books, books, books . . .

Happy Saturday, kittens! Lately I've been thinking about books a lot. Okay, I always think about books a lot. But what I'm thinking about right now are reading goals for this year. (Yeah, I know, maybe I should've thought about that in December? Oh well!) I have a pile of books I am partially through that I put down for various reasons. I think goal number one is to finish those books. Goal number two is to read forty books this year. That's not a lot, but given that I read for my day job and my freelance work, I think forty books read purely for pleasure is a reasonable number to shoot for. Goal number three is to read books by authors who are not straight white men. It's okay if some of the books I read are by straight white men, but I want that to be less than aquarter of my pleasure reading for this year.
What are your reading goals for the year?
Blood and kisses!

new year already

Happy new year, kittens! I'm in Seattle right now for one of my closest friends to have her first baby. Exciting! I have to be honest though: I want to travel less next year. I feel like I have traveled a lot in the last year.
I don't do new year resolutions, but I do like to think about goals for the year. So here they are:
More writing
More music
More spirituality
More self-care
Less stress
So far so good! I'm sitting in a cafe drinking tea and taking a break from writing as I type this.
What about you? Goals for this year?
I just wanted to pop in for a beief hello. It's time to get back to the writing! Blood and kisses, my kittens!

cautiously

I'm at the Beacon Theatre right now while Scars on 45 open for Tori Amos. Ah, nostalgia. '90s angsty rock!

I keep think about the elections last night. I am cautiously hopeful. I've been near tears off and on all day. Maybe we can really take back our country from the bigoted fuckwads in charge. 

I'm less stressed than I have been lately. Work's in a bit of a lull and I'm actually enjoying my freelance project. I'm also making a big effort to offload my stress before I get home, in case my stress is causing Isabel's stress. (Missed that story? Our two-year-old cat, Isabel, is stressed and therefore pissing in inappropriate places.)

Writing is still going slower than I want but at least it's happening. I've sussed out the climax to the eye-stabby novel, and I'm nearly to it in the draft. Progress!

Okay, kittens. I'm going to put the phone down and enjoy the show. Blood and kisses, all of you!

the rest of the year

I've come up with a plan for how to approach the rest of the year, in life and in writing. I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I approach my productivity, and I've reached the conclusion that it's time to try something different. So for the rest of the year, I will have two weekday evenings for writing and music, and two for housework and freelancing. One evening will just be for fun (Monday pool league!). On the weekends I can try to do all the things both days. I think this will help me feel better about things because I'll have longer stretches of time to spend on things instead of doing a tiny bit of everything every day. And I'll have a shorter to-do list most of the time.
For the writing, I'd like to knock out the rest of the eye-stabby first draft in the next ten days, max.  All I have left to draft is the climax and the end, so that is (hopefully!) doable. The second half of the month is for fixing Demon Child and for powering through the rest of the first draft of Janny. Then December is for revisions and finding beta readers, and for revisiting the ghost/witch novel to sort out revisions on that.
Basically, I'm trying to finish things. It's been several years since I really properly finished a writing project, and it's time to get my ass in gear with this stuff. Nobody can write my books but me. Nobody can submit my books but me. I need to get over the fear and DO IT.
Anybody want to do mutual cheerleading? Give me a shout! Doing NaNoWriMo? Hit me there as Thistlewicche. Tell me what your goals are for the rest of the year, kittens. I'd love to have some productivity company. And Happy belated Samhain!

a mark for every season

I've been thinking a lot about scars lately. We're all scarred; we all carry them from past trauma, physical or emotional. I'm a survivor of of emotional and sexual abuse. A high-school shooting occurred in my town while I was in college. My family moved states when I was thirteen (you try doing this as a thirteen-year-old girl who has just found her tribe). I have myriad physical scars that I could explain. 
Those are some of my scars. I know you have your own. Some like mine, some different. But present regardless of similarities or differences.

What I don't understand is how some people force their scars, their trauma, on other people. I am heartsick about Vegas. All those people's lives were changed or snuffed out in a heartbeat, and for what? Because some angry older white guy thought the world owed him something, or had wronged him? What kind of person thinks it's okay to take their unhappiness out on others like that?

I don't have good words for any of this. I am horrified and heartsick. I am in awe of those people who put their lives on the line to protect the other people around them. And I am worried—more than worried. Terrified. I am terrified that nothing will change, that America will continue to value money over lives, that acts of domestic terrorism like the shooting in Vegas won't be acknowledged for what they are.

And speaking of valuing money over lives, I am heartsick for Puerto Rico as well, not only for the hurricane damage they sustained, but for their ongoing trauma in the aftermath and for the horrific treatment they are receiving from the government. Who the hell cares about budgets when people's lives are on the line? We should have sent much more help, much faster than we did.  We should still send more help.

What can I do about all of this? I don't know right now. What I do know is that I won't take it quietly. That I will continue to call my reps and go to protests and donate money to help support survivors through their recoveries. That I will rise up however I can.

It's hard to resist long-term. You get tired. You burn out. But we can do this. We can make things better, I think, I hope. Even if it's only in small ways.

Take care of yourselves, kittens. Self-care is one of the most important things to think about these days. And go do something nice for someone today. Remind yourself, and them, through some small gesture, that there is still some good in the world.

remembrance

In the small, dim hours of early morning today, I dreamed about an old friend who took his own life a year and a half ago.

I was at a party, a crazy Goth/Victorian-inspired masquerade party that took up a warehouse and the surrounding grounds. I was there with my real-life partner-in-crime. But then two other women approached and started shouting at him about cheating on them. And then all of a sudden Sam was there. He took me by the hand and led me away from the argument, out of the party. We got in his car and drove and drove, for what felt like hours, talking and deciding what to do. We eventually stopped at a hotel for the night, at which point I realized I'd left my tote bag at the party. Sam assured me it would be there the next day when we returned for it. He got us a room. In the stairs he handed me a baggie of pills, four different kinds, and said, "Please don't let me be responsible for these." At some point I wandered out onto the giant patio in the middle of the night. There was a group of people out there who said they were vampires and started threatening me, and again, Sam just appeared and took me away from the uncomfortable scene.

And then I woke up.

Sam in the dream was always there for me, just like he and I were always there for each other in real life, when we were close. He would come over and cry on my shoulder when he had an abusive encounter with his ex. I would go to him when I was stressed, when I was uncomfortable with what was going on with whatever relationship I was in. We slept together when we were single and would go out to brunch the next morning, always simply good friends regardless of what had transpired the night before was just sleep or something more. We were important to each other.

At some point, we started depending on other people more and each other less. We grew apart, like people do. I hadn't spoken to him in several years before he decided he was finished being on this earthly plane. I blogged about finding out about his passing, in March of last year. But that dream this morning hit me like a punch in the gut. I woke up and remembered he was gone and I ached to talk to him one more time. In the dream, when he took my hand, his palm was calloused just like they were when he was here. It's rare for me to remember physical sensation in my dreams, but I remember that. And that physical detail recalled the hurt of him being gone just as much as him being there for me did.

I don't know what else to say about this. I don't think any of us ever truly reconcile ourselves to the idea that someone we love decided to take themselves out of this life. I miss him, and I love him as a good friend still, and I wish I could talk to him again.

stymied

(written 9/5 evening, posted 9/6 noon)
Hi, kittens. I've been trying all day to think of something clever or interesting or entertaining to talk about, but I'm stymied. I am sick at heart about the fire in the Columbia Gorge in Oregon. I am overwhelmed by life, by politics, by work. Hell, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of books I own but haven't read!

So. I'm declaring September a month of focusing on self-care. That involves less social media, and maybe less socializing. It involves more home cooking, and reading for pleasure. More tea! More sleep!

And yes. Lots of writing.

I'd love to hear from all of you. Tell me how you're holding up. Tell me your self-care rituals, the things that get you through the bad days.

That's all I have right now. It's time to read a book. Blood and kisses! Take care of yourselves!

fall is in the air

Hi, everybody. The day after tomorrow will be September already. This summer really flew by, and I have say, I'm ready for autumn. Give me crisp mornings with brilliant sunny afternoons; the sweet tang of woodsmoke curling through the air; zucchini bread and pumpkin pie for breakfast; red, yellow, orange leaves shivering in the breeze; drinking tea and watching rain fall outside.... I am really over this summer, obviously!

I've gotten stuck on the novelette. I know what needs to happen for the climax emotionally but not action-wise, so I'm spinning my wheels. Maybe I should switch back over to the eye-stabby novel for a couple days.

What are your creative goals for September? I'd love to hear about them! Mine are to finish the novelette and to make some really solid progress on the novel. Play my clarinet more.

I've got some vacation time left this year, so I'm contemplating a staycation. Sounds nice, right? I also want to go apple-picking in the next few weeks. 

On the activism front, I'm taking a class in emergency bystander first aid, and I've gone to a couple protests. How about you, kittens? What action are you taking?

That's it for me, I have to get to work. I hope you're all taking care of yourselves and making your voices heard in whatever way you do that.

Blood and kisses!

follow me down to the river

Just another summer day here in the center of the universe . . .
How's everyone doing? I can't believe it's mid August already. I've gotten a lot of writing done this summer, but not as much as I'd hoped, as always. Still, I broke 50k on the novel first draft, and I'm doing a heavy revision on the novelette right now (it'll be a novella after this go-round, ha!) and I've drafted a couple short stories. I've started pondering Janny and Syska again too; I'll get back to them this fall. And the ideas. Like ripe fruit ready for the plucking. I have so many ideas right now! Anybody need some?? I could set up an ideas-for-sale booth in the goblin market, and make a killing.
I've read a few books since last time I was here. In no particular order:
13) Phantom Pains by Mishell Baker. The sequel to Borderline. I enjoyed this one, can't wait for book three!
14) The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig. Holy wow I loved this YA time-travel adventure. It's so much more than that, though! Family, and time travel, and love, and sailing the open seas! I'm buying the sequel after work. Seriously, read this book, everyone!
15) Grim Tidings by Caitlin Kittredge. Fast and furious and grim and gallows humor. Everything I'd hoped for. I can't wait to read the sequel to this one!
16) The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne Valente. As always, Valente kills it in this. The voice and narrative styling are amazing, the stories are great. She's a writer's writer. Everything I've read by he has been stunning.
17) Snow White graphic novel by Phelan. This is a lovely retelling of Snow White in NYC as the Depression hits. The story works really well within that setting; I quite enjoyed this.
18) Gideon by Alex Gordon. Whoa. This is a creepy paranormal thriller. I was all in, the entire time I was reading. Definitely recommended. A third one on today's list for which I can't wait wait to read the sequel!
My struggle these last couple weeks has been feeling unseen. Does this happen to any of you? It doesn't matter what you say or do, it feels like people just don't see you? I've really fallen down that rabbit hole, and it's time to fix it. I'm working on the attitude. I'm dressing differently than usual. I might *gasp!* start wearing a little makeup sometimes. Anything to pull myself out of this bullshit beaten-down rut I've been in.
Let's be honest, sometimes it's hard to be happy. Especially given what's happening in America these days. So tell me, please, one thing that has made you happy in the last couple weeks. It could be anything from getting married to reading a good book to signing with an agent to meeting a cute puppy this morning. I want to hear it!
And now I have to get back to work. I'll come back soon.
Blood and kisses!

a writing question

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm just passing through for a moment to share an observation and ask a question.
I've been trying to better prioritize my writing, especially now that I have fewer weekly commitments than I used to. And while the writing is going fairly well, I've noticed that I have a really difficult time giving myself permission to write before I do housework, before I exercise, before I make dinner. So it's often 11 pm before I give myself permission to write, and we all know I'm probably not doing my best work at 11 pm after working all day and doing those other things. I think this is the thing I'm struggling with the most; giving myself permission to let other things go for a while so that I can be my best writer self.
Do any of you have a hard time with this? What are you struggling with the most as a creative person?

so many days

Hello lovelies, it's been a while! As always, I didn't intend for it to be so, but life happens. I've been pretty preoccupied between day job, freelancing, writing, music, roommates, the state of politics in America today, etc. But there have been good things happening. I attended the Rainforest Writing Retreat in March, and wrote 27,000 words in five days! I've written a couple short stories! I'm on my second round of revisions on my novelette! 4th Street Fantasy was two weekends ago, and was amazing as always! My longest-standing friend in the world and her husband visited last weekend!

And of course, I've read some good books this year  (super short comments on each because otherwise I'd be here for hours):

1) Descender vol 1. WHOA good sci-fi graphic novel.

2) Pretty Deadly vol. 1. You dig weird Western? This is crazy good!

3) Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. This graphic novel got me right in the feels. Loved it!

4) Life Without a Recipe by Diana Abu-Jaber. I love everything she writes. She uses the English language so beautifully, I fall into her words.

5) Last First Snow by Max Gladstone. Everything Max writes is brilliant.

6) Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig. This was like reading an action movie!

7) The Archived by Victoria Schwab. Atmospheric YA. I need to get the sequel.

8) The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma. This is some creepy YA! So good!

9) Black Dog by Caitlin Kittredge. Action-oriented, out-of-the-norm urban fantasy. I just picked up the sequel.

10) The Silent Woman by Janet Malcom. REALLY interesting book about Sylvia Plath!

11) Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire. I love the whole Toby Daye series.

12) An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard. Kat blows me away, everything she writes is amazing!

I'll be focusing on my writing for the summer, but I'll be dropping by here every so often to update you all on how that's going. My goals are to finish revising the novelette and start submitting it, and to have a finished first draft of the novel I'm powering through. And to spend more time reading! What's everyone else's plans for the summer?

Time to get back to writing. Blood and kisses, everyone, I'll be back here soon.

moon-shaped

Agh, that frustrating moment when you had a blog post mostly written and then your draft disappears . . . Ah, well. I'll do my best to re-create it.
I feel as though I am continuing to improve, a little bit every day. I'm writing pretty regularly. Only a new project, though: I'm not prepared to revisit the projects I was so bogged down in before. I think it'll be a while yet before I do look at those again. Work has calmed, and so has home (as much as home can when sharing space with so many people). I was recently on vacation for a week, and it was very nice to not be in the city, to have some time away, to catch up with people. Of course I missed my cats terribly, though, and they were both angry at me when I got home!
I can't wait for autumn to really begin. I am very ready for chill, crisp air; for sweaters and boots; for the changing of the leaves, and bonfires, and tea, and cozy nights at home reading.
Books!
15) The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss. This is a beautiful story of love and magic. The language is lush, and both characters felt very real to me. Definitely a keeper.
16) Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone.I've nattered on about the Craft Sequence books before. They're brilliant, engaging, and very different from other fantasy series out there. Keepers, every one. Max is a great writer, and also a great speaker; if you get the chance to see him, be it a reading or a panel at a con or whatever, do it.
17) Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan. I devoured this YA novel of revenge and hidden identities. It's a fast, smart, dark read that you will fall into. Definitely worth reading!
18) A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin. This is a quietly beautiful book about war and love and loss and magic. It surprised me, to be honest; I felt very emotionally connected to the characters and the story almost immediately. Every action is believable, the love is palpable, and every moment of tension is had me in suspense. Please check this one out; it's lovely.
And now, on with my Sunday. I have today off from pool, hurray! So I'm doing some things around the house, some freelancing, and running a couple errands. I'm so used to my Sundays being occupied that having the entire weekend free feels decadent.
More soon. Blood and kisses!

too hot to be clever

It's been hot as hell in New York for the past week or so, and we are all slowly melting into the concrete. It's incredibly difficult to find the fortitude to work on anything at all when the heat is leeching away your will to live.
That said, I just finished a rush proofreading project. Can't wait for that check to arrive so I can throw it at my credit card! Between that and doing several critiques for writer friends recently, I haven't managed to finish reading any books. I'm working on it though; today I started reading The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss, and I'm partway through a few others. Book updates soon, my dears!
I've continued to putter around with whatever occurs to me, writing-wise, but I think in September I'll get back to Janny and Syska. I do rather like a couple of the things that I've been poking at over the last couple of weeks, though. . . .
Also in September I'm visiting family for a week. I can't wait!
This Friday is my last summer Friday in New York before said family visit. My plan is to sleep it, do some writing, do some reading, and maybe play a video game or watch a movie. Or maybe I'll go to the park, or the Cloisters. . . .
That's all for now. Sorry to be brief, but I don't have a lot to report. Hopefully I'll have more to discuss soon.
Blood and kisses, all!

august already

Happy Lughnasadh, all. I missed it; between work and other commitments I didn't have the time for a celebration. But I'm determined to get back to that part of myself more in the next couple months.
I've started writing again, hallelujah! It's slow, and I'm letting myself write whatever comes out, which means I'm not exactly progressing on the novels right now. But the important thing is to get back to enjoying writing and having a good rhythm and routine with it. Once I have those things, I can worry about the novels.
I read a book! 14) Vicious by V. E. Schwab. Holy shit, if you like superhero stories, READ THIS BOOK. I've enjoyed everything I've read by Victoria; she's consistently a very good writer. Her stories are awesome. And this has everything you could want in a superhero book: origin stories, archnemeses, superpowers, a big black dog, life and death.
I'm doing better overall. Work has calmed down. I've taken a step back in social obligations and travel, and that's helped. I'm really trying to focus on simplifying things. I'm visiting my family at the end of the summer; I'm taking my vitamins; I'm trying to be more active; I'm writing. Good steps!
One week ago right now I was at Madison Square Garden watching Radiohead perform. It was AMAZING. They are brilliant live; I'd never seen them before. They looked happy and comfortable and the music was SO. GOOD. I'm so thankful my bandmate/good friend decided I could be his plus one. That was definitely a highlight of this year! And just a couple days before that I was in Philly for twenty-four hours for writing time with a couple good friends, which was also really lovely.
Nothing else to report, really. August should be pretty quiet, which is going to be nice. And now, it's time to write.
Blood and kisses!

this is your wilderness

I wrote the following two weeks ago, and then was unsure to post because I don't want to sound whiny or like I'm asking for attention or anything. Sometimes things need to be purged, though, and blogging is a good way of getting things out of my system. Sometimes things seem more approachable once I write/talk about them. So, older part of this entry:

 

Last weekend was 4th Street Fantasy, and this year was every bit as good as last year. Great people, conversation, panels. Late nights. I stuck pretty close to my VP classmates who also attended; I've been feeling tentative and unsure about things lately, so I needed that level of familiarity this year. I did meet some lovely people, and renewed acquaintance with some others, but that was mostly alongside my VP tribe.
Why am I so tentative and unsure these days? I think it's a slurry of several factors. I've been exhausted for a long time: work has been busy as hell and went pear-shaped a couple weeks ago when a higher-up left. We're working it out, and I think it'll be fine in another week or two. But transitions are draining. Things at home have been stressful, but we finally found a new roommate!! And I'm changing how I approach certain things, in the hope that that lessens the stress. On a whole other level (I'm sorry if this is a bit much but I think it's important for me to address it), a week and a half ago in Manhattan I saw a woman in the street just after she'd been hit by a car. I saw her, not surrounded by paramedics or anything, just lying there beneath the bumper of the car. I saw where she was bloodied from the collision. And that fucked up my head pretty solidly. I think about her a lot. And last but not least, I don't feel good about my writing right now. It's difficult for me to do it at all. I'm worried that my ghost/witch novel is not the right story at all for those characters. I don't know that I've figured out the right climax for Emmelina, and I've no idea how to get Janny to the ending of the novel. I feel stymied.
I need quiet time this summer. Down time. Alone time with books and movies and long walks and more books. And writing, once I find a level of comfort with it again. Self-care is important, and it's time for more of it.

 

I've lightened up a little bit since then, though the writing struggle continues. This last weekend I went out of town, and though I didn't really get any writing time while I was away, at least I got a change of scenery and a few days off work.

I've read a couple books lately:

11) A Rose-Red Chain by Seanan McGuire. Another solid entry in the October Daye series, and I can't wait for the next one!

12) Two Serpents Rise by Max Gladstone. This is the second book in the stunning, original Craft Sequence. I really enjoy Max's writing; his characters are well-fleshed-out, his language is vivid, as his world-building is incredible. Haven't tried him yet? Start with the first book in the series, Three Parts Dead!

13) The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison.Well-crafted characters, great court/political intrigue. I REALLY liked this one, and would happily read more in the series if more get written.

I've decided against Readercon this year, and Worldcon as well. There are multiple reasons, but the biggest one is that I have been pushing too hard for too long, and it's time for some self-care. So here's to a quiet, well-rested, creative July and August for us all. 

tattered lace and faded dreams

I'm thinking of taking a day off next week; I've been struggling with that overwhelmed feeling again. I think it's partially because I have so many problematic titles at work right now, and partially because I haven't been really on top of getting things done at home so I feel like I'm behind. BUT. I'm taking my daily vitamins, I'm drinking a lot less, I'm reading more. I'm not writing more yet, but I'll get there. I had a neat idea for a story the other day; hopefully I'll get around to writing that soon!
Two books to talk about:
9) Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel Jose Older. WHOA. This book is a crazy rush. It's intense, and amazing, and I totally fell into this book. It's about a guy, Carlos, who's an inbetweener; he works for the New York Council of the Dead, and then shit happens. I need the next one!
10) City of Savages by Lee Kelly. This story is built on a lot of despair and rage. It's New York, two decades after WWIII. The city is a POW camp. While following on family through a stretch of their lives, you also learn what happened during the war and after, and how it became what it became. It's definitely a good read. Not a keeper for me, because I probably won't read it again, but I certainly enjoyed it.
I'm not sure how it got so late already. Per usual, I didn't manage to do half of what I intended to do this evening. I should go squeeze in a few minutes of work on something. Blood and kisses!

far to fall

Happy belated Beltane, everyone! Did anyone celebrate it? We had a nice brunch on Sunday before heading to our pool match.
This week has been chilly and damp. It's nice to have the rain; hopefully that means a good gardening year for everyone. We're getting a late start on. Our garden. Between freezing temps through the end of April and a bad springtime cold sweeping through our house, we haven't planted anything yet. I want to at least get some tomato starts happily settled into backyard pots this Saturday, and maybe some morning glories to cover an ugly section of fence, but that depends on how much freelance work I get done in the next couple days.
I managed to read another book! 7) The Escapement of Blackledge by Mary a Robinette Kowal. And okay, novella, but that still counts! It was her April Fools joke this year; she posted in for sale on Amazon as fan fiction under a different name and then watched a people tried to figure out who wrote it. It's erotic Glamourist fiction. Amusing!
I also read the first episode of Bookburners, from Serial Box, and quite enjoyed it. I'm not sure how to count those in my book tally; maybe one season equals one book? So I'll put an (8) here and update you all when I read more of it.
Well. Time to settle in for the day. I'm hoping to carve out some writing time this weekend around the copyediting, since all I have left to do on my middle-grade project is to rewrite the climax and the ending. It's coming together.
Blood and kisses, everyone!

just a cut away

I don't have much to talk about; I've been sick this week, sick enough that I stayed home and in bed all day yesterday. I watched the first four episodes of Jessica Jones, and holy hell will I be watching the rest of that. I can go more into detail, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't watched it yet. It's intense! If you want more detail, let me know, and I'll discuss at greater length.
But since I'm feeling better I'm trying to get a lot done tonight of course, so I can feel like I'm still on top of my week. I just did a bit of writing, and before that some housework and a few minutes on my clarinet. Next is some freelancing and some handwashing and making ramp pesto. Sometime in the next few days I should have a couple more books to talk about.
Has anybody listened to the new Beyonce album? Usually she's not my thing at all, but there are a couple tracks on this one that intrigue me.
Have I talked about my perfume obsession? Just one perfume company. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, along with it's sister site, Black Phoenix Trading Post. Are any of you into their perfumes? I'm way down the rabbit hole with them at this point. I have several favorites; okay, I have eleven favorite perfumes. And five hair glosses. Go ahead and laugh if you want, but I'm really enjoying myself with this!
Anyway. Back to being productive. I just wanted to say hello, and happy Wednesday, and I hope you're all having a good week.
Blood and kisses!

i'm slipping under

I am Zombie-Lauren again today. That's right, sleeplessness struck again last night; I got around five broken hours of sleep is all. Everything's a little foggy, a little hazy around the edges. . . . I'm trying to ignore it and function as usual, but the lack of sleep does make things feel dreamlike.
I'm writing this while waiting for the subway to my polling place so I can vote. Another Tuesday evening, another packed subway platform. Then home to do some cooking and some freelance work. Exciting!
I finished a book the other day:
6) This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab. New YA!! So good! It's a fascinating take on dystopian American society, plus monsters. It's not released yet so I won't say anything more than that, but as always I really enjoyed V's world building, story, language, and pacing. Definitely recommended!
I have some more writing from friends that I need to load onto my Kindle and devour, which I'm looking forward to quite a bit. I'll report in as much as I can about those things!
I may be joining a second writing group. I know, I know, I was just talking about over commitment the other day. But I'm already trying to write regularly, they only meet once a month, and they're local VP grads. How could I not?? However, that means I need to throw together an audition story to send them, and in my sleepless fog, that feels a little daunting. I don't want to send them something from a while ago, or a MG thing, or a novel chunk. I want to send them something fresh. I know I've been improving. I guess I just have to hope the gods grant me a good night of sleep sometime soon with a good chunk of writing time directly following it.
Blood and kisses!

when you turn black

Today I want to talk about an issue that I think many of us struggle with: overcommitment.
For the last few years I've held myself to an impossible ideal of doing ALL THE THINGS every day. There are so many things that I enjoy doing, and so many things I feel like I ought to be doing, and so many things that I actually need to do; surely I can do them all every day, right?
Wrong.
I've come to this realization unwillingly and recently. I've restructured my weekly to-do list to be more feasible. But still, I somehow constantly feel overcommitted and behind on things. How do you deal with it? How do I deal with it going forward?
I want to be a good person. I want to cook healthy meals and make my own fermented foods and keep my house clean in an environmentally responsible fashion. I want to mend clothing that wears down, so I don't create so much trash. I want to spend quality time with my partner-in-crime and my cats and my friends, do a good job at work, make a little extra through freelancing, and write and make music regularly. But something in there, or maybe several somethings, need to give.
I suppose the point of this ramble is to ask you, readers: How do you streamline your lives? How do you simplify but still get everything done? Should I be eating fast food more often to cut down on cooking time? Let my house be dirty in order to have writing time? Sell my soul to some demon for the ability to get it all done? Steal Hermione's Time-Turner?
I'm open to suggestions.