š» what I'm up to š»
Iām coming out of a bit of unintentional hibernation. Spring came to Western North Carolina early, azalea buds bloomed in our front yard, giving the plant version of a middle finger to the fact that it was only early March. But sure enough, another cold snap came through and brief as it was, those azalea petals withered and fell to the ground.
I resisted the warmth because I wasnāt ready. Iāve been digging my heels into home, simplicity, quiet. The hobbit lifestyle, if you will, but without as many second breakfasts. Iād much rather be cold than hot; it lends itself to more coziness. Still, now that spring is mostly here (I put on thermals this morning when I left to write), I can no longer pretend Iām not happy about taking afternoon walks and seeing groundhogs return to our yard. I canāt wait to clean up branches and leaves and plant new perennials and sit on the patio in the last bits of the day, the smell of fresh mulch in my nostrils.
I am also not unhappy about getting a new half sleeve just in time for t-shirt season.
This beautiful design combining athelas and mallorn leaves from The Lord of the Rings with lilac and gooseberries from The Witcher and Elora Dananās birthmark from Willow is by Rebecca Ash - should you find yourself in Asheville check her and Heron Mark Tattoo (so named after The Wheel of Time) out.
Butā¦ hibernating from it all has been nice. Iāve been relearning my way around having social media on my phone without it consuming me (itās a real back and forth that means I delete the apps again every other week). Iāve also been minimizing the number of trips I take (I say this as Iām about to leave for a 10-day trip for Star Wars Celebration) and being comfortable at home. My favorite activities most weekends are working on a puzzle with a glass of wine or reading a book. I havenāt even played board games in the last monthātoo strenuous.
So here I am stretching my legs into this new season and seeing what happens.
š my book things š
What I have going on right now is quite similar to last month, because publishing is always a marathon and not a sprint (until it is absolutely a sprint):
Still waiting on some official MCU timeline stuff to wrap up
Theme park romcom is still out on proposal (please still keep things crossed for me)
Iām 58,000 words into my very bad zero draft of my middle grade fantasy (a national park but for mythical creatures!) and should be done with said draft tomorrow, then I can get into my second draft when I get back from Celebration. I will need to rewrite at least half of it but thatās okay!
Iām still developing an adult cozy backpack fantasy that Iām stoked about (think Devil Wears Prada meets Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown)
Iām seeing if an offer for a new IP thing will come through next week
If you will be at Star Wars Celebration, I have two signings at Abrams & Chronicle Books, Booth S301:Ā
Friday, 4/7 at 3:30pm
Sunday, 4/9 at 3:30pm
Theyāll have copies of Women of the Galaxy, The Jedi Mind, and The Art of Star Wars: Galaxyās Edge for sale, or you can bring your own copies of any of my books. Iād love to see you! Iām there as a stage host (nine panels!) so this is the best way to catch me at the show. If you see me wandering around though, please stop me and say hello!
šŗ what I'm watching šŗ
The Hobbit (1977)
A few weeks ago we were without internet for about three days and had to turn to our physical media collection for entertainment (the horror!). We pulled out a Blu-ray of Peter Jacksonās first Hobbit movie because it had been a while and I never got around to watching the third one all those years ago. We made it through the first two and started the third one (we had to wait for internet to come back to stream the second and third movies)... and about halfway through The Battle of Armies, I was like, no thank you, Iām good.
Then my husband suggested the Rankin/Boss animated Hobbit movie because I had never seen it and you know what? It is delightful! The designs for goblins and Gollum are out there and creepy, the dwarves and Bilbo are as goofy as youād hope, and it is an hour and a half, as an adaptation of The Hobbit should be. Itās the most memorable thing Iāve watched in the lastā¦ a while.
š what I'm reading š
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
So on the surface, this book is about lifelong friends who are video game designers. Thatās the framework. But truly, itās about friendship, its ups and downs, tug-of-war over creative endeavors, grief, love, and the cyclical nature of all of it. This is not an uplifting book but it was soā¦ human and so beautiful in its humanity that it gave me the best kind of book hangover.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
If the cozy fantasy beat is for you (fantasy world, low stakes, friendship, vibes!), please do not wait as long as I did to pick up The House in the Cerulean Sea. It has kids struggling with special gifts and what the world thinks of them, prejudice, found family, queer love, self-discovery and kicking a rigid organization in the shins. This book has all of that with the friendliest prose and just a sense of curiosity. I want to hug this book and every character in it.
Additionally, Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade warmed my whole heart! And I could not put down Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
š³ something whalesome š³
I like wholesome things and the whale emoji is cute so: whalesome!
Dean, aka 1bike1world, rules. He's been exploring with Nala, a stray kitten he rescued and bonded with, for years and most recently he's been helping a sweet pup in Serbia. I mostly go to Instagram these days solely to look at his updates and bounce.
š creativity corner š
Here Iāll share tips and tricks that are helping me write, imagine, and/or stay productive.
As Iāve been working on my MG fantasy draft, I have been so proud of myself for not revising as I go. I realized around 25,000 words in that Iād meandered too long about one particular plot point, so the story didnāt get going until around 26,000 words. I paused, had a solid think, and then kept drafting as if I had made those edits. I have notes about what I need to cut and rearrange when I do my second draft (itās a lot), but I didnāt quit and go backwards.
Keeping forward momentum has stopped me from getting mired in revisiting the same stuff. I know myself and I would just trip over my own feet. This isnāt the case for everyoneāsome may be too distracted knowing there is a mess behind them, just looming. I get that. But if youāve never tried the forget it and draft it anyway method, do it and see what happens.
Iām not pretending this is some miraculous revelation more of a āoh, hey this worked for me.ā
š quote of the month š
ā...But life was always arriving. There was always another gate to pass through.ā - Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
I hope your spring has sprung on the right foot. Feel free to reply or comment and let me know how youāre doing, what youāre reading and watching, anything!
I have a couple that I need to get:
1. in memory of my friend, but I'm still trying to figure out what would be best;
2. my sisters and I are all going to get something for my dad, twenty years later... that should happen next time I go back to WNY
Tattoo looks amazing!