Follow the Story (and the Pickles)

I'm back from a trip to New York City — part planned, part improvised, and somehow... a full-blown literary adventure.

We had tickets to see Othello (Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal — still reveling in the wonder of it).

A stop at The Strand was on the map for serious book browsing.  

The New York Public Library was another planned destination — though we didn’t realize we’d stumble into an incredible exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of The New Yorker.

And then — thanks to my brilliant travel buddy Lauren — we detoured to Sweet Pickle Books, a tiny Lower East Side treasure where the motto is Eat more pickles, read more books. (Only in New York.)

This trip was the perfect reminder:  

Planning gets you moving. Openness makes it memorable.

It’s the same with writing.

You can sketch a plan, have an idea where you're headed — but the magic happens when you stay open to the unexpected turns.

The quirky side streets. The surprising characters. The story you didn’t even know you were trying to tell.

Follow the story.

Follow the pickles.

Leave a little room for wonder.

Your story deserves to shine on your website, offers, and wherever your people find you. Email me at judi@judi411.com if you're ready for words that work (without doing all the work). I’m here for it.