<![CDATA[Letters from Rome : Writing in Rome: A Book in Progress]]>https://michelleciani.substack.com/s/writing-in-rome-a-book-in-progresshttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9y8d!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb9c344a1-f6f3-4681-a8c4-c892dbaa029e_1000x1000.pngLetters from Rome : Writing in Rome: A Book in Progresshttps://michelleciani.substack.com/s/writing-in-rome-a-book-in-progressSubstackFri, 10 Jul 2026 10:04:12 GMT<![CDATA[Writing in Rome .04]]>https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-04https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-04Wed, 27 May 2026 17:24:55 GMT
A neighborhood macelleria below a Roman apartment building with brick walls, balconies, shutters, and trees framing the façade.
this week was a bit of a macello… photo of a macelleria or butcher’s store front and you know me always looking for cool typography, Rome 2026

This week was un macello, a slang word used by Romans to describe a chaotic situation or a big mess (derived from the word for slaughterhouse and the root of the word macelleria) which is how this week felt.

It was a hard week. I had trouble sticking to my plan, that is, sticking to my manuscript and to my daily schedule. News flash: The manuscript bores me… and I can’t really see the book anymore.

I am heart-broken. I realize that might sound like too much but it’s true; I feel like I have just broken up with my first love. I have cried, a lot.

I think what happened is that I spent so much time refining this book concept into a book proposal back in 2024 that now I feel there is nothing left to say. I feel as though I have distilled it in me, and now I am having trouble expanding it. Like, I’m over it.

I think I am really at a crossroads. There have been days in which I’ve been gripped with fear

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]]><![CDATA[Writing in Rome .03]]>https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-03https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-03Tue, 26 May 2026 07:52:41 GMT
A Roman balcony railing seen through a sheer curtain, with soft reflections of sunlit buildings and blue sky in the glass.
a view into my writer self, sometimes not seeing clearly, Rome April 2026

Self-doubt reigned supreme this week.

I recovered the writing hours I missed during the week and even exceeded them over the weekend, but in doing so I also realized something so obviously crucial: this pace is not sustainable! How do those writers who just sit and write for hours at a time do it??

By Sunday, I found myself working on the book for nearly two more hours when what I truly needed was one full day away from the project entirely. I need to protect that day, even if the weekly writing hours are imperfect.

Discipline is required to write a book. But so are flexibility, kindness, and realistic expectations for me.

Working from home creates a strange fluidity between life and writing. My home tasks suddenly feel urgent – especially when Jasper the Cat is hungry! It is infinitely easier to clean the cat litter, hang laundry, answer messages, or organize the kitchen than it is to sit down and face the manuscript. I can see this clearly now.

I notice that because I don’t have a dedicated studio or office, I often treat writing as something that I can catch up on later, after errands, appointments, the market, or daily life. But my writing does not respond well to leftover energy. I totally know this but am forgetting to treat my writing as my job. This has been the story of my (writing) life.

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]]><![CDATA[Writing in Rome 02]]>https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-02https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-02Sun, 17 May 2026 19:49:43 GMT
elegant wooden entry doors with shiny bronze handles building in Rome
the entry to the book journey

I am tired.

I took one full day of rest, separate from writing, and felt guilty. That is not the sort of writer I want to be. I want to write in ease. I want to be well-rested and filled with vigor and eagerness. I want to be healthy! I want to see this book project through. I know this book journey will be a marathon and I want to be kind with myself throughout. I am a very disciplined and driven person. I learned to be this way; it is not my nature. It has served me well in my life. I have done some pretty amazing things because of this capacity. But I have also suffered because of this, been depleted, and my body has taken the hit in the past. I know I will need to be mindful of this, and go gently; be the tortoise. That is my nature and want to honor it as well as I move forward.

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]]><![CDATA[Writing in Rome 01]]>https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-01https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-01Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:54:37 GMT

Faded Madonna fresco on a historic building facade in Rome with decorative architectural details and aged textures
a prayer to write this book, roma 2026

This first week, I began by gathering everything I’ve got. This includes my hopes, desires, discipline and stamina!

I consolidated all of my writing around a draft manuscript, pulling transcripts and pieces from different documents into one place. I returned to my book proposal and worked from an outline, using it as…

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]]><![CDATA[Writing in Rome]]>https://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-7aahttps://michelleciani.substack.com/p/writing-in-rome-7aaSun, 26 Apr 2026 15:40:22 GMT
stacks of antique leather bound books son a desk
leather bound books on a table at Marsh’s Library in Dublin, from a trip there in 2024, the year I wrote my book proposal

Hello and welcome to Writing in Rome, a space that hosts my Diary of a Book in the Making. I’ve opened this space to keep track of the writing, for accountability and a bit of company along the way. Writing is a solitary activity, so …

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