Pessimism vs Optimism: the ultimate throwdown
May 2024
Hi friends,
Here we are, on the eve of The Mythic 3’s book birthday!!!
TOMORROW: Kit and the Nine-Tailed Fox releases in paperback and in audiobook.
I’m dancing—I’m that excited! There’s so much I adore about this book—the way it feels like a massive turning point for the series, the bonds of supportive friendship that get even stronger, the secrets that start to unfold, Kit’s hilarious narrative voice, and more more MORE (that ventures into spoiler territory).
Here is not a spoiler… a spread that I love:
I can’t wait to share this—and the rest of the words, illustrations, and audio—with you TOMORROW!
But right now, I briefly wanted to touch on a major theme of Kit’s character arc: pessimism.
Kit struggles with negativity. She knows that things don’t work out just because you want them to. Kit isn’t anxious (like Marina is) because she knows to expect the worst.
Sometimes I grapple with doom-and-gloom feelings too, especially around the publishing industry. My pessimism comes in the form of malaise. And when I get in a mood like that, it can start to feel like no matter how diligently I improve my craft, no matter how hard I promote my books, and no matter how much I try to grow into the best version of myself I can be, things might not work out.
I think pessimistic thoughts are natural. At least: they are to my brain. And while optimism is lovely and aspirational, there’s a point where it can become toxic. “Just think positively” and “just be happy” and “hope for the best” and “when you have a good attitude, good things will happen to you” are all REAL pieces of advice I’ve been told, all deeply unhelpful.
I used to think of my negativity as a thought spiral—something that pulls you down into the vortex.
Now I think of pessimism vs optimism as a game: a ping-pong match. Back and forth.
If I were to imagine—Inside Out style—a structured debate in my mind between different outlooks, then I’d have Pessimism on one side, and goodness, she is LOUD. Optimism takes the counterargument, a polite but firm competitor.
And let the Despair Debates begin! Over the years, some of them have looked like this:
I will fail. Why even bother?
vs.
Don’t worry about outcomes before you need to worry about them. You might not fail. But even if you do, you pick yourself up and try again.
I still have so far to go, and life is so short. I’m never going to get to where I want to be.
vs.
Life is a journey, not a destination. And look at how far you’ve already come.
Things don’t work out because you want them to.
vs.
But they might. And what if they *do*?
Once a midlist author, always a midlist author.
vs.
Somebody somewhere has got to have a lucky break after years of working hard. Why not me?
Bad things happen all the time. Even now—war, genocide, death, illness, bigotry—are everywhere, and you are powerless to stop it.
vs.
Maybe I’m powerless on a global scale, but what can I—a single, insignificant individual—do to help, to learn, to shout, to leave the world better than I found it?
(To that effect: I’ve just donated, via Operation Olive Branch, to two families in Gaza—to help them find safety and medical care. There are many families that need help, so please donate with me!)
Whenever I wrestle with my own outlook, sometimes the hopeful thought wins the match, and sometimes the gloomy one sticks around for a little bit. It depends on the day. And that’s okay.
I gave Kit, my main character of The Mythics 3, a similar type of internal struggle with pessimism. Kit’s snark—her humor—is her current defense mechanism, her way of deflecting her most cynical thoughts.
In Kit’s mind, when her friends are so upbeat about their mission and confident in their own abilities, what is wrong with her when she doubts that they’ll be able to defeat Golden Jumpsuit or save the world?
In short: there is nothing wrong with Kit… Even as she wrestles with her own inner despair, I think Kit is perfect, just the way she is. I am optimistic you’ll agree.
What I’m Writing
The Incorruptibles (Summer 2025): I’ve finished this particular round of revisions, and I’m waiting to hear back from my editor about the changes. Fingers crossed Editor Kara likes what I did! I also saw a cover sketch, and it was absolutely KICKASS.
The Mythics series (3/4ths available now): Book 3 is here!!!!! I am so excited to hear what you think of it. Please tag me and Mirelle Ortega in your pictures!
Marina and the Kraken and Hailey and the Dragon are out now!
Kit and the Nine-Tailed Fox is hot off the presses!
Ember and the Phoenix is available for preorder—arriving December 3rd.
Case Closed series (out now): Summer reading is coming up, and here’s your perennial reminder that the Case Closed books make the PERFECT choice for summer reading:
Why? Because they’re
1) highly interactive (the reader chooses what happens next)
2) puzzle-packed (math, logic, and word puzzles that the reader must solve to find their next page)
3) re-readable (four books in one)
What I hear all the time from parents is: “My kid was GLUED to this book. I’ve never seen them so immersed in a story before.” So if you don’t trust me, then trust the other parents, and click that button:
Horror Project: I’ve done a whole revision since I last sent out a newsletter. It’s with my agent again, reading stronger than ever. I’m hopeful, I’m excited, and I want to tell you more about it in the worst way. Secrets, secrets!
Trauma Project: Working on this now. It’s strange to be back in it after so much time away, but I also feel like I have distance and perspective. Sometimes that helps more than anything! This story is not as big and scary as it once was, neither on the page nor in my mind. I’m interested to see how my own personal evolution will affect the way this one turns out!
What I’m reading
Meet Me on Mercer Street by Booki Vivat: About a young artist whose best friend is missing, and the neighborhood is changing… and Kacie is trying to figure it out with the help of her colorful and hilarious sketchbook observations.
I adore this book. I’ve read it a few times now, and I love it so much that I blurbed it:
"A brilliant book about the strength of community―and the power of art to observe, inspire, and make change. Visually stunning, emotionally tender, and laugh-out-loud funny. Kacie is adorable, and Mercer Street is the place to be!" —Me
Now go meet me on Mercer Street!!!!
Keeping Pace by Laurie Morrison: About a perfectionist named Grace who narrowly loses the one academic award she was after. Frustrated, she uses her summer break to train for a marathon. Much to Grace’s dismay, her academic rival planning to run too. She has to beat him…
I love the upper middle grade space, and Laurie does this age group so fabulously!!! Keeping Pace is pitch perfect, capturing that unmooring transition time between middle school and high school, where a lot of growing up happens. The absolute highlight here for me was the sweet and bantery first crush!!! Friends -> rivals -> lovers fans, come here—this book is for you!
A Giveaway
If you missed it, I’m giving away 10 fox water bottles!!! They look like this, with a fox face on the front and a fox butt on the back:
To win one, all you have to do is 1) leave a review of The Mythics 3: Kit and the Nine-Tailed Fox on Amazon and 2) email a link of your review to laurenmagazinerassistant@gmail.com.
And that’s it! If you’re one of the first 10 (with a US mailing address), then the water bottle is YOURS.
Reviews can be long, or they can be short. Reviews could be about the experience you had while reading, or they could cover the way a kid felt about the book—I don’t give any fox (ha!) as long as the review is honest!
Easy Things You Can Do to Help Support Me
-Purchase the book (for yourself or a kiddo you know)
-Read the book you bought, or read it from the library
-Review the book on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, and your own social media
-Share my newsletter and social media posts
-Recommend my books (The Mythics, Case Closed, any!) to people you know IRL
-Invite me into your classroom/school (if you’re a teacher) or your kid’s classroom/school (if you’re a parent)
Whenever someone does any or all of these shows of support, I can’t even tell you how much I fully appreciate it with all my heart!!!!! Thanks for everything! <3
Happy reading! I hope you enjoy this tale of nine tails,
Lauren