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Category: General Posts

Fall 2022 Story Updates

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Water flows over rocks in a stream. Trees with green, orange, red, and yellow leaves are on either side of the stream.

Fall of 2022 has arrived! Here are my plans for this season.

The Agitator’s Code: I’ll release Tildari Sunrises and conclude this trilogy! Vaironian Tides and Ledani Moons are available as ebooks and paperbacks here and here.

The Architect’s Guardian: I’m so happy about the progress I’m making with revising Awakening, the first book of this sci-fi m/m romance series. I plan to publish book one in the summer of 2023.

My Internal Monologue Fuels My Stories

Silhouette of a woman thinking

I stumbled onto an awesome Twitter thread about internal monologues. I absolutely have an inner monologue. I love it. It’s one of the things that has kept me out of trouble, usually. Also, it’s great for fueling stories. “I won’t do [X] in this situation, but if my character did…Hmmm.”

I didn’t realize there was a more formal name for this phenomenon for quite a while. Also, I believed it was something everyone did. It seemed to help me imagine a variety of scenarios and pick the best option. Usually, that worked out well, though I sometimes wonder if I was too cautious and missed interesting opportunities. Regardless, it’s an ability I’m glad I have.

Finding that thread sparked a series of revelations. I recommend reading it. The conversation is fascinating and I always enjoy insights about how people think.

"Wait there are people out there who [have] an actual internal monologue going on in their heads? Like in the movies?" - @Lady_Gagnon on Twitter

Attack on Titan: Eren’s Decisions

I’ve continued watching Attack on Titan, an action/dark fantasy/post-apocalyptic anime. While the series has many compelling characters, Eren Yeager is the center of attention. See my previous post.

The below video, by WordyBlerd, is an excellent analysis of Eren and how he handles Paradis. The Surveys Corps‘ largest mistake is not understanding Eren’s fundamental core. Much of that is typical in a militaristic structure. And, in general, even when you’re valuable to an organization, it can crush your spirit. As a result, you might cling to it and crave approval. That method of control, however, doesn’t work when someone has a strong compass, regardless of the person’s ultimate goals.

Love Is In The Air

A series of hearts are layered on each other, with the largest hearts being side by side.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here are some of my favorite romantic books, dramas, and movies that feature incredible and loving relationships.

Books:

  • Drag Me Up – This is a bold and vivid retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth, written by R.M. Virtues. See my full review here.
  • Slippery Creatures – K.J. Charles, who writes historical romance, brings us Will Darling and Kim Secretan. See my full review here.

Drama Series:

  • The Rebel Princess – Back in May 2021, I made a post about this fantastic drama. The couple in this show navigate daunting challenges where so many people around them are scheming.
  • You Are My Glory – I’ve enjoyed other dramas with Dilraba Dilmurat and Yang Yang. Seeing them act together is sublime.

Movies:

  • Love Jones – The chemistry between the main characters is undeniable, even as their stubbornness threatens to derail their love.
  • That Touch of Mink – This is a great romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. You really can’t beat a classic.

Winter 2021 Story Updates

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Winter of 2021 is here already! Here are my plans for this season.

The Agitator’s Code: Check out Vaironian Tides and Ledani Moons! I plan to publish Tildari Sunrises in November 2022. Most of the writing I do this winter will be for the third and final book in this series.

The Architect’s Guardian: I’m revising Awakening, book one of this series, and fleshing out details for the other books.

Balance: This series is on the backburner, while I work on my others.

Drama: The Rebel Princess

When I’m not writing, I love watching dramas. One of my favorites this year is The Rebel Princess, a Chinese costume drama, starring Zhang Zi Yi and Zhou Yi Wei. I’d first seen Zhang Zi Yi in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Zhou Yi Wei was a new actor to me. Together they portrayed Awu and Xiao Qi, two individuals with strong convictions.

There were so many wonderful elements:

  • Acting – Stellar. The characters were complex. I found myself even feeling remorse for some of the villains.
  • Cinematography – Each episode was like a gorgeous movie.
  • Costumes – Detailed and exquisite. There are so many beautiful pieces.
  • Soundtrack- The intro alone is fantastic. Each part of the soundtrack is rich and memorable.
  • Writing – Incredible. I was often on the edge, eager to find out what would happen.

This was a spectacular drama. The competition was fierce. I could tell because by episode 65, so many characters featured in the intro had died. ??

Fortunately, the show wasn’t difficult to locate because all the episodes were officially on YouTube. While it consisted of 68 episodes, it was well-worth the time. Don’t worry. This drama had a happy ending.