “Sweet Nothing”
The Summer of Broken Rules (2021)
Meredith & Wit: “Hey Stephen (Taylor’s Version)” x “Lover”
What Happens After Midnight (2023)
Lily & Tag, I’m sorry I’m choosing four: “the 1” x “Mastermind” x “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version)” x “Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
What are some aspects of life that you haven’t explored yet in your books but want to in the future?
Right now, I have two. First, a tight-knit grandmother-granddaughter relationship. My dad’s mother passed away a few months ago, and I’m really missing her. We were very close. I loved writing Honey, Meredith’s grandmother, but Mer is one of many grandchildren; out of five, I was my nana’s first grandchild/granddaughter, so it’s a different dynamic I’m eager to explore.
Second, epilepsy. I was diagnosed at nine, and I never found myself on the young adult shelf. It made me feel alone, since I didn’t know anyone else epileptic in real life. The closest thing was Harry Potter and his inability to master occlumency, giving Voldemort access to his brain…which is really not relatable at all! So, writing an epileptic MC is on my bucket list.
Will Pravika ever introduce Lily and Mer?
Definitely! The scenario is something like…Meredith’s best friend Katie is getting married…Mer mentions it to Pravika…and Pravika recommends an artist for the invitations. One of her best friends from high school is a stationery designer…she sends Mer Lily’s portfolio and info to pass along to Katie. I imagine they all meet in-person on the Vineyard at some point.
If you could be included in one of your books, which would it be and why?
What Happens After Midnight. I don’t love my other books any less, but I drew a lot of inspiration and observations from my real life for them, so I feel like I’ve lived in them (if that makes sense). WHAM, on the other hand, is a piece of my dad’s life. He stole his boarding school’s yearbooks his senior year, and his roommate/student body president recovered them via campus scavenger hunt (though I think he would agree that Tag’s clues were wittier than his “go to the tennis court”- style notes). My siblings and I were obsessed with his dinner table retellings, and even today, I would’ve loved to participate in something so epic. Because, like Lily, I was a goody-two-shoes.
My Bookshelf
I went to an Emily Henry midnight release party for Funny Story, which was a ton of fun! It was at Inkwood Books, one of my favorite indie bookstores. I hadn’t been in a while, so I loved discovering their “spice” scale, which is too amazing not to share…
Anyway, I started Funny Story and have lost count of how many times I’ve laughed, but I’ve been reading at a glacial pace so my sister has stolen it from me. Her friend has been waiting so they can buddy read together.
Daphne and Miles, I promise I’ll be back!
My Playlist
Let’s focus on The Tortured Poets Department, shall we?
“So Long, London” - Honestly, this was exactly what I hoped it’d be (and I had high expectations). The lyrics and music are heartbreaking, beautiful, intelligent, and ethereal. AD, you’re the man.
"The Tortured Poets Department" - It’s a bop, okay?!
"The Black Dog" - I wasn’t keen on this for my first couple listens, but now I think it’s a masterpiece.
"I Can Do It With A Broken Heart" - Added this to my running playlist!
“The Alchemy” - I choose to believe this is about Travis, and that makes me smile.
Bonus Content
Deleted scene with *SPOILERS* (so maybe skip if you have What Happens After Midnight on your TBR). This excerpt was in WHAM's original draft, but as always, certain parts needed to be cut so I didn't overshoot my word-count. I still really love this conversation between Lily and Tag, set after the yearbooks are rediscovered and distributed to the student body…
It was impossible to thoroughly read the Almanac in one afternoon, so Ames celebrated the last day of classes on Wednesday by continuing to pour over the yearbook’s pages. Even the underclassmen temporarily suspended studying for their exams. I hung out in the Circle for a while, laughing with classmates as we doodled our names in each other’s books, but I spent more time with Tag. We sat together on his windowsill and looked through my copy together, his arm warm around my waist and chin resting on my shoulder. “Ten categories,” I said. “You won ten categories!”
“Yeah, because ‘Most Likely To Be Caught In The Tabloids’ is a win,” he deadpanned. “Hops, there’s only one victory here.” His index finger punched the page, and I reached up to tousle his hair. During the senior superlative preview Daniel had given me, he’d neglected to mention that Tag and I had won “Should Get Back Together.”
My favorite section was the Remember When… photo montage. It only featured the seniors, but the pictures had been taken back when we were freshmen. There was Zoe doing a handstand in the dining hall, and Pravika’s eyes squeezed shut while I did her makeup and Zoe gave her a haircut. I pointed out a Halloween shot of Tag and Alex. In togas and sunglasses, they were absolute babies trying to pull off a casual lean against one of the auditorium’s columns.
“We look exceptional,” Tag said.
“Are they douchebags?” I wondered aloud. “Or dorks?”
“Hey, that’s our brand!”
I laughed, but soon gasped in horror when a shock of pink hit me. “Oh my god, what is happening here?”
“I believe you are in the Circle playing soccer,” Tag said.
“Yes, but in that outfit?”
Because rather than sporting gym clothes, I wore a houndstooth miniskirt and cream sweater under my mom’s pink teddy bear coat. I’d also chosen red lipstick for the occasion. But I was laughing as I ran and passed off the ball to someone, my long hair flying behind me. A few fallen leaves had gotten caught in it. The late autumn sunlight made the photo glow.
My voice was faint. “You took this, didn’t you?”
“I did,” he said. “It was for my photography class, but I ended up turning in something else.” He touched the picture. “This was mine.”
“I know the feeling,” I whispered, thinking of my charcoal sketch. It was a piece of my heart on paper; I didn’t want anyone critiquing it.
“Sometimes all of this seems like yesterday,” he commented. “Other times it feels like ages ago.” He glanced over his shoulder to look back into his room, and I followed suit to admire the multitudes of photos stuck to the far wall. I loved the photos he’d slyly posted in my room the most, but he and Alex had created quite the high school yearbook over our time at Ames.
The top left corner had been stripped, though. With his abundance of spare time, Tag had started the move-out process.
He started rubbing my back, sensing my sudden unease. “Are you ready?” he asked after a few beats.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m excited for a new school with different people and opportunities and an entire city to explore, but…” My stomach squirmed. “Ames is my home.”
Just the thought of leaving tied a knot in my chest, one so tight that you couldn’t untangle. Because I was going to miss it—I was going to miss it all. Waking up to the sound of the sea, speed-walking through the faculty neighborhood so I wouldn’t be late for class, laugh-filled lunches with Zoe and Pravika, inside-jokes with Alex, and stealing glances at Tag. Coming home to find Josh in the kitchen and takeout menus in the trash. The DeLucas’ pool parties, Mr. and Madame Hoffman walking their toy poodles, Penny Bickford’s effortless elegance, and Bunker with his whiskey and words of wisdom.
And my mom. I couldn’t imagine not seeing her for so long; I didn’t want to imagine it, let alone experience it. No, I wanted to make her overnight oats and omelets for breakfast, see her with her students during the day, and watch TV together after finishing my homework. I wanted her to steal my nail polish and jewelry and not even feel guilty about it. I wanted to hear her bicker with Josh about her daily caffeine intake, be a tiny bit annoyed when she invited the entire neighborhood over for dinner, and goof around together like best friends.
I wanted a hug whenever I needed one.
“What about you?” I asked Tag. “You’re ready, right?”
His answer surprised me. “No, actually,” he said. “I’m not.” He chuckled. “I probably should be, especially since I’ve been imprisoned in this room, but I’m not. The idea of not living with Alex, of being apart from Alex…” He sighed. “I feel like I’ll need an instruction manual for how to make friends. He and I immediately were friends. I mean, I’ll be friends with the swim team, but I’m nervous about the rest. Here, it’s so easy.” He paused. “Here, it’s home.”
My heart swelled.
“I can’t begin to put myself in your shoes,” he continued, “but when I’m back in Chicago, I wish I were here instead. When I’m with my friends there, I think of the comments my friends here would make if we were having the same conversation.” He closed his eyes. “I miss you and Josh cooking dinner together while your mom and I find the perfect playlist. I miss taking naps in your room after going to the movies on Sunday afternoon.” His voice quieted. “And just when I feel like I’m about to get that all back, here we are, about to graduate.”
“You have it back,” I assured him. “You might not be able to participate right now, but it’s all yours.” I laced our fingers together. “Come here for school breaks, come home for school breaks. Or, you know, home to Montana if that’s where we’ll be.”
One corner of Tag’s mouth tugged up. “And what about during the semester?”
I waved him off. “Oh, I have that totally figured out. It’s a two-hour train ride to UVA from Georgetown, which is nothing. I’ll do homework and then wistfully stare out the window. Penny says that traveling by train will always be—”
Tag slung an arm around my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. I could feel him smiling, so I smiled back and we laughed before the moment deepened. My body began humming, but something blocked me from smoothly sliding onto Tag’s lap.
The Almanac sitting between us. It was still open to the Remember When… segment. “Wait!” Tag’s voice stopped me from closing the yearbook. “Look, right there.”
He didn’t need to further guide my gaze; I found us, standing outside my house on freshmen formal night. Tag had come to pick me up for the dance and my mom had “portrait mode” ready on her phone before he’d even knocked on the door. “I’m so happy he got up the guts to ask you,” I remembered her saying. “Because if he hadn’t, Lil, I would seriously be stepping in to play matchmaker…”
“God, I’m sorry,” Tag said now.
“For what?” I asked.
“For getting us caught during the prank,” he answered. “If I hadn’t messed up, we would be going to prom tomorrow night.”
“Tag, no,” I said, shaking my head. “Please don’t apologize. I don’t want you to apologize.” I fiddled with the hem of his white T-shirt. “If you hadn’t messed up, I’m not sure we’d be sitting here right now. I’d like to think we would, but I don’t know.”
Because if everything with the scavenger hunt didn’t happen, would we have talked like we did? Would we have found our way back to each other? Or would we have left Ames in seemingly unrequited love?
“Plus, we don’t need to go to prom,” I told him. “We don’t need a prom picture.” I pointed at our formal photo, remembering the shiver and shimmer I felt when Tag first took my hand. “Because this one”—I winked at him—“will always be our style."
Cheers,
Kaethe