💻 what I'm up to 💻
Remember how last month I was returning from a mostly relaxing time away? That was cute. As soon as I got back life shoveled out an impressive amount of shit on every front: the dayjob got bananas for a couple of weeks, my husband and I had to replace our lone car (no one was hurt!), several book things needed addressed at about the same time, Ahsoka needed some dental care (that turned out, thankfully, to be less intense and less expensive than it could have been). Just a firehose of various stuff that required attention.
But you know, as chaotic times do, it all passed. I vented a lot to my husband and my sister but ultimately, things got done. I realized I’d be at my best if I got back into some sort of fitness and meditation routine and I’m working on the latter but I’m so, so happy I got back to lifting weights. The focus, the steady work—it’s exactly what my brain needed. The difference in my energy is noticeable.
Mostly I’m just proud that I made time for myself among the chaos.
Now, things have settled again. That will change because things always do but if I can do more rolling with the change instead of only railing against it, I’ll be okay.
I will enjoy fall and my crows and my very excellent new “I’m Kenough” hoodie and Saturday mornings playing Disney Lorcana with other nerds. Also I have this squash that looks like a mushroom and a tooth had a moment:
📘 my book things 📘
I. Am. Busy. I know I’ve said this before but book projects often begin so spaced out on the calendar and then for various reasons, they all slide onto center stage at the same time doing jazz hands. But I am a Capricorn and very Type A. I still have meltdowns and procrastinate but once I take the large blob of everything that needs done and make a list, I can prioritize and schedule time to knock items off said list.
So, that’s what I’ve been doing. The weekday morning writing time I established earlier this year is serving me well. It won’t always work but I’ll cling to it as long as it serves me.
And hey, maybe I’ll be able to talk about some of these books one day!
📺 what I'm watching 📺
Good news: the AMPTP and WGA have reached an agreement and the WGA strike is over! Let’s hope that SAG-AFTRA is up soon.
Given that progress, I will say I am enjoying the writing on Ahsoka and The Wheel of Time season two. Also The Fall of the House of Usher is as good as everyone says (even to me and I generally stay far away from scary TV and movies).
📚 what I'm reading 📚
Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit by Jesse Q. Sutanto
I love Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties and Four Aunties and a Wedding, so I was so excited to pick up this middle grade story about Theo and the fox companion he does not want but pairs with anyone to solve a big, mythical mystery involving his brother. I adored the world, and the pacing meant it was hard to put this one down.
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Villains trying to run an evil empire need employees, just like everyone else. This book based on a TikTok series about a woman who needs a job and ends up working as an assistant to the town's Villain has some relatable, funny, and charming moments. There was not enough smooching for me and it ends on a cliffhanger BUT this was a light pick me up I needed in a chaotic window of time.
🐳 something whalesome 🐳
I like wholesome things and the whale emoji is cute so: whalesome!
I don’t know if you saw Ollie around the internet last year. He’s a dog who got attached to a pumpkin and carried it everywhere, so his owners planted him a pumpkin patch. I cannot.
🍃 creativity corner 🍃
Here I’ll share tips and tricks that are helping me write, imagine, and/or stay productive.
Okay, so at some point in a newsletter somewhere, I talked about the importance of making a timeline at the beginning of writing a story or at least early in the drafting process. It is advice I do not always take but it saves so much trouble. Anyway, Emily Henry posted in her Instagram Stories about using an actual calendar to make notes about when characters do things–like a wall or a desk calendar to scribble things in. You might have to fudge the year later, but that’s easy when you know the month and dates. I love a paper product to put notes in, so I might try this one out.
📃 quote of the month 📃
“If something is upsetting you or making you afraid… you ask yourself one simple question. Is it true? Can you know, beyond any doubt, that it’s true?” - The Wheel of Time, season two, episode five “Damane” written by Rohit Kumar
When I heard this line in The Wheel of Time it felt like a slap in the face. It’s not a new sentiment or idea but the way this was phrased, plus hearing it right when I needed to, made a world of difference in my anxiety levels this month. Whatever I’m worrying about and making up stories in my head about, I can stop and ask myself: are these things I’m worrying about absolutely true? Not, could these things happen, but are they without a doubt true?
And you know what? So far none of my worries or fears have been true things. Just things I constructed from flimsy assumptions. That realization makes it easier for me to dismiss them.
Comment or reply and let me know how you’re doing!
Sorry to hear about your chaotic time! Your quote of the month made me think about an experience I had watching the Flash during A-Levels. Something about the Speec Force ghost of Barry's mother saying how proud she was of him. But I'm doing good! Been visiting lots of cool places to set my stories, like an ancient henge and Roman villa today! I've also started my own newsletter here on Substack and it's gone beyond my close friends - so that's something. I'm really enjoying giving myself time to reflect on my journey and not worry about lengthy novel writing.