The passing of time

No, I don't know what day it is either

Roads Go Ever On 01: The passing of time

💻 what I'm up to 💻

Time has no meaning. I’ve said this countless times. I’ve heard this just as many times. And it’s true. I find myself measuring the passage of days not by looking at my watch or my planner—though that certainly helps—but by noticing more atypical markers. Like, huh, my nails are clicking on the keyboard again (as they are right now) and it’s time for another trim. Or how did we already go through another jar of peanut butter? And wow, did that whole season of a new show begin and end?! These are the things that strike me.

But I keep moving forward. I don’t know what else to do. The world has stopped, kind of, but in so many ways it hasn’t. So I work, I write, I give my cats lots of scritches and even more treats, I watch National Treasure and National Treasure 2 as often as I can without annoying my husband… I go on.

And to that end, I’m almost always trying to chip away at something. Right now I’m working on edits for The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The conversations I’ve had with so many talented Imagineers and also Lucasfilm art geniuses inspires me to learn, to question, and to try to condense their words into meaningful text. I’m nearing completion on A Kid’s Guide to Fandom too, my first middle grade book and my first book not set in someone else’s universe. The illustrator is sharing so many gorgeous images and I think people will be really excited when we can announce who that illustrator is.

And finally, I started this newsletter, something I’ve been meaning to do for months and months. Thank you all sincerely for signing up! I’ll be sending this every other Wednesday.

📘 my book things 📘
The Jedi Mind is out November 10! You can pre-order a copy with a signed bookplate from Wheatberry Books, an indie bookstore near my hometown. I adore this shop, so I’d appreciate it and so would they!

Also coming soon:
Star Wars: Elee & Me, November 3 - an adorable (like, seriously so cute) children’s picture book about friendship and growing up but not growing apart available exclusively at Target

From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back, November 10 - a short story anthology with a bunch of rad authors and also me. This is my fiction debut and my story is set on Hoth, during the battle, and is about an original character Corwi Selgrothe. I can’t wait for you to meet her.

As always, you can get more information about my books and such at my website.

📺 what I'm watching 📺
Kim’s Convenience
I adore this show, this humor, and Appa and Umma. (An Appa/Appa appreciation thread for my fellow Kim’s/Avatar: The Last Airbender fans).

Better Call Saul
Please protect Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, and Bob Odenkirk at all costs.

📚 what I'm reading 📚
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Every book I read in the Grishaverse is better than the last, and Crooked Kingdom, book two in The Six of Crows duology, is continuing this tradition. I started these books ahead of the upcoming Netflix series and I did not know they would continually squeeze my heart and make me lose sleep because I can’t put them down. If you’re looking for a YA fantasy series and world to sink into, this is it. I recommend starting with The Shadow and Bone Trilogy. Know that I am here for all your Darkling thoughts.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Okay, technically I’m rereading this. And within just a couple of months of my first read! I cannot gush enough about this twisting spin on Arthurian legend in a contemporary setting. Southern Black girl magic, exploration of trauma, hecking cool magic and worldbuilding. So. Fantastic.

American Primitive by Mary Oliver
Poetry is kind of a new thing for me, and I’m savoring this book of nature poems by Mary Oliver.

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

henrythecoloradodog

H+B.. is there room for one more in that sleeping bag of yours?! ☺️

October 11, 2020

Henry (the dog) and Baloo (the cat) are best buds who love being outdoors together. This Instagram account constantly improves my day.

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

During these last several months I’ve found my way back to Dungeons & Dragons. I haven’t really played since edition 3.5 about a thousand years ago. I play in an ongoing game (virtually), and I’ve joined some single night (one-shot) adventures (also virtually). For those one-shot games, I have the best time creating new characters and imagining short backstories. Like my new dragonborn warlock who has made a pact with a sentient library in order to gain secret knowledge.

So I’ve realized making D&D characters is a creative kickstart for me. Even if you don’t play, I recommend poking around D&D Beyond. Choosing a character’s race and class and thinking about where the character came from, why they want to adventure, their motives, their goals… it’s a fun, useful exercise. I promise.

📃 quote of the week 📃
“Better terrible truths than kind lies.” Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

I read this quote Sunday night and it just kind of… slapped me in the face. In a good, thoughtful way. If you’ve read the book, it comes from Inej, which makes all the sense in the world. It’s about being in tough situations and confronting the truth, no matter how awful, instead of platitudes that may be soothing but that won’t help you get to the other side.