Is it spring yet?
March 2025
Hey Friend!
February has been one hell of a month. That particular person in the white house is doing everything he can to distract us, to anger us and exhaust us. To make us forget about each other and just buckle in despair. And as a person who is not good at managing my feelings, I’m focusing on moving forward. Writing, reading and being with people who care about me. Looking for ways to volunteer with/for my people. I’m seeing what’s happening in the news but I’m trying to turn away when that tightening in my chest happens.
All that to say, the little things that bring you peace and joy are important. And so is rest.
What are you doing to stay true to yourself right now? Where are you finding your joy? I really would love to hear from you.
As you can tell from above, in a crisis I try to get more work done. 2020 my productivity was plentiful and we’re back to that as a survival tactic. This month I started my rewrite of WSMS and had the goal of getting 30k words done and I hit the target!
Even more important than the world count goal is the way the work is feeling right now. Sometimes when I’m writing, I know I’m telling a story or I’m writing the words down but I think this is the first time in a long time (or maybe ever) that I feel like I’m writing a novel. That the way things are coming together feels a bit like a book I would pick up. I’m giving that credit mostly to my reading and the new attention I’m paying it.
Last year I read A Writer’s Guide to Active Setting. I didn’t especially like the book, though it had some good tips. But what it did is make me hyper aware of the fact that I don’t really read description. I know don’t look at me like that. It’s my cross to bear. So recently I’ve been focusing more on reading it and I can tell its already making my writing so much better. Who knew? (yes I know everyone, I get it!)
And this is maybe where you get more than you bargained for because that little though above (I’m trying to be cute about it, is it working?) starts the critic voice going in my head. What kind of writer doesn’t read every single sentence? What kind of writer doesn’t make a serious study of the craft of the books they read? What is wrong with you and what is the game you’re playing?
Under normal circumstances I would delete all that because I wouldn’t want to be seen as vulnerable. But what I’ll do instead is tell you that on good days, the teeny tiny voice of the little cheerleader in my head reminds me that I’m on my own path, learning at my pace and my way. Had I made this change years ago things may have been different but I’m learning it now and isn’t that just as enjoyable?
I hope when your critic starts talking, your little cheerleader reminds you of something like that. And if your little cheerleader has to sound like me right now to get you through well, I'm ok with that.
Goals Review:
Write Shorts/Novelettes: 3/5
Write novels: 0/2
Edit shorts/Novelettes: 2/5
Edit Novel: 0/1
Beta Novel: 0/1
Not that recent but the Eaton Symposium is now on Youtube for you to watch!
I don’t have any upcoming panels or speaking gigs at the moment! If you know someone whose looking for panelists, don’t forget my name ;)
Reading
 | I LOVED this book but especially this audiobook. It has a full cast, the characters while morally problematic all somehow make me root for them, and it’s a found a family that’s incredibly dysfunctional. Five known liars, thieves and killers are being called on to do a big job: Kill a god king. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. It’s on my library holds now! |
 | I started this book last year and wasn’t sure I was feeling it but when it came up again in my holds I decided, I’m going to try again. I’m glad I did! This is a really unique African-inspired secondary world with gods, revolution and outright murder. There are five women who bare the essence of Adara, the goddess who destroyed the world, and one of them wants to destroy the current monarchy. |
 | Do you know by now that I love a vampire? Because I do, I really really do. Almost as much as I love werewolves. And I feel like it’s been way too long since we have had blackity-black main character vampires. This book is very that. The MC, Kidan an heiress returning to the fold, worked my last nerve for most of this but I enjoyed this book immensely. The violence, the blood, the power. A great start to this trilogy. |
Also are you on StoryGraph? That’s where I’m doing all my tracking. Come find me.
Watching
 | Apparently, my wife and I going through a “watch people do hard things” period. This show features folks who have the opportunity to win a Million Dollars split amongst them if they can reach the summit of this mountain in New Zealand in 14 days. The entire time I said…Ain’t no way they going to make it. Well, spoiler alert I was wrong. But this show is interesting if you watch Survivor or Amazing race or those types of shows because the game play doesn’t entirely make sense until the final episode. |
 | Another show about people doing hard things. My wife and I binged season 2 and 3 of this show and I’m trying to convince her we should go back and watch season 1. Celebrities (this term is a little loose) engage in tests that Special Forces members have to do to join that elite group. This is intense to watch but really good. |
 | I always look forward to the Kevin Langue Show episodes dropping on a Saturday. They often are trying to guess something about people and it can be a little problematic but I always have a very good laugh! I also watch Keven Langue 2 for some more hangouts with the guys. It kind of feels like hanging out with some friends and listening to them lovingly make fun of each other. |
Listening
This playlist is what has been helping me to write the first part of WSMS. It’s a vibe.