It feels silly to be talking about favorites as news out of Minnesota—and the rest of the U.S. and the world—continues to grow scarier, more painful, and more frequent. I’ve felt this way so many times since 2016. It seems futile to mention things we’re enjoying or the places we’re finding comfort amongst the chaos. It feels wrong.
But it’s not.
I go through this cycle every few hours. Reading the news, feeling angry, feeling aching hopelessness, calling and emailing my representatives, recognizing that joy is rebellion too, trying to laugh and smile and live, and then thinking of the news again.
Please indulge me where I’m at currently in this cycle: trying to find that joy. It can be hard to think forward, at months ahead, when the now is so uncertain. But one thing I know: I’ll be in New York City from April 22nd to 28th. We received a confirmation from the Barnes & Noble off Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn for a signing that Monday the 27th. That bookends my schedule alongside the signing (with my good friend Becca C. Smith) at The Mysterious Bookshop in Tribeca on the 23rd. We’re waiting to hear back from another bookshop but it’s shaping up to be a wonderful trip. Most of my family will be able to make it and some incredible friends, too. I can’t wait.
That said, this isn’t my favorite book-related news from this past week.
Favorite THANKS FOR WATCHING news:
I got to choose a narrator for the audiobook! Working with Podium has been so fun and the rights agent passed along several narrators for me to choose from. I’d even listened to one of them before, so of course, I chose her. I’ll wait a little bit longer to make the OFFICIAL announce but I can’t wait!
Favorite Day of our Pusheen Calendar:
I don’t remember what I was looking to buy at Walmart in December—maybe some yarn—but I was wandering the aisles and found the discounted clearance section. Lo and behold this beautiful, daily Pusheen calendar appeared. I gifted it to my husband despite him buying a Pokemon desk calendar in Germany several months earlier. (He then gave away the Pokemon one during a gift exchange and kept the Pusheen. So, you know, taste.)
He gets the benefit of tearing off the calendar and I get the benefit of him curating the best ones (read: most of them) for me by randomly leaving them on my desk, sometimes with a little note. This week’s favorite was Cozy Hobbies with Pusheen because that very much described my weekend, too.
Favorite Read:
All aboard the Heated Rivalry train, choo choo! I’ve been slowly watching episodes on HBO and my library, like lots of others, decided to buy more licensing for Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. Instead of binging the show, I ended up binge listening to the audiobook, and I had a genuinely wonderful time. It was a lot more sex than my usual romance reads, but Reid really managed to layer in depth to each interaction, advance the plot, and build character. Totally how I want my steamy sex scenes to be done!
(To be fair, its competition for ‘best read of the week’ was WRITE FOR LIFE, which I completed on the way home from St. Louis. It’s a nonfiction follow-up of sorts to THE ARTIST’S WAY, and I gave it a rough 3/5 stars for my enjoyment. That said, I gleaned several new things to try in my writing process, so overall I’m glad I read it.)
Favorite Performance:
Water for Elephants. Holy shit. The voices! The choreography! The acrobatics! This really had it all. It also made me sob. (I was on my period, but I think I still would’ve cried anyways.) I somehow avoided the Water for Elephants book and movie from the past two decades so the musical was my first experience with this story and I’m not sure how either the book or the movie could be better. (Also not sure I’ll read or watch either because of the aforementioned sobbing.)
Easy will absolutely be added to my rotation of songs. Also look at how beautiful the ceiling of the Majestic Theatre is. I’m always marveling no matter how many times I visit:
Favorite Purchase:
I’m making a granny square blanket for my brother and future sister-in-law for their wedding! Having never made a granny square anything outside of the learning process early on, after years of crocheting, I finally had to buy a blocking board! With some rough measurements, I think I’ll need to make one hundred squares total, which feels both very doable and also like a lot of weaving in ends.
Least Favorite New Hobby (lol):
To get the free shipping, I also snagged this gem/diamond painting kit alongside my blocking board. Turns out—not for me! Much like watching ballet, this is a very fun discovery. It’s why I’ve been on such a “tutorial kit” buying kick! All different hobbies, I’m ready to dabble. I’m not sure anything will *click* for me the same way crochet has, but isn’t that the fun of experimenting?
Finally, I’d like to leave you with my favorite photo I took of Zelda this week. Of everything in this world, my animals bring me the most comfort. Isn’t she regal? A true princess, just like her eponym.
Hope you are all staying warm and safe during this Winter Storm!
Back in 2012, I read THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. There are two things from that experience that have stuck with me. The first: the shaking sobs from my heart being wrenched out of my body and stomped on. I have cursed John Green’s name ever since. (JK, nerdfighteria, don’t come for me.) The second is the quote: “…I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”
There are so many moments in life like this. This week was one of them for me. A slow Monday, a slower Tuesday, a slow rolling Wednesday into Thursday, and then a weekend so fast it’s like I blinked and it was over, as if I almost imagined being in St. Louis as I sit here, at home, writing this post. Like a daydream come true. A weekend surrounded by the warmth of family, inside jokes, and celebration.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that all my favorites come from Friday through Sunday.
Favorite Crochet Pattern:
My future SIL sent me an IG with a picture with the viral flower coasters, which I completed in their wedding colors. Here’s me still working on it in the airport before the second and final flight to get to St. Louis:
But then an idea struck me: I could make mini flowers with the leftover yarn and match them to the dresses for the bridal party! And, lucky me, when I went in search of key rings because I misplaced the ones I’d already bought (yippee), I found these adorable pastel flower charms, too. It was meant to be!
This pattern is also a very satisfying make. It works up quickly, the stitches themselves are different enough to keep you engaged the whole way through, and I love the final product! I’ll definitely be making more of these to give out at random. (And one for myself! I always forget about that part bahaha.)
Favorite Part of St. Louis:
Besides my brother and future SIL residing there…it’s the weather! I’ve now visited in the Fall and the Winter and am beyond happy to say that while on this trip, IT SNOWED. Beautiful, huge flakes. The kind of snow we never see in Texas.
I had a blast playing and running around in it with their dog, Goldie.
We also went on a little family hike. I didn’t pack accordingly, so by the time we made it back to my brother’s house, I couldn’t feel my thighs. Worth it!
Favorite On The Road Again Order:
Participating in Dry January means that I’m the designated driver! And there is nothing I crave more on a 3+ hour drive than a McDonald’s double cheeseburger with extra pickles and a side of fries. I cannot explain it. I refuse to try. In fact, I only stop at McDonald’s when I’m on the road (which is more often than a lot of people — I do love my roadtrips) so maybe it’s a self-fulfilling craving cycle. Regardless, no trip for me is complete without one (or two).
We drove through half Missouri to get to my future SIL’s bridal shower and the McDonald’s gave me all the sustenance I needed. Shout out to you, you beautiful golden arches.
Favorite Family Activity:
Axe throwing! David managed to be the first on the board, but with the hilt instead of the blade:
And actually, even better than axe throwing, was throwing star throwing!
This location truly had it all. Different sizes of axes, throwing stars, metal cards, and then they even gave us balloons to try to hit with the last half hour of our time.
It was also a BYOB/W location, so my brother shared his weed drink with me (he’s doing a California Sober January), and I would like to nominate it for this blog’s first official Least Favorite of the Week.
It was so gross. I’m not a huge energy drink fan and that’s exactly what it tasted like to me. A sugar-free energy drink. My brother kept joking that it’s “not bad….but not good. Not terrible, but you don’t really want to drink it. Not delicious, actually kind of gross, but not the worst, but definitely not the best.” This went on and on with each face I pulled after taking a sip. I finished my third of the bevy, regretting every moment of it, until about an hour or two later when it finally started hitting. I went to bed shortly after and achieved a wonderful amount of deep sleep (or so said my Oura ring).
While on the trip, my SIL said that she and my brother had been talking about how this year is really just a dream come true. Their wedding (and the bridal shower and my brother’s Bachelor Party before that) and then, just a few short weeks later, my release party for THANKS FOR WATCHING.
And I think they nailed it. Truly, a dream.
I’m posting this a bit belatedly due to all the travel but there’s already so many exciting, publishing-related things happening this week. I can’t wait to share! Until next time, friends. 🙂
There goes the first complete week of the year, done and dusted! I’m proud of myself. Proud of what I wrote, proud of what I posted, proud that I fulfilled the promises to myself and followed through on my plans.
And I’m also proud that I let myself continue to experience the ups and downs of grief. Saturday, the hormones of my period rendered me nearly inconsolable. And I let that happen, no guilting, no chastising, no worries about anything other than the emotions of the moment. And on Sunday, I felt so much better. (Well, my head hurt a little from crying so much and my eyes were swollen, but otherwise, I wasn’t exhaling out exhaustion with each breath!)
It was a quiet week with one big event, so though most of my favorites will stem from Friday’s festivities, I enjoyed falling into a gentle, familiar rhythm.
Favorite Road Trip Snack:
In preparation for the long drive from San Antonio, through San Marcos to pick up my friend, all the way to Houston for the Rachel Hawkins signing at Murder By the Book, I bought some snacks!
Even with the incredible options at Buc-ee’s, nothing could come close to the deliciousness of these Nerds Gummy Clusters. So tart, so sweet, and the irresistible need to reopen the bag and have a couple more. Better than caffeine for perking me up while driving through the storm on the way home.
(Coincidentally, the new Rachel Hawkins book is called The Storm! We got some very cool videos of the lightning while driving home, with the book splayed on the dashboard. I’ll post them on YouTube later!)
Favorite Crossover Moment:
My favorite thing about book events are all the bookish people you get to meet. No matter what, you have at least one thing in common: you love books. Even better, you probably love or enjoy the same author/genres!
With that basis, it’s so easy to talk to one another. My friend and I weren’t the only road warriors. We also found a duo who’d made the drive from Ft. Worth! I had such a giggle when they shared that one of them didn’t even know who they were going to see until halfway through the drive, they were just along for the ride! (But had loved Hawkins’ The Heiress, so it was perfect bahaha.)
I also spotted someone from my periphery who was crocheting. After the event — as my friend was using the bathroom after we’d gotten our books signed — I saw her and her friends again. She set down her WIP and I, of course, had to ask her what she was making. She explained she was working on a book sleeve using a granny square!!
She explained how to do it, how to fold it, and now I’m working on my own. (This is revolutionary for me, because I’ve made two book sleeves before but they were suuuuuch a pain of single or half double crochets over and over and over and over. The granny square is much more fun!)
Favorite Bit of Yarn Math:
Come every crochet project, I’m doing yarn math. Will I win this game of yarn chicken? Will I need to buy an extra skein? Did I buy too many skeins and will need to reconfigure the entirety of my already overflowing stash?
I returned to the beginnings of a blanket I haven’t touched since June:
Using the basketweave stitch, I finally finished the first jumbo skein! And I’m exceedingly happy to report that I bought exactly enough. (And by that I mean, I bought and sent my husband out to fetch for me, since I was hundreds of miles away at time of purchase and Michael’s had already sold out of the yarn I needed from anywhere nearby.)
Favorite Purchase:
My philosophy the past few weeks has been the Parks & Rec classic of ‘Treat Yo Self!’ It’s not the best way to handle the depression of losing a pet, but alas, my wallet must also feel the weight of my suffering. (Or it’s an inverse relationship. Goodbye money, hello Lego sets!)
That said, my favorite purchase this week was inspired by a thread on my Laqueristas subreddit. Apparently you can use chrome powder on regular (non-gel) polish? And it will recreate the most incredible shimmer effect?? This was news to me!
For $10, I bought the FNNZ Ocean Glimmer color. And, of course, I had to try it across all my cremes.
I. Was. Mesmerized. If I ever figure out how to create a gif and upload it to the blog, I’ll do that. But I hope photos for now will suffice. I also think this will help with my polish FOMO once it’s New Release Season. (Read: Every season once the dust of December has settled.)
I’ve now spent an additional $20 to get two more chrome powders — in Cyber Mirage & Galactic Dream — and will report back on if they equally blow my mind.
Favorite Epiphany?:
Goals = hope, for me. A sort of wonderful delusion. Perhaps it’s why I always set them so high and can never quite achieve them on the timeline I dreamed. They’re meant to be aspirational, a reach, a guiding light, not a designated hopscotch with The End easily jumped to.
That same hope is why I’ve been so turned off goals this year. With the ~everything~ in my personal life and the ~everything~ happening in the States and around the world, I’m not feeling hopeful. This epiphany makes me both sad and, in a twisted way, hopeful too. Hopeful that I’ll return to the silly goal setting (and dreaming and delusion that comes with it) when I’m in a better emotional place. That it hasn’t left me forever. I’ll find goals again when I find hope. And I have to trust that that’s not too far away.
It’s been a week of recovering. Recovering from cellulitis, recovering from the depression fog of Buffy’s death. Neither of these things are ‘over,’ but each new day is better than the last. Both the metaphorical and physical bruise hurt incrementally less and less and, I guess, that’s all I can hope for.
And, a bright spot, there were some favorites for this week.
Favorite Lesson: Firstly, I learned that the ballet wasn’t for me.
I love art. I love art in so many forms. And even when something is decidedly NOT for me, I still love it and can find something in it to appreciate. Ballet, I think, just doesn’t speak to me.
It’s a marvel. It’s incredibly cool to see athletes at their pinnacle performing in tandem, the symphony of the orchestra, all the lighting and tech crew working together, and yet…
It’s slow. I think that’s my problem. The storytelling itself is just a touch too slow for me and, after thirty minutes, I felt like I’d had enough.
This. Is. Awesome. I am SO happy to learn that about myself! I also can’t wait to talk to people who do love ballet. Sometimes my mind can be changed and perhaps, rather than ballet itself, it was The Nutcracker that wasn’t for me. I could always be persuaded.
But I’ll probably wait several more years until I pay for that chance.
Umm, this is a delight? I felt good after eating it. And it was so tasty. Plus, I think this is only the second or third time I’ve browned butter and I am amazed at the chemistry every time!! Look! It transforms! It bubbles and the color and taste change! SCIENCE. FOOD SCIENCE.
Anyways, cannot recommend this recipe enough. Also, it’s so easy. So easy I can do it! 10/10.
(It also reheats pretty well, I’m happy to say. It’s better fresh, but nothing an extra bit of goat cheese can’t make up for.)
Favorite Bit of Escapism:
The mantra for the past two weeks has been ‘just keep moving,’ which is especially true of my hands. If I could keep my hands busy — building Lego sets, crocheting — then some part of my mind couldn’t trap itself in a rumination spiral. (I’m still at the stage where every fleeting, happy memory is quickly replaced by the gaping, aching hole of missing Buffy. But I’ll get there eventually. I know I will.)
Since I have no more Lego sets and I needed to give my wrist a rest, I decided to puzzle and listen to Paladin’s Strength. I think I can safely say T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors now. Her writing and stories captivate me and it’s so fun to read and reread her work.
Also, isn’t this puzzle the cutest? If T. Kingfisher has become a comfort for me, so too is the artwork on this puzzle. I felt bundled in a hug as I worked and listened.
I’ll hold off gluing this puzzle together and displaying it until maybe the next time it’s completed. The pieces themselves are a joy to work with and I love the cute little container to hold them together.
Favorite New Tradition:
With the Formula 1 season over, my husband and I have a vroom-vroom sized gap in our hearts and in our schedules. We’ve been filling that hole with racing movies. Each Sunday, we pick a new film or two. And — most shocking of all — we both have agreed with how the films stack up against one another. Our very distinguished list below, in order of our enjoyment:
Rush
Daniel Brühl, need I say more?
I don’t, but I will. This had great tension, I loved the acting and all the accents (even Chris Hemsworth’s, which I couldn’t quite place, lol), and I genuinely felt the character development. Plus the way it was shot — the intensity, the up-close look at different parts of the car as they rattled — you could feel the speed.
Cars
A cinematic, childhood classic neither of us saw until we were adults and, like most Pixar movies, holds up really well. I love an archetypical talented asshole getting his comeuppance and realizing it takes a team to truly be great.
Ford v Ferrari
My only complaint is that Matt Damon’s Carroll Shelby wears a cowboy hat frequently in the film and when they showed the real photo of Shelby and Ken Miles at the end, Shelby is wearing a baseball cap. Where is the continuity!
Otherwise, this was incredible. I really do love Christian Bale, all the characters felt real and not like caricatures, the story felt complete, the editing tight (it did win an Academy Award for Best Film Editing & Sound Editing, so I guess that makes sense), and I had a great time.
F1
I refused to watch this in theaters or Apple TV, so we had to wait to access it a different way so that I wouldn’t be giving any credit, attention, or money to Brad Pitt.
It was SO cheesy (and I love cheese). There’s a scene where Brad Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes, says that the extra c is for ‘combat’ during a meeting and the other characters start chanting ‘combat, combat, combat’ and NO. JUST NO. WHY. NO, WHY, NO, WHY, NOOOO.
I hated the way the two female characters were written, but I guess that’s better than there being none. (I guess? Also they edited out Simone Ashley, which I simply cannot cosign.)
That said, I was entertained (when I wasn’t cringing). The cinematography was incredible, I liked getting peeps at real drivers from the grids I’ve known. And there was a plot! Was it basically every ‘80s or ‘90s sports movie reworked? Sure! But they’re classics for a reason and it’s not last on this list.
Drive
A controversial take around the internet, but this movie really didn’t do it for either of us. I get it was supposed to be artistic. I get that the director wants you to live in the discomfort of the prolonged shots. But we didn’t get to know any of the characters well enough for me to care if/when they died and the plot was barely there. It moved so slowly. Several strikes from me. It doesn’t help that Baby Driver is still a far more entertaining take on the same concept despite its wildly problematic cast.
Cars 2
How dare they make us sit through an entire movie with Mater as the main character? It inspires me to take my comic relief side characters, make them the protagonist, and show how it SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
There are still 8 weeks until Formula 1 is back, so we’ll have to fill that time with several more movies. Maybe even Cars 3.
350 miles, 10 chapters edited, and approximately a million hours spent researching the intricacies of single-pilot aircrafts later, we are at the end of another week!
I do fear there’s precious few of those remaining in 2025. (Three. There are three as of this typing.)
There’s been lots of highs and lows. Literally, because the weather in Texas can’t make up its mind. Is it Fall, is it Winter, or is it most people’s idea of the perfect Summer?
As mentioned on last week’s blog, I visited my friend in College Station this week! Her dog, Penny, has to be a shout-out for my favorites for the week.
This precious girl has to be over a decade old now. She has few teeth and few cares. She shakes when she’s excited and also when she’s cold. (Her sweater collection is immense and themed, and I’m jealous.)
It’s a delight to know my friend’s pets almost as well as my own. And truly I wish every place I visited could have a dog.
Speaking of which!
Favorite new bookstore: Wonderful Words Bookshoppe in Bryan, Texas. They have a built-in secret shelf that leads to the mystery/thriller section of their shop. Need I say more?
OH WAIT, YES, because they have a shop dog!! (Their name is Benchly.)
My friend very casually slipped into conversation that I had a book coming out and they were effusive in their congratulations and request for me to visit when the book debuts. Hopefully next time I’m visiting her, we can organize that signing after all!
Favorite parasocial moment: Evelyn From The Internets is posting for Vlogmas and the scream I scrumpt!!! I know parasocial relationships are kinda weird and can be dangerous and can blah blah blah, okay? OKAY? I DON’T CARE. Literally, it was a joy to see her on my screen with a new video again. She made a video — ages ago — where she referenced, “Don’t be afraid to be seen trying” and it’s become a mantra for me. For a couple years, that’s all it was. A thing I’d repeat to myself. I needed just to hear it, to work my way up to living it. I’m not sure I’m always there now, but I feel it. And it’s because of her. (Also her entire recent-ish Thirsty Thursday series is iconique, if you’d like to start with something. Pick any, they’re all great.)
As for another thing I’ve been watching…
Favorite show: Dexter: Resurrection. Holy. Shit. Holy shit holy shit holy shit. Okay, so I weirdly watched Episode 4 of this with Becca at Comic-Con because I don’t mind coming into a show halfway through and told The Husband that we needed to start watching immediately. We didn’t. A half year later and finally, we got around to it, and I hesitate to call the show perfect TV, but it’s pretty damn close!
Favorite recipe: The skillet gnocchi with miso butter and asparagus by Ali Slagle in NYTimes Cooking was, indeed, incredible. As delicious and nutty as I’d hoped and an incredible way to eat more greens (something I’m always on the search for!).
I think next week I’ll try the Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake by Ali Slagle, too! See if she’ll do me right again.
Favorite bite: Unfortunately, there’s nothing like other people cooking for me, and so the meal my husband made of stovetop mac’n’cheese mixed with more cheese and also pulled pork does in fact take the proverbial cake. The above recipe was incredible and delicious and I did eat all my leftovers, including the single serving I had still in the fridge when I returned from College Station, but was it better than mac’n’cheese and more cheese and pulled pork? No. Credit where credit is due.
Favorite sports moment: Watching Lando win his maiden F1 Drivers Champion title. Do I wish it were my boy, OP? Yes. But I assigned myself a McLaren fan as I began watching the sport and have so enjoyed Lando raising McLaren from the midfield. And I love seeing a man cry (happy tears), which he did spectacularly. Also donuts! Vroom, vroom.
Favorite new jewelry: Your girl got pierced (again)! I finally have a second lobe piercing on both of my ears and will have these tiny silver hearts in place for the next four months, or however long the piercer recommended. I currently have a gold moon in one ear in my original piercing, and a gold star in the other original piercing, and the piercer wanted to confirm I was down for the mixed metal look. I am.
I do fear that this has unlocked the desire for more piercings. Just in the ear though. I think I’d still like my helix, and maybe tragus done. But I’m eyeing a tattoo place to book up in the future for when my brother graduates from his PA school so that we can get our sibling tats. (The current plan is matching N64 controllers.)
Favorite cursed object: This Santa from Dollar Tree. I didn’t buy him, but he won’t be soon forgotten.
It’s like looking into a mirror for this week. Technically it has the shape of the thing, but something about it isn’t quite right. That’s how I always feel with mid-week travel. I was here, but I wasn’t here. It was wonderful, but it was A Lot.
ARCs of THANKS FOR WATCHING are almost out and my emotions are in a whirlwind. I’m excited for people to read my story. That’s what I want. I’m also nervous for the reaction, because the little Doubter and Impostor tells me I should be, but I know I can’t control that. I’ve done everything I can to create the book exactly as I want it to be, and I hope it finds its readers. That’s what I keep having to tell myself. (Even when sometimes that voice feels like it’s being drowned out.)
Next week, I think, will be a lot of the same. I have jury duty. I have a holiday party. I have videos to film and words to write and books to buy and hopefully all of that will be a growing chorus of so much fun that the Impostor Syndrome doesn’t stand a chance at getting a word in. Fingers crossed.
Let me know some of your favorites for the week. Thanks for reading! 🙂
It’s the end of the week, and the end of November, and I keep asking myself, “Where did the year go?”
I fear it’s the thing my parents always warned me about: that time moves faster the older you get. And even though — logically — I accept this inevitability, I also reject it. AWAY, YOU UGLY TRUTH, AWAY.
To contend with this pain, I thought I’d share some of my favorite things from the past seven days. Maybe reminiscing, recollecting, and sharing can be the solution.
In no particular order, here are some favorites:
Moments: Chatting reality TV (from Survivor to Married at First Sight, and yes, I promise there is a through-line if you’re a true trash panda) and playing Hot Streak at Friendsgiving. It’s not my favorite board game I’ve played, but perfect when you’ve drank nearly an entire bottle of champagne on a lazy Monday evening.
YouTube Video: Do you like sweaters? Do you wear sweaters? Do you enjoy falling down unnecessarily specific rabbit holes, specifically in regards to sweaters? Then I think you’ll like this video.
Thing I bought: Technically I ordered this a couple weeks ago, but my Holo Taco package finally arrived, which included the Sticky Base Coat. I am known to mess with my hands, especially my fingers, and will often peel my polish. Part of this is anxiety and part of it is the absolute satisfaction of a thing well-picked and/or torn and thus, my manicures often last me only a day or two, if I’m lucky. Up until now, the plus-side has been that I can change the colors I wear multiple times a week. The minus-side is perhaps everything else.
But now! Now I have a new holy grail and it is the Sticky Base Coat. It gives me about 3.5 days of manicure wear without any lift, meaning I have used it twice since it arrived and I am AMAZED. I’ve loved both manicures and finally feel like it’s worth applying magnetic polishes again.
(With the bonus that I still get to rip off my polish in a few days! The mani can still be picked at and come off in one fell swoop, hooray!)
An honorable mention goes to the NYTimes Cooking App subscription for the year. ($25 on sale.) They finally made it so their tiramisu recipe couldn’t be accessed over the paywall and I swear by it. Now I have a whole list of “Easy” recipes I want to make.
Made: The aforementioned tiramisu for family Thanksgiving. Marrying into a family with elite cooks often means that I feel incredibly satisfied, satiated, and grateful, but also like I haven’t contributed enough. So being able to share the oft-requested tiramisu makes me happy! (It’s also so easy.) I only have a single photo of the tiny bit I was able to take home, but my goodness, it was delicious.
Wrote: Is it terrible if I say this post? I wrote a lot of disparate things this week, several of them very fun bonus materials for THANKS FOR WATCHING. I am really excited for all of them, but I’m also nearing the point of being So Very Done with the story that I need a brief break from it. A little, loving hiatus, before I return and rererereread it in its final form.
Also, I’ve been wanting to blog again and this is the first post I’ve made in over two years?? Incredible.
Alternatively, I also came up with a brief outline for ANOTHER mystery that I might try to pitch Inimitable Books as a follow-up to TFW, so that’s quite fun as well. It even has a title! I also want to utilize a dual timeline, something I’ve never attempted before. How fun!
Read: A few short chapters (“short” as in a single page) of Murder Among the Stacks. It’s this adorable word search mystery, where on one page you have the story and on the other page, a word search! Eventually you’re supposed to be able to use the word searches to solve the whodunnit and honestly, this is the perfect “turn your brain off and chill” book. It also hits on some nostalgia of these activity books with a vague storyline from when I was a kid! 10/10, would recommend (if you like word searches).
Email I sent: Will this category ever come up again? I doubt it! But this week I sent off the email to my favorite local indie bookshop, hoping and requesting for them to host my launch day event. Not only did they agree, they also offered to help do a signed preorder campaign!!!!! ALL THE EXCLAMATIONS! I’m so giddy words cannot possibly do my emotion justice. I’ll keep y’all updated when those signed copies are available.
Podcast: The only way I clean my house is with my headphones on and a podcast playing. I’m currently working my way through Curse of: America’s Next Top Model, a recommendation from Clara, and it. Is. Incredible. I’m on episode 6 and absolutely riveted.
Screenshot
Show: My husband, the tech guy, has finally configured a way for us to watch allllll our British television and while I specifically had requested The Great British Sewing Bee, it’s Taskmaster that’s dominating our screen right now.
We’ve finished the series with Fern Brady (14), Noel and Mel of separate eras of GBBO (4), and chaos incarnate Jason Mantzoukas (19).
Now we’re starting from Series 1 and will work our way up until there’s no more new-to-us episodes to watch.
And then, maybe, I’ll finally go back to The Great British Sewing Bee. Or just start a rewatch of Taskmaster.
Pictured: Greg Davies and Alex Horne
For some things I’m looking forward to this coming week: December! The small act of changing my calendars over always makes me grin, especially the freebie ones I get from my husband’s aunt every year that feature and support the National Park Foundation. (I also got to pick out my calendars for next year and oh boy, am I excited. It sounds like I’m being sarcastic, but that was a genuine “oh boy” and I stand by it.)
I’m also taking a mini roadtrip across Texas to visit my friend in College Station and it’ll be wonderful to see her. It’s been almost a year since we last chatted in person and I can’t wait to cozy up on the couch and binge watch some TV, nestled amongst all her holiday lighting. (She goes all out for Christmas and it quite literally is like living on the set of a Hallmark movie, but better. They should hire her.)
I also thought of a fun video idea that will require me to visit all the local bookstores in my city and maybe send off a goodie bag or two to end the year. One of the shops should even be on my way to visit my friend, so I’ll get to knock that one out early. All in all, lots to look forward to! 🙂
What was your favorite moment/podcast you listened to/email you sent this past week??
Welp. It was only a matter of time. After hundreds of writing experiments, eventually I would have to find the one that would break me. That would stump me for weeks on end. That had me questioning if I should scrap everything and start over (…..or maybe not start over and bury my own head deep, deep, deep in the sand).
The premise? Simple! Pull three or four oracle cards to guide a story, then draft, revise, and edit it entirely on stream. My delusional ass thought it would take merely two streams to do all of this, because ??? We may never know.
It really took five streams, countless minutes sprinting, and a loooot of self-doubt. (How fun!)
Anyways, if you haven’t already watched, you can see it all unfold here:
And as promised in that video, I’d like to share the winding road I took on page in writing this short. We journeyed through the land of the Brain Dump Poem, a sea of Outlining Mess, and slowly but surely trekked through the narrowing This Might Be Okay Way.
You can find it all (including the history, I hope) right here!
And now, the final result of pulling The Man, 9 of Cups Reversed, The Escapist, & The Tree, may I present my short story:
Something Good & Strong & Brave
Every child born in Vesineeru dreams of being good and strong and brave. For if you are good and strong and brave enough, you may one day march along the lake’s edge. From there, you can see the glittering waters up close. Breathe in their salty spray. Legend states that a single wayward drop is powerful enough to grant women wings, turn mere men immortal, and the humidity’s always thick and full with this promise.
Before the march, Vesineeru’s history was taught only in spurts, for sometimes years were lost, taken away with the tide, or stolen by conquerors, raiders who wished to drain the lake of its enchantment. But since the march began, since the good and strong and brave people have guarded the water’s edge, daring not to touch it, daring to keep others away, Vesineeru has sprawled and prospered.
Protect our history, secure our longevity.
Those were the first words Pali remembered, perhaps the first to ever touch his ears. Or maybe the first he uttered, surrounded by family, who told him that one day he would be good and strong and brave.
Now as he marched, they were all he heard. Protect our history! The chants came beside a crescendo of crashing waves, the skies heavy with the threat of rain. Secure our longevity!
For nine hundred and ninety-nine nights, he had marched. Up and down the beach, around and around the lake. Sand in his boots, sand in his hair, sand in the folds of his arms where the sweat beaded and turned it to clumps. He’d endured bloodied blisters and sunburned skin, eye strain and heat headaches. But he was one of the good. One of the strong. One of the brave.
They marched in groups of ten, the next ten never disappearing from view, the ten in front of them still barely in sight. Uniforms of blue dotted the lakeshore, far as the eye could see, and even farther still, disappearing into the waters they protected, a trick of the eye Pali oft wished could be reality.
For the first hundred nights, he had felt good and strong and brave. The next hundred after, perhaps only good and strong. With every step, every ounce of effort he took to lift his leg above the sand, the very sand that threatened to suck him down, that beckoned him to bury his body in its embrace, he felt his strength drain, his courage humbled.
For a hundred more days, he at least knew he was good. Now, not even that.
Now he felt lucky to awake on his own without being rattled. To spare a single moment of solace, his eyes still closed, as he listened to those waters he swore to protect, as they rolled and retreated, repeated, repeated. In the mornings, they didn’t roar. They barely whispered. But he desperately wanted to hear their secrets. So he strained and focused, only to be jostled, poked, prodded awake. “Get up, get up! It’s time to protect. Time to march.”
During the day, he dared not even look at how the still depths glistened against the sun. He wished only for the Protect our history! Secure our longevity! to reverberate so loudly in his brain as to drown out the intoxicating, roaring melody of high tide. If he could not hear, if he could not see, he could not be tempted.
The day grew long. The sun seared. On and on, he trudged, their shoreline small, but their march never-ending.
His family visited once on purpose. On his second day, when he’d yet to march far. Then again, on his five hundred and first, a happy accident. Hands were waved, smiles of pride beamed, no words shared. He’d done it; he’d made it. Good. Strong. Brave.
That was the first night he shed tears. They’d been threatening to fall for so many nights before; he wasn’t sure what’d kept them back. And for many more nights after, they poured.
Now, on the eve of his one-thousandth night, as the skies stormed and released their chaos, no one would have noticed if he cried. But now there was nothing left to give.
The storm raged on as dark blue skies turned black. Pali collapsed onto his cot, not bothering to set up his tent. Weariness pressed deep into his chest, pushing him down, down, down, trapping him so he couldn’t breathe. No room to expand, no strength to move.
The best protectors marched for ten thousand nights, some twenty thousand days.
Pali’s body shook, but he couldn’t gasp, couldn’t wheeze, lest his linemates know, lest they witness his shame.
Nine thousand more nights to go.
Relief came only as his linemates’ snores overtook the thunder rumbling in the distance. Familiar, shallow breaths. The storm passed slowly, Pali its only audience. Dark clouds drifted with the breeze, a bright, full moon illuminating the lake. Light rain danced across the top of the mirror glass, its gentle taps lulling him into a trance, a siren’s call only he could hear.
But it was his own voice, this beckoning. For nine hundred and ninety-nine nights, he’d done as he was told. He’d do it again now.
A slight rumble and a cascade of gentle waves masked his cot rustling. No eyes gleamed after him.
He unlaced his shoes and removed his blue uniform, leaving it all behind. His body propelled forward, actions where his mind had yet to place the plan into words. Longing drove him toward the glistening waters.
Sand shifted under his feet, gritty between his toes. He lunged forward, scooping up a handful of the cool beads, not stopping his course. For the first time, as he rubbed the damp clumps between his palms, pressed them flat, swirled his finger, and made designs, he played. Nine hundred and ninety-nine nights, and never once did he think to enjoy the sands, never once did he see anyone else cherish them.
As he neared the chasm where high tide had colored the sands a deep brown, just before beach met lake, where there could be no turning back, Pali tilted his hand and let the grains drift back to the shore. Already his skin buzzed.
The storm had stilled the waves, but even so, a small trickle crawled, rolling across the sand as if reaching out for Pali’s toes. Crisp and cold. Tingles shot from his toe, racing up his leg, through his spine, electrifying and tantalizing.
With a long, full breath that made it past his throat and filled his lungs, he took another step forward. Then another. And another.
He couldn’t remember how he fell into the water. If he dove, if he flopped, if he waded until all that was left to do was swim. But now his shoulders bobbed in the waves, his body floating in its heavy embrace.
The marching orders had become his prison; the waters washed them away. Tension eased from his shoulders, from his jaw, from the spots behind his eyes. And he cried happy, salty tears as the tide carried him to places unknown. He slept on top, light as the reflection of the stars, as twilight slowly gave way to dawn.
He didn’t grow wings; that wasn’t his dream. He wished to belong to the sea. To protect its peace how he was able, and so his legs became one, pulled down by the currents. Scales shaped like the moon grew in place of his skin, reflecting the gleaming magic of the sea. As he took one last, deep breath above the water, his chest filled and weighed him down. He sank and twirled and wiggled his tail. He swam one way, then the other, shooting upwards, laughing as he breached the surface, diving deeper and deeper and deeper. His mind, finally, at ease.
It was magic he breathed in now, magic he breathed out. He became one with the lake, a new creation. Something good and strong and brave.
As discussed in my video, it’s not my favorite short story I’ve ever written. The ending arrives a little too quickly for me, even still, but ultimately I learned a lot from this experiment!! There’s truly no substitute for inspiration and sometimes an idea needs a little more ruminating before we begin writing. 🙂
Let me know if you’ve ever had an experience like this. Have you ever pushed your way through a story that was SCREAMING for more time? (I may have done this before trying to submit another short story on a deadline lolol, sometimes we gotta step up to that plate and swing even when we think we’ll miss!)
Long time, no blog! If we went off my posts alone, we apparently blinked our way from 2021 into mid-2023. In some ways, that feels close enough to the truth.
But there’s no time to dwell, each word is important now! It’s officially Camp NaNoWriMo and my goal is set to a whopping 35,000 words.
(I haven’t won a Camp since April of 2020, so this feels doable……………but then, so did all the others, lol.)
I’m revising Project Death (draft 5!) and drafting A Closet Full of Cauldrons. Any number of words in either project counts, but I’m aiming for 5,000 a week in the former and 2,500 in the latter.
This Camp is basically phase one of my summer writing plans for these 2 projects, as I’m hoping to reach The End for both around the first week of September.
So far I’m 36% complete on the Editing phase. 8 Weeks remain until the deadline. It LOOMS.
Project Death
Phase:Editing
Due:2 years ago
36%
I did make and post a Day 1 vlog:
And I’m hoping that the rest of the month will look about the same! Just enjoying my celebratory NaNoWriMo puzzle, taking some trips to the library, and making steady progress.
If you’re participating in Camp NaNoWriMo after a long record of L’s, let me know what you’re doing to change that! Or if you are just all about having fun, regardless of winning or losing. (Perhaps the perfect Camp mentality!) And please let me know what you think the perfect Camp snack is, both for around a campfire and for around your computer.
Thanks y’all, hopefully my next post won’t take two years, and happy writing!
What a strange year this was. Not just strange, but scary too. And sad. At times, so very, very sad.
It’s hard to think of these pandemic years and not have those feelings spring to mind first. Without my very conscious effort to compile what I accomplished this year, I would have thought of it as a complete dud. Not that “pandemic years” need to be more than duds, if it means we’re alive and still moving forward.
But because the rest of this blogpost is going to be about the positives, the happy memories, the successes and proud victories, while the overall feeling for the year is somewhat gray, I feel I owe the grayness a mention here now.
(TW: death and suicide. Please skip to the bolded bit, if needed.)
As someone obsessed with death, who writes so much about it – including a capital d, Death – this year seemed especially marked by endings. In December 2020, my grandma died. In March 2021, the bestest pepperoni, Duke passed. Both of these felt like deaths that had been delayed. In some wonderful ways, it meant more time with both of them. It also meant seeing them in states, for far too long, where they were declining, where they were ready to go.
And then there was a shift. The deaths that marked the year were sudden. Suicides of friends, neighbors. The type of deaths I haven’t experienced in a long, long time.
Both types of death are accompanied by pain. Pain for those dying, pain for those still alive. Deep pains that take a while to dull and longer for scar tissue to build up, but they will. And slowly, they do. We won’t be the same, but eventually when we look back on those people, the good memories come first.
And in that spirit, for the rest of the post, let us bathe in those good memories and accomplishments!
As per the name of this blog, let’s go ahead and start with READING. I set my goal to a modest 24 books, reasoning that 2 books a month was reasonable, even if I hadn’t actually managed to hit that in The Year That Started This Nonsense (aka 2020).
I also re-learned the lesson that romcoms are the absolute best way to get out of a reading slump. Jasmine Guillory‘s books were exactly what I needed them to be, each and every time. So while Royal Holiday and Party of Two don’t make my list of favorite books I read this year, they were standouts for that reason.
Now let’s move on to my WRITING revelations for this year (as it was revelation heavy) and a few happy accidents/accomplishments that happened along the way.
While I began the year focused on finishing The Meridian Maps (as I have now successfully zero drafted all five books in the series, but needed to go back to the first book and incorporate what I’d learned), I ended up abandoning that goal when I realized, frankly, I’d bitten off more than I could chew. Series are hard! Series are hard. Who knew?? The lesson I took from this was that I needed to hone my fantasy skills with a standalone novel first. And so the return to Project Death was a happy, unexpected accident! One that I started working on ahead of NaNoWriMo and I’m about 75.69% done with, as of writing this sentence. My friend Jess and I are exchanging novels on January 31st, and I’m so very ready for someone else to meet these characters I adore.
2021 was truly my year of collaboration. It all kicked off with Ara at Bentley House Minis and finally showing her build and my accompanying short story. Working with her was absolutely the coolest and I was – and still am – so in awe of her skills and creativity! While I think I could do much better on the story now (more on that in 2022?), I was happy to have finally shared something with my YouTube audience.
Then my friend Cam invited me to join his horror anthology! A new genre is always scary and fun and this one even moreso. This also led to my increasing interest in the short story format and so in September I took on the Ray Bradbury Challenge and got to hang out more with my friend Ka’Shay, who had been writing a short story each week since the start of the year!
I’d also been working on a “DnD novelization” project, a Buddy Thieves story, with my brothers. Between Robert’s audacious character and David’s lush and intricate worldbuilding, it was such a joy to turn our sessions into a serial. And when I heard the news about Kindle Vella, that excitement spiked…to the point that I announced something I shouldn’t have. One thing I learned about myself – and what having an audience means – this year, is that it’s better for me not to announce anything until it’s basically about to be printed. That’s just on me. Because once I thought through how irregularly my brothers and I played (and therefore how quickly my material would run out), I realized I didn’t want anyone paying for a story I didn’t know how often I’d update. I hated that back in my fanfiction days, so there was no way I was going to do that to others now, in 2021. So in 2022, the story will go up for free, on a semi-regular basis, right here on my website. I’m excited.
A couple other accomplishments: My “streaming project,” which I only worked on while I was live-streaming on Twitch. I actually outlined this from start to finish and followed that outline over the course of writing (half of) it. As someone who falls more to the pantser side of the plantser scale, this has been a fun, new adventure! Within the next couple months I’m hoping to return to that WIP, once Project Death is completed. I also continued writing and publishing under my romance pen name, which I am still debating if I’ll ever share with anyone else. It’s been fun to have my own little secret, and I enjoy the idea that if people found my works and enjoyed them, it has nothing to do with me as a person.
Now one advantage that 2021 had over 2020 is that we could start ROAMING again! After I very happily received my double Pfizer vaccination, the first trip I took was to meet up with my family in Lake Tahoe! I think I’ll do an entire write-up on all these trips another time, but I also hit up my old stomping grounds of Vegas (twice!), built a lightsaber at Walt Disney World, day drank on a party barge in Austin, attended the chaos of ComicCon with my friend Becca, and received my booster vaccine! (I went Moderna this time.) My entire immediate family, all partners included, came down to San Antonio for us all to be together over the holidays. There was something just so warm and comforting in being surrounded by these people I’ve missed so very much, eating turkey and brisket and queso and all sorts of other delicious that The Boyfriend smoked, and playing games and chatting together. We also visited The Boyfriend’s family on Christmas Day and discussed a future family vacation back to Vietnam. That was so wonderful too, in feeling so comfortable and accepted and adored by another family that’s become my own.
I will say, I was clearly making up for lost time and am now paying the price. I. Am. Exhausted. So another lesson that’s ultimately more of a reminder: Take a breather between travel. You’ll enjoy all your trips more that way.
Whew! I think that’s it for 2021.
And while I do have some writing, reading, roaming, and work-related goals for 2022, this New Year will also be my 30th year. I made a big deal about my 30×30 (or 3 big goals with 10 mini goals, so I suppose 10 by 3 by 30 is perhaps more accurate), the list of of things I’d like to accomplish before my 30th birthday, and dammit if I don’t still plan on achieving them!
So with a renewed energy, I shall once again focus on getting strong, learning to cook, and speaking Spanish! Wish me luck!
And to quote one of my favorites, Evelyn from the Internets, my continued mantra for this year is: “Don’t be afraid to be seen trying.” I hope you enjoy all your trying in 2022!
It’s the end of the Ray Bradbury experiment! Rather than focusing on what I didn’t do (post weekly updates, ahem), I’m going to focus on what I did!
I wrote at least 28,000 words, read at least 30 poems and far more essays, and also realized that THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury wasn’t for me, pivoted, and completed all ofTHE LOTTERY AND OTHER STORIES by Shirley Jackson.
The copy of this book I borrowed is also very small and adorable, thank you San Antonio Public Library.
I also learned to acknowledge when a story wants to be longer. For about a week, I worked on “Twilight Zone Inspired,” what I thought was a short story. I actually had this idea last year, a sort of weird horror concept, but hadn’t worked on it much. So it’s just been festering in my brain, occasionally screaming at me to scratch the itch and just freaking write it already. And this Ray Bradbury experiment seemed like the perfect time! Only the short story grew longer and longer and within 5 days I was staring down about 9,000 zero draft words, with at least another 3,000 or so needed to hit The End.
And Masterclass, by way of Google, tells me that this is, in fact, a novelette.
Which is fine and I’m very happy to have scratched the itch and started working on the project but it sort of defeats the purpose of the Ray Bradbury experiment. Being, in part, to write, revise, and edit a short story each week, in the hopes that eventually you’ll hit on something golden. Quantity will produce quality and all that jazz.
So, as you can see, I pivoted on September 16th:
I began working on “Superhero Supper,” which is at least a better working title than “Twilight Zone Inspired” bahaha. I won’t be sharing that one with you since I think I’d like to save it for something else – maybe a contest? – in the future, but after that story, I moved on to “Full Moon.”
And so, may I present to you, this cute funny story about some kids on a full moon:
Even though Vanessa’s neck ached, she continued staring up at the sky. She couldn’t look away. Dark gray clouds blanketed the night, hiding the stars. An eerie outline hinted at the moon’s presence, but it wouldn’t have mattered if the oncoming storm completely obscured it, Vanessa knew the moon was there. She could feel it.
“How much longer?” She called out, not looking away, not even blinking.
“Seven minutes!” Darrel shouted. He was the only one smart enough to bring his phone with him to the hill and it was the only light, besides the lanterns illuminating the village miles away, that the clouds couldn’t block out.
“Does it still, you know, happen? Even if we can’t see the moon?” Evelyn asked. “Like, will we still…,” she trailed off. No one spoke for a bit.
Their parents hadn’t exactly explained that part. Actually, no one had explained that part, or really much of anything. Not their teachers, not their counselors, not their big brothers or sisters or cousins or council leaders.
They’d been left in the dark, left to stare and wonder.
The autumn breeze cooled Vanessa’s skin, but drops of sweat still trickled down her temple, down her back. The anticipation was too much. Or maybe that was part of the change, the process. You get hot and then you…transform?
Vanessa heard Caleb’s loud gulp beside her. Without looking away from the sky, she reached out and grabbed his hand. His palm was clammy, but she squeezed it tightly. Everything was going to be okay. This was normal, natural even.
“Should we sit down or something?” Caleb asked the group, his voice cracking at “or something.”
“I’m crouching,” Evelyn called. “Just in case.”
“Me too,” Darrel said.
For the first time since they’d wandered out of their houses, out of the village, and up the long, well-trodden path to the forest on the hill, Vanessa looked away from the sky. “How much longer?” She asked again, her voice frantic now. With a final squeeze, she pulled her hand out of Caleb’s embrace. She wandered a few steps away, the dewy grass soft beneath her feet, before placing her hands and right knee on the ground, anchoring herself to the earth, ready for anything.
“One more minute!” Darrel called, his voice a little farther away now.
Caleb’s feet stomped on the ground, squeaking against the grass. Still a little too close for comfort. What if they changed during the change? What if Caleb became someone…something…she didn’t know?
Now it was Vanessa’s turn to gulp audibly. Despite the breeze whistling through the pines and the rolling thunder following cracks of lightening, Vanessa could hear her heart thump, her breath hitch.
The war in her mind waged loudly and it was only when Caleb cleared his throat again that she knew she had to run. She kicked off her sandals and pumped her arms, trying to sprint faster and farther, but then a cry erupted from her throat. Hers wasn’t the only one. Darrel, Evelyn, and Caleb cried out too, in pitchy pangs of agony.
Her bones became brittle, grinding and crumbling together with each step she took. The muscles in her arms ached, as if twisted and contorted in ways they never had been before and never should be again. Her eyes burst and her nose broke and her skin felt as if it was being peeled off her body in long strands one by one by one.
Someone should have warned her. Someone should have warned all of them. To the moon and stars and all their ancestors all around them, why did no one think to tell them it was going to be like –
The pain vanished instantly, the wails only an echo in the night. Then the hill was silent once more as Vanessa put another foot in front of the other in front of the other in front of the other and she now had four feet instead of two.
She glanced down at herself, long and lean, with the same black hair she was used to but that now covered her entire body, with a sheen that radiated the light of the moon. The storm had passed, there were no more clouds in sight, everything atop the hill illuminated in a beautiful golden white glow.
Vanessa slowed to a prowl before turning around and bursting again with speed – more speed than she’d ever known before – past her torn clothes and toward where her friends once stood. In the gleaming light of the moon, two large figures appeared, much, much larger than any human.
A werewolf…and a werehorse.
The werewolf crouched low, as if ready to pounce. Its growl was deep and guttural, and Vanessa slowed her approach. The werehorse whinnied, kicking itself up onto its back feet, its hooves displayed. Both had teeth long and shiny like daggers, though no doubt even more dangerous.
“You’re a fucking werepanther!” Evelyn’s voice came from the white wolf’s mouth. “That’s so cool.”
Vanessa’s tail swished and twitched as she got closer to her old friends, sneaking under Darrel’s belly and situating herself between them.
“I’m not mad at the hooves,” Darrel admitted. “I really just feel so…”
“Powerful?” Evelyn asked, as she lunged and jumped and rolled and lunged again, her target unknown to her friends but her display of strength impressive.
Darrel pranced around some more, circling the two of them, before finally settling down again. “Free. I feel free.”
Awestruck, Vanessa had no words other than to purr in agreement. As her friends leaped and ran and chased each other around, she reached out her front legs, claws digging into the dirt as she stretched. Maybe no one from the village told them because this first transformation was too beautiful to describe. No words could do it justice, the feeling of becoming the animal you always suspected was inside. The power, the connection to the rest of the spirit world, the absolute thrill of heightened senses. Vanessa almost wanted to cry. Instead, as if on instinct, she craned her neck up to the moon and let out a purr. A loud howl joined her and soon the neighs followed. Together they created a beautiful symphony of appreciation to the bright, full moon, until a disgruntled quack! interrupted.
Immediately the howls, purrs, and neighs stopped. The large, magnificent animals all whipped their heads in the direction of the foreign noise, only to find a duck. A duck with fangs. A duck with fangs waddling toward them.
Quack!
Its face was tilted toward the moon still, seemingly eager to join. Vanessa looked back at Evelyn and Darrel, only just realizing that they had, indeed, been missing someone. She turned around again, her new eyes easily parsing through the darkness, but somehow still not truly seeing, not understanding. All she could focus on were the two large front teeth, almost unsettling in the way they hung from the duck’s beak. The duck flapped its wings as it approached, huffing and quacking a little, unable to close its mouth over the large fangs.
It nestled next to Vanessa, fluffing and setting a wing down over her paw. Realization settled in finally, forcing a choked chuckle-turned-chirp out of her. “Caleb?” She asked.
Quack!
“Look on the bright side,” Vanessa said, glancing up at the moon again to have something else – anything else – to focus on. “You’re probably the only wereduck in existence!”
“Better than Mildred being a werebeetle,” Darrel added.
In a low whisper, though not low enough that the rest couldn’t hear with their new abilities, Evelyn said, “Maybe this is why they didn’t tell us anything.”
Quack!
Tada! Anyways, I think with a little more time away from the story – say, longer than week – I could’ve wrapped that “surprise” ending up better, but I still love the heart of it. It’s silly and fun and fits in with Warlocks on the Boardwalk and my other yet-to-be-named goofy supernatural tales.
All that to say, I had a blast with this experiment. Even though the reading was the hardest part – because sometimes I just wanted to keep. on. reading. – I think that bit helped me the most. Especially poetry and short stories, which I don’t often read. I’m not sure this reflects in my own writing yet, but I can absolutely see how a whole year of following Ray Bradbury’s advice would help a writer grow by leaps and bounds.
(And I would hiiiiighly recommend Zadie Smith’s FEEL FREE, John Green’s THE ANTHROPOCENE REVIEWED, and Terrance Hayes’ LIGHTHEAD.)
But that’s it for this experiment!!!! WE DID IT. Thank you so much for joining me, whether you participated too or just followed along. Until next time, happy writing! ☀️
