“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
I have a plan, reader. For the first time in a long time, I've set up a writing goal for myself. I am forcing myself to finish the first draft of my novel by May 31. It's been a tiring struggle against doubt and writer's block. However, I've reasoned with myself that I must fight onward,… Continue reading I Made My Characters Steal a Horse: a Tale of Writer’s Block
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE NOVEL. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK OR WISH TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE. You can find a synopsis here. This was recommended by "ChapterStackss" of BookTube as one of her favorite horror novels so I thought I'd give it a shot. I am… Continue reading Thoughts on “Bird Box” by Josh Malerman
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE NOVEL. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED Synopsis can be found here. Positives: It has a unique premise. There aren't enough stories about grandparents and their grandchildren. I think this is a shame since they often share such a strong bond and I, personally, have nothing but love for mine. I love… Continue reading Thoughts on “My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry”
Over the last few weeks, I've experienced the most inspiration I've had in ages. There was no climactic moment in my life that ignited this outpouring of expression. For whatever reason the spark just came like a surprise visit from your favorite uncle that you haven't seen in years. I resurrected a story I laid… Continue reading The Return of Doubt: a Writer’s Buzzkill
Recently, a friend of mine posed the question: What's the point of critiquing published works? It's already published so it's not like the author can rewrite it for a better review or something. Personally, I don't critique books that often unless the author is dead, or I have something positive to say about the novel.… Continue reading What’s the Point of Critiquing Published Books?
WARNING: Contains a substantial amount of bellyaching. Those who do not wish to subject themselves to ranting about American literature should flee immediately. Hide your librarians. The Great Gatsby was one of the few novels I remember people liking in high school. I was not one of those people. In fact, I thought it was… Continue reading Unpopular Opinions: The Great Gatsby
WARNING: The following contains shenanigans. I don't like the term "people watching." There's something distinctly stalker-isque about it. I prefer to call it "spontaneous character building." When I'm sitting alone in a public place and I spot a person with a strange tattoo, haircut, or distinctive clothing, I'll make up a story about them. It's… Continue reading A Writer’s Guide To People Watching
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE NOVEL. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I hadn’t heard about this book until after I saw the movie trailer with Khaleesi as the main role. However, it seemed like a good premise so I decided to give it a go. Here are my thoughts after having completed the novel in its… Continue reading Thoughts On “Me Before You”
I enjoy reading annotations in secondhand books. I like seeing underlined phrases and wondering why that particular passage meant so much to the reader before me. It gives me the opportunity to wonder what kind of person they were and if, in the improbably event we ever met, we would be friends. It also makes… Continue reading Writing In Books: Yay or Nay?
WARNING: Contains spoilers and crack ships. If you are a fan of any type of fiction, you may have engaged in what is known as "shipping." I've been exposed to many ships and it's made me experimental when it comes to the exploring the dynamics of compatibility. For fun, I decided to pair up characters… Continue reading Matchmaking Literary Characters
The Crooked Pen 