I went to space!

Absolutely fake space, but still

💻 what I'm up to 💻
I did it. I went to space. I joined a media preview for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Disney’s new two night immersive experience that made waves for costing a whole bunch of money. I’m grateful I got to do a preview for that reason. If you want to jump right to my thoughts about the whole dang experience in detail (like 4000 words of detail - no plot spoilers, though!), read my review at Nerdist. I did my very best to be fair, thorough, and to answer the “is it worth it?” question that so many people are understandably asking.

But here, with you all, I want to meander (without spoilers). Because it’s been two weeks since I got home from my trip aboard the Halcyon and I’m still thinking about it daily. While I encounter bumps and rough spots and felt underwhelmed by some activities, Galactic Starcruiser still made enough of an impression that I still find myself randomly lost in thought about the ship or an interaction with a character or a path not taken. And that’s special. To experience something, whether it’s something like this or a book or a movie, that sinks its hooks in enough to stir your mind days and days later… it doesn’t happen often.

All of this makes me think a lot about storytelling. What levers anyone who tells a story can pull to make you feel like you’re in the thick of it, living the story alongside the characters in it. This can happen on the page, in a video game, in a theater—anytime we’re in the presence of storytelling. How do you extend your hand and bring someone in? How do you make someone ponder your story and their reaction to it for the long term? Not questions one can easily answer but questions I find worth considering as I sit in front of a laptop, trying to type words that will have some kind of lasting power, some kind of effect.

Told you we’d meander. Let’s continue that in a different way with some wandering around the Halcyon, eh?

📘 my book things 📘
As usual, I can share nothing about what I’m working on! Cool, huh? I’ll be turning one project in within the next week and a half. I’m contracted for two more projects after that. I can say all of these are licensed projects, including some new for me IP.

Amy Ratcliffe @amy_geek

I am trying to embrace that any writing progress is still progress, whether I write for 30 minutes or hours. Anyway, I got 600 words in today on a romcom I'm working on. I'm at 3600 words and feel daunted by the tens of thousands of words I still need to write. But progress!

My romcom is at 4,600 words. I’m embracing making tiny amounts of progress, even if it’s just taking the time to name a bunch of people and places. 

📺 what I'm watching 📺

Our Flag Means Death
Rhys Darby. Taika Waititi. Pirates. Darby’s Stede Bonnet is trying to be a gentleman pirate. One who sails the seas with kindness and gorgeously pastel ensembles. Waititi is Blackbeard. I’m just three episodes into this show and it charms me exceedingly. It’s on HBO Max.

Otherwise, Peacemaker ended and shocked me with how moving and sharp it was. I have not given John Cena enough credit. I’m very sold on season 2 of Star Trek: Picard, which has heavy Next Gen vibes. And I absolutely watched Love Is Blind season 2. So much mess.

📚 what I'm reading 📚
All the Feels by Olivia Dade
Ahhh! This book! I inhaled it. It’s a contemporary romance that’s part of the Spoiler Alert series and follows Lauren, a former ER therapist, who takes a job minding Alex, the star of a TV series that’s an analogue for Game of Thrones (come for the not so subtle digs at Game of Thrones and the showrunners and stay for the romance). Dade writes Alex’s ADHD with such nuance and I adore Lauren.

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh
An oldie but a goodie. Thich Nhat Hanh passed in January and the world has been a dimmer place since. I recommend picking up any of his books on mindfulness. I pluck from my collection frequently. This one is lovely. Take what you need, leave what you don’t. Occasionally I get toxic positivity vibes so I’ll skip a section. Overall, I feel more grounded when I read this work.

Protip: if you ever want to feel great about your reading stats, binge a bunch of trade paperbacks! I’m rereading all the canonical Star Wars comics (I have a spreadsheet, I’m taking notes, it’s a whole thing) and it’s just very satisfying to watch my book count go up for the year. Related, Marvel Unlimited rules. I pay less than $6/month and read piles of comics. That’s not an ad, I just dig the service.

🐳 something whalesome 🐳
I like wholesome things and the whale emoji is cute so: whalesome!

Instead of dropping a picture of a cute animal, let’s be whalesome by helping our fellow humans in Ukraine. If you can help financially, here is a list of established charities you can donate to. Consider World Central Kitchen. If you’ve heard about the Airbnb idea, you can do it, but be cautious. Paypal isn’t an option for the region right now, so if you want to support an artist, here are other ways to send money.

🍃 creativity corner 🍃
Here I’ll share tips and tricks that are helping me write, imagine, and/or stay productive.

Okay, three things. 1) I got a Scrivener trial and I feel like an ancient person grappling with new technology. 2) I decided this is the year I finally learn more about money and that makes me feel more productive. If you similarly struggle with budgets and investing and all of it, this book along with Money with Katie have helped me oodles (especially Katie!).

3) Beautiful corners. This phrase came up on a project I’m working on and I keep getting it in my head. Beautiful corners. It applies to visual mediums and writing. Whatever piece of your story or illustration you’re working on, make it appealing. Find the space in it, even if it’s just an area in one scene, and make it evocative.

📃 quote of the month 📃
“Some adventures require nothing more than a willing heart and the ability to trip over the cracks in the world.” - Seanan McGuire, Down Among the Sticks and Bones

I’m continuing the Wayward Children series (love a portal fantasy) and I stumble across gems of quotes with damn near every swipe of the page. This one’s a good reminder about how adventure can be right within our grasp. 

I hope you’re doing okay. Reply and let me know!