Roads Go Ever On 12: A little hope
š» what I'm up to š»
The world has been awful in recent days and Iām not going to pretend otherwise. Just yesterday Boulder, Colorado was the site of a mass shooting with 10 dead. It marked seven consecutive days of mass shootings in the United States. That week started with a hate crime in Atlanta that saw 8 people die, 6 of them Asian American women. That shooting was preceded by increasing acts of violence against the AAPI community. Learn more about whatās going on and how you can help the AAPI community.
My tiny ray of hope comes from getting my first COVID-19 vaccine shot yesterdayāModerna (a.k.a. the vaccine Dolly Parton helped fund) specifically. The injection siteās a little sore but no other side effects. And it was just the thing I needed to start looking ahead. I know when Iāll be fully vaccinated. Iām daydreaming about the haircut Iāll get. Iām thinking about eating outdoors at a restaurant (Iām not ready for indoor dining yet, even vaccinated). Iāll still be double masking when Iām out in the world and not actively putting things in my face, but Iāll be moving about with less fear. The thought of hanging with vaccinated friends in small groups without any stress! I can drive to visit my family in Ohio soon.
Andā¦ I even made theme park plans for December. Putting a trip on the calendar was the most monumental thing. Picture me looking at my computer with extreme suspicion. (Everything is fully refundable though, Iām not silly).
I donāt know what my comfort level will be like after May. Weāll see. Getting back into the world in any kind regular rhythm is going to be a serious adjustment for so many of us. Will I want to go on planes? Will I be okay sipping beer outdoors at a brewery? No idea. But I do actually feel optimistic about itāexcited, evenāand I havenāt for a while. I only saw more of the same ahead. Please let me know if youāve got your vaccine and if youāre thinking about the world differently these days.
In far less important news, I have my desk all set up in my new home. Itās so nice to have a dedicated workspace and to justā¦ leave your work laptop out all the time? Plus a new thing Iāve gotten quite into is buying a $3.99 bouquet of flowers at Trader Joeās to put by my desk. They last a couple weeks with minimal care and they make me happy. I used to be very anti-cut flowers because past me would let them sit until they smelled awful and became slimy. Wild how nice it is when you donāt do that.Ā
š my book things š
Okay, hereās a cool thing. The Art of Star Wars: Galaxyās Edge will be here SOON. Iāll be sharing a look at some never-before-seen concept art from the book on Nerdist in the coming weeks and hopefully some other outlets will have teases too. Iām so stoked about this book and everything Walt Disney Imagineering shared. In my next newsletter, Iāll talk a little about the process of writing this book.
šŗ what I'm watching šŗ
Staged
Look, I know few of us want to watch a show using the tools of these times, like Zoom. Most of us want to watch something to escape the pandemic, not be reminded of it. That said, I highly recommend Staged. Itās a fictional tale about David Tennant and Michael Sheen rehearsing for a play during the pandemic and theyāre so hilarious together that it works. Plus David Tennant wears a cute lil headband all the time. Itās on Hulu.
City of Ghosts
Hello, sweet animated series on Netflix that is not at all scary. Kids interview ghosts (the cute kind! I emphasize this because Iām a scaredy cat!) around LA and itās a fascinating and educational look at the cityās history.
š what I'm reading š
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
The magic portal trope is one of the tropes I enjoy the most in fantasy stories. Here, Harrow does something absolutely lovely with that idea by following a young woman, January, as she embarks on a mysterious journey. Itās about finding yourself, learning about your past, pondering unseen places, and really makes you think about those dusty corners and doors youāve seen that really could lead to other worlds and adventures. And it navigates issues with race and the status quo of powerful white men. I. Loved. It.
Next on my list: I am delaying delivery of all my library ebooks. This is a Step for me. I get so behind on other books because I always borrow ebooks from the library and then my pile of TBR (to be read) paper books never grows any smaller. In fact, it does the opposite.
Anyway, if you want to talk about books some more, follow my Bookstagram: @amyturningpages!
š³ something whalesome š³
I like wholesome things and the whale emoji is cute so: whalesome!
I donāt know if whalesome is the proper adjective here. More inspirational. Anyway Iām one of the last people to follow the wise and talented Morgan Harper Nichols on Instagram.
š creativity corner š
Here Iāll share tips and tricks that are helping me write, imagine, and/or stay productive.
Writing fiction and keeping track of various plot lines is something I very much need help with. Luckily I saw this tweet from the awesome Preeti Chhibber about Plottr. It helps you track your various plotlines through different chapters so you donāt lose track of them and unlike Post-It notes, these wonāt fall off the wall and get out of order.
š quote of the week š
āThere is nothing quite like the anger of someone very powerful who has been thwarted by someone who was supposed to be weak.ā Alix E. Harrow, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
I felt this quote in my bones.
This plottr information just saved my life. <3