#writeblrlifeweek

[gailynovelry]

Writeblr Life Week — About Me

Well, I’ve already got a whole “About Me” page on Tumblr, but I might as well introduce myself properly here!

About Myself:

As a writer, I go by J.L. Heeren, or just Jordan, but my friends know me as Wenn. It’s a long story involving one of my oldest OCs.

I’m twenty years old (almost twenty-one), from the midwest, and happy to talk to other writers about craft. Sometimes, I offer advice. Sometimes, I need it. I started this blog last December, but I’ve been writing since I was fourteen and entirely too enthusiastic about making Horror-genre Pokemon fics.

My writing method is madness. I’m a methodological pantser by nature, which means I can totally outline and plan out things… but only as I also I jump around, writing thirteen separate chapters at very different points along in the same WIP.

Somehow, my method works. I have a finished manuscript in my hands. I’ll have to figure out how I want to publish it after my last round of editing — hopefully it’ll be done by summer.

I’m a real sucker for wlw, lively worldbuilding, and found family (but who isn’t?)

I take good LGBTQ+ rep pretty seriously, because I really wish I’d seen us as normal growing up.

Because I trained myself to hold pencils in a really weird and painful way, I hated writing up until I discovered the joys of computer keyboards in eighth grade. You can take my laptop from my cold, dead hands.

I can and have written poetry, literary short story, plays, and literary nonfiction. I’m much better at flash horror and genre fiction (YA to Adult, fantasy & sci-fi, often with cosmic horror bents).

My college is aaall about that literary nonfic life. I’m… not. But it means I learn a lot of things that most genre fictionists don’t.

I can use InDesign! To some extent! Very proud of this!

I’ve gotten one psychological short story (Park Road) and one poem (Kintsugi) published in two separate college magazines. I’m also proud of a poetry collection, a very short play in the style of Sarah Kane, and a 29-page mlm romance I had to put together for other classes of mine. I might edit them up and share them sometime.

If I can’t sustain myself off of my writing out of college (which is very likely) then my plan is to work at a nearby pet store until I can.

My WIPs:

Shadow Herald — My pride and joy, my finished manuscript. In pithy terms, it is about a very reluctant antichrist, the wonderfully pugnacious near-folk-hero she accidentally recruits as a bodyguard (and eventually, girlfriend), and the small thief they adopt when they even more accidentally wind up in prison for a bit. Also involves fantasy politics and an awful lot of squabbling between slighted gods. If you like found family, a meaty long-term plot, and wholesome lesbians, it might tickle your interest.

Shadow War — Shadow Herald’s sequel. The name’s still up in the air, but I’m pretty excited about how the plot’s coming together. There’s going to be two more books in this series after it.

Mind Hive — Dystopian fiction with an NB protagonist just doin’ their best in the world they’ve been given. Includes telepathy, polyamory, one very precious AI, and fucked up capitalist system that is not going to get fixed with a spunky teenage revolution.

She Sells Seashells — a NA lesbian romance between a mermaid running on selkie rules, and a lifeguard who accidentally picks up the jacket that enables her to transform between mer-and-maid forms. Expect fluff and a bit of steam.

Coliseum — An adventure story about two folks (a dryad and a guy with amnesia who’s secretly a very important book) trying to survive a giant deathmaze that an amoral sorcerer king put together because he was super bored. This one’s not super fleshed out yet.

And that’s it!

[aziz-writes]

Death of a Monarch

[image: a single human eye with an orange Iris looking out from behind a cloud of monarch butterflies]

Twins were born to Kimimi Lancaster. She took only one of them home. Since then, Kimimi has risen from an indigent single mother to one of the wealthiest fashion conglomerates in the nation. Her daughter Crystal is set to inherit the company, if she doesn't repeat her mother's mistakes first. But what happens when the twin who was left behind is out for revenge for trapping her in a malicious government program?

Elements of interest:

- A combination of real and created CIA documents related to MKULTRA (AKA project monarch, real) and Project Mantis (fictionalized)

- lesbians and betrayal

- twins

- an Ace government agent

- Good vs. Evil

- trying to protect your family (and sometimes failing)

- betrayal and forgiveness

- mind control and conspiracies

Elements of somewhat less interest:

- token straight white boy (for diversity)

- naive to pissed character arc

- tea

- blatant self inserts

- an unfortunate and deadly marriage

FAQS

What is MKULTRA and why are there antis for it?

Please see the tag "the ship that never sailed "

How do you know so much about mind control?

A combination of research and other stuff.

Why are you a smart ass with hate anons?

Because they are hate anons. Maybe it's an automatic defense response. Maybe if they knew more about me they wouldn't be saying such things. Maybe it's Maybelline.

Tags:

Death of a Monarch Butterfly (everything)

The ship that never sailed (Anon hate)

OC intro (OCs)

Taglist (ask to be added or removed)

@cilly-musouka @writerofthecosmos

@keen2meecha

@corav1a

[m-r-levine]

Writeblrlife Week, Day 6 : Characters

Unlike a lot of my projects, this one has a relatively small cast. There’s minor characters who appear only in the settlements we move through, and there’s a handful of antagonists we face, and people we remember from backstory. It’s these four who really move plot - though somehow we still ended up with a long post... 😅

Top left: Tecbalor Shiolraigh Anorbress, our narrator and eponymous Mala Suerte. He’s in his early 30s, exiled from his homeland for a long list of Reasons. Son of an outlaw-revolutionary demon-worshiping Milidean sorcerer and a mountain-blooded Calancuan brujeríta, he was adopted by her kindly lesbian witch teachers as a baby. A skilled vaquero, a scholar, an outlaw - and a trained witch with elemental talents.

Top right: Eleanor Cecilia Knight, probably in her 30s but no one knows for sure and she’s happy to keep it that way. Second-generation Thetan, followed her mountain-born girlfriend West five years ago, and no one with any sense talks about What Happened. She runs the bar in town and is a skilled distiller and brewer. One of several love interests and allies, she’s also being actively courted by the second-richest ranchero in town. Refuses to marry anyone, and does not want children. Ever.

Bottom left: Vishan. He’s a youthful 25 and quite salty about it. An orphan of uncertain heritage from the Joyous River Valley with a talent for beastspeaking, and a veneer of civilization in part courtesy of Ana Sophia. He’s worked as a horse trainer, a ranch hand, a lawman... and he’s a demonhunter with an enchanted rifle. He is, of course, also a love interest.

Bottom right: Ana Sophia Seshet Riga. Twentysomething, born in Theta to an obscenely wealthy family, now estranged. Preferred running the family horse ranch in the East to any high society nonsense, after a falling-out with her father she left for the West ten years ago. Highly educated, amateur archeologist, and a talented Seer. Now runs a small ranch and library in town when not hunting for ruins and artifacts. Technically married... and also a love interest.

...did I mention Teca’s ruthless pistolero routine was starting to crumble? 😆

[organabanana]

DAY TWO: MY WIP

FAIREST (working title, I know it’s lame but it is what it is)

Currently writing the first draft and loving the h e c k out of it which is rare for me. It’s a modern lesbionic retelling of Snow White. The genre is your run of the mill contemp romance, no bells or whistles at this time, but I like to think their personalities are sparkling enough to carry the story anyway. There are three ‘main’ supportive characters, one of whom is kind of a dick but you can’t really have fun without a good villain, can you? 

I shall keep things vague so as not to spoil my own story like a ding dong, but the characters as they stand right now are:

Rhiannon Braeburn, who lost her last husband under mysterious circumstances and will murder you (via a poison apple, maybe) if you bring up her age.

Ivy Whitely, who is new in town, fresh-faced and bushy-tailed and ready to take a bite of the big apple. And also a non-metaphorical apple, if you have any on hand, because she loves them.

Miranda Glas, who is Rhiannon’s best friend and manager and has no time for anyone’s bullshit so please move along she has things to do.

Charlote “Charlie” Prince, who will dazzle you with her charm and outrageously good looks but can’t promise to still be there to dazzle you in the morning. Sorry about that.

Hana “Han” Forrest, who likes to think of herself as a Bogart-esque private detective but if she’s being honest she may be a bit of a hot mess. But, like, in a cool way.

And that’s it for now! The place is New York City, the time is the present, and the theme is romance with some age difference, opposites attract, enemies to lovers and abandonment issues sprinkled in for flair. 

There are also a number of kittens.

[ambitiousauthor]

Writblr life week: February 10, about me:

I’m graduating high school this year. Not sure if that’s a monumental achievement or not, but oh well.

I’m 17 years old at the moment, and I like writing, drawing, and spending time with my girlfriend ( who keeps me sane)

I’m on the autism spectrum, plus I’ve got ADHD, so that might explain some of my posts and stories.

My special interests are dinosaurs, Jurassic park, animals, and rocks.

I started writing in Middle school, and ever since then, it has snowballed out of control. I now have approximately 51 published stories on Wattpad, and a couple more on Tumblr.

My biggest fear is being abandoned, and that shines through into my writing sometimes.

I like writing because it lets me put my ideas out in the world and make new friends.

My current WIP on Tumblr is called Summoner, and it follows a bunch of characters as they struggle through what can only be described accurately as an interdimensional custody battle.

[ficsinhistory]

Writerblr Lif Week - Day 2 

Wip ∤ Life Symphony

So, here we are! Day two: Wip! This will be the first time that I will speak officially about him.

Life Symphony is a YA fantasy trilogy, currently in the first draft of the first book, (which is a milestone because I really started a story) in which my trio of characters, Rory, Perth and Elight, are behind three scores special with extraordinary powers in Zendar, a continent located parallel to our Earth.

I started Life Symphony because none of my other Wips liked me. I had a creative block for almost two years due to personal problems and I was never able to keep an idea when it came up. It started with the title, a Pinterest folder and baam! I had something to write, and I got excited! For the first time!

I write Life Symphone because I love this story and really wanted to share it with everyone. Besides, I always wanted POC's protagonists for the kind of adventure I have in mind, so here we are!

Now, to the fun facts and tropes:

Found Family! Found Family! FOUND FAMILY !!

Sassy girl and Dorky boy, because I have a type.

Nothing is more incredible and extraordinary than the friendship of three children who can end you!

I called my trio of protagonists Primary Trio because each has a primary color as their theme.

Zendar is a fantasy realm that would be dated back to the Renaissance era, meaning Worldbulding is difficult!

Fear sucks and history is wrong. This is the Wip.

Poc protagonists? Poc protagonists.

Me being a dramatic author with every moment of anguish and drama? More likely than you think.

Sassy dialogues.

Villains who are little bastards and a big bad who is elegantly deadly, literally.

Aren't violins powerful and destructive objects? Well, they are now.

If you want a trio composed of an intelligent and impulsive Latin barista, a kind and courageous half-Asian prince, and a 12-year-old black princess with exceptional diplomacy and cartography skills. I have a story.

Bonus: Memes!

[wobblefloss]

Writeblr Day 1: ABOUT ME

Hello! My name's Sarah. I write and draw for @interrobangstudios. Working with @kevinbolk and the studio crew is largely collaborative: inking and editing aren't the sorts of things you can do in a vacuum!

I've been making up stories since I was teensy, but the idea of writing them down felt too much like school. Haha. I also got hooked on reading super-early and reading is so much easier than writing. ...Jeez. I'd never really put it all in a row like that... I guess I was too lazy to write as a kid?

In any case, once I was out of college and online and making stories for fun again, I had to write down any story I wanted to share because INTERNET. That's what got the ball rolling for me: a group of supportive online folks who needed me to type out the actual words.

But once that door was opened? Kevin asking if I wanted to make comics with him? EASY ANSWER. YES. Write kids' book scripts to be illustrated by awsome artist friends (or me!)? EASY ANSWER. YES. Tackle my own YA novel based on concepts that have been gnawing on my brain meats for years? EASY ANSWER. I'M READY TO TRY!! (Light some candles for me. I'm a noveling-newbie.)

PS. I also adore icon maker websites, all cats everywhere, and desserts--though, FAST FACT!!--I avoid chocolate. It hurts my tummy and doesn't really taste that great. Maybe my taste buds are defective, IDK.

[bardicfool]

Hi! I’m Katy, and I write stories about snarky, magical people doing snarky, magical things.

Basic Stats

Strength: Understands what a hand weight is, more or less

Dexterity: Capable of not falling flat on face (usually)

Constitution: Decent but not impressive during allergy season (note: every season is allergy season)

Intelligence: Has earned two degrees of middling usefulness

Wisdom: Suspects the learning that came after those two degrees has been much more valuable than the degrees themselves

Charisma: Debatable

Writing Proficiencies

Indie fantasy author currently writing a contemporary fantasy series about a cranky empath who escapes a secret government facility but gets dragged back to help find a serial killer and definitely doesn’t fall in love with the officer who did the dragging

Obsessed with witty dialogue and character-driven stories

Also a blogger and freelance editor

Other Odds & Ends

Iowa girl transplanted to the Pacific Northwest and unironically in love with it

Former librarian

Loves a good forest

Used to collect antique keys and should really start that up again

Does not function without regular intake of mochas

While not a particularly good swimmer, prefers to be close to water as much as possible

Deeply committed to a hedgehog life (i.e., look cute, get prickly when cornered but affectionate when handled with care, roll up in a ball and sleep as much as possible)

Thanks to @owl-writes​ for running this event! Looking forward to getting to know everyone. 😊

[howdywrites]

Howdy, friends and fellow writers! 🤠

As part of Writeblr Life Week set up by @owl-writes​ here’s a little bit about me.

The basics:

- My name is Ellie!

- I am 25 years old

- I identify as a lesbian (she/her)

Ellie + Writing:

- My favorite genres: historical fiction, romance (specifically F/F), westerns, thrillers, low fantasy, and supernatural/paranormal

- My favorite categories: New Adult and Adult 

- I currently have 1 completed novella, 2 WIPs, and several story concepts floating around in my head

- I’ve been writing since I was a kid, though nothing ever went beyond really cringey fanfiction (for Twilight, Harry Potter and Star Wars) or weird historical fiction that had very little research behind it. Writing has always been an escape for me, as well as a way to keep myself motivated and striving for future goals.

Ellie + Fun Facts:

- I am a Hufflepuff

- I am a Scorpio >:)

- I love aesthetics and moodboards

- I was born and raised in Texas (yeehaw) and still currently reside there. I use my local area as a huge inspiration for my writing.

- You WILL catch these lesbian hands if you’re a terf or disrespect anyone in the LGBTQ+

- I have on chonky baby boy named Chip

I think that’s about it. I can’t wait to see everyone else’s posts in the tag! ❤️

[mayvinwrites]

WIP Intro → The Fallen Shadows

The Experiments. Those filled with grief, trauma, revenge and loss. Innocent ones who lost everything and sold their souls to the devil to fight his war as puppets.

Genre

Military, Hard Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Magical realism

Includes

LGBTQ+ and diverse cast, Fairies, Human experiments, Morally grey characters, “That went well”™, Found family, Friends to enemies

Status → Drafting Type → Series POV → omniscient

  🌻

Synopsis

Trapped in all of nature, destined to fade and die without a body to bury.

Mizona N’seil has spent the last 500 years searching for her families Magic book, the only thing that contains the information to get her little sister, Susanna out of Nature. Mizona had tried finding it on her own. She’d gone so far as to commit a taboo, but she still hadn’t gotten anywhere. 

She had been wondering aimless with not a single lead when a “Cleaner" approached her, her real name on their lips. They proposed a deal, she does something for them and they’d aid her in her search. Knowing she could search for the book, be close to Susanna and not age after doing her side of the deal, she agreed, leaving her last body behind in a cold alleyway. 

Now, with a team to help her and the names of the descendants of the witch hunter who stole her families magic book, she finally has a lead. 

But tensions are high in the group because of Mizonas bitter resentment of the human race. Will they be able to find the book, or will Mizonas actions leave her abandoned.

Tag list: @serenewrites @n1ghtcrwler @attackofthemutantsquirrels @grimoireoftheelementals (Let me know if you’d like to be added/removed)

[aziz-writes]

Day One: About me

Starting off with the hard questions, huh? Let's see. I started writing creatively in 2md grade (roughly 8 years old to my non Americans) and for a while would write short stories as presents for birthdays and whatnot. My dad then one day made fun of my character's reaction to pregnancy out of context and now he gets thin mints for Christmas.

I have technically published two books, but both publishers went out of business and now they only exist as ebooks. They are also fairly embarrassing. Don't look for them.

Finally: I read a lot. Message me for my Goodreads if you want to be book nerds together. Currently reading: Black Widow #2 by Margaret Stohl(print), Welcome to Night Vale #1(audio), and a Discovery of Witches(electronic)

[assassin-writes]

About Me

    I wish I could write as well as I did at 11.

Back then, my dad printed a physics book for his class and gave it a handmade cover tied with a pretty little bow. I was so awestruck that I insisted he printed something for me too, but he said “only if you write it yourself”. So I did.

My story was only 5 pages, which looked like 20 in an A6 format, and I even did the illustrations for it myself. It got published behind my back by my grandpa, who’s lifelong dream is that someone carries on his legacy of being a “world renowned writer” (in the world of dictionaries). Suddenly, everyone in my family was talking about it.

They all played pretend for me, saying it was a good book and showed “great promise”, but I know they never took it seriously. To them, it was a sweet little fantasy story with my family as self-inserts, no plot structure, pacing or literary value whatsoever. I’m the only one that sees its true importance: it’s a door into who I was and how I saw the world around me when I was a kid. Since I remember almost nothing prior to being 12, that is a pretty big deal for me.

For example, the way I was the only one that got a perfect score in the first test we got when we arrived at Magic School That Is Not Just The Mysterious Benedict Society But With Dragons. A test I reasonably had no way of possessing the necessary knowledge for.

Or how my (fictional) parents had 6 kids, not just 2, and how all of us were treated like a nuisance. How we apparently destroyed an entire house in just an hour because we were too wild, or how our (fictional) parents were relieved to drop us off at our grandparents soon after that.

Even the secret world we had managed to find and sneak in through a fireplace (I would’ve put a closet like in Narnia, but if my book had coming out metaphors too it might’ve been too much) was nothing more than me talking about how I escape through stories. At the beginning of the book, I find the entrance by accident when passing through something dangerous (fire / strong emotions, trauma, what have you). Over the course of the story, I try to enter again after the fire is out, but it doesn’t work anymore. Only at the very end, when someone tells me the secret: the entrance is only open when the fire is on.

    In a way, this book is about my journey of becoming a writer, of being able to control this secret world filled with many wonderful things (immense candy) that sometimes turn dangerous (immense candy who rotate and threaten to run me over). Of interpreting the world in a fictitious way that, back then, only I really understood.

    I wish all the books I write will have just as many hidden metaphors, but this time, I want anyone else who has ever felt like me to be able to relate to them too.

[m-r-levine]

WritblrLife Week, Day 2: my WIP

Tecbalor’s untouchable, jaded, ruthless pistolero routine is crumbling. Seven years of exile have marked him, each one harder than the last. He sips small comforts from this town or that, he feeds the reputation that keep him alive, and he follows the stars to the next meal, the next job, the next rumor of los viejos.

He is not young anymore, and neither is his horse. When Asifad can no longer work, neither can Teca. If he wasn’t a hunted outlaw, son of a failed revolutionary, chosen of Chaos, he’d be thinking quite seriously about cleaving to one patron, one sprawling ranch, one patch of land and sky. But who will hire la mala suerte himself?

His rides into a town too busy with a self-proclaimed Demon Prince to have any fear left for him, and the stars move...

[lynnafred]

Writeblr Life Week Day One

So I decided at the very last minute that I was going to participate in Writeblr Life Week, which was set up by @owl-writes (a special thank you for setting this up!)

So a little bit about me: my name’s Lynn, I’m old as dirt, and I’ve been writing as long as I’ve been able to hold something to write with. I was born and raised in Connecticut, and even though that’s where I’m living now I’ve traveled all over the eastern seaboard. New England just feels like home.

I’ve got three college degrees, one in creative writing, one in costume design for theatre, and one in agriculture. I currently work as a farm manager in Connecticut. One time I wrote a post about farming that spiraled out of control and sometimes I still see it cross my own dash which will never stop being a really weird feeling to me.

I’ve two current WIPs, only one of which I’ve talked about here. (I’m hoping to announce the newest one in the next couple months!)

I have a dog named Ellie, and she’s precious.

And I think that’s it for the basics about me. I can’t wait to interact with y’all more in the coming week! 

[bisexual-in-progress]

Writeblr Life Week Day 1 - About Me

Hello, all! Thought I’d do this, seems like a good motivator.

I go by Reefy online - don’t ask me why, because I’m not even sure~

I’m 25 years old and recently graduated from university with an English degree (I just got my diploma on Thursday!!!).

I’ve been in a relationship for 11 years as of this month, and am happily engaged. ;)

I’m bisexual and it shows in most of my characters tbh.

I’ve been writing since probably about third grade. I began to see writing as something I was good at that I enjoyed and could probably do forever thanks to a teacher boosting my ego a bit that year.

I went from writing by myself to writing with other people through forum roleplays when I was rather young. I still RP to this day, though mostly with my partner (who I actually met through forum RPing).

I’m very interested in fantasy above all other genres, but I still read other things here and there. Some of my stories have hints of sci-fi, but it hasn’t been a major focus yet.

My hobbies include:

Playing lots of dress-up games to make my characters (including Love Nikki).

Playing lots of video games in general (lately Apex Legends and FF14 - I’m on Brynhildr!).

Roleplaying with my SO

Recently really into DnD

That said, listening to Critical Role

and reading~

While I’ll go into more details on Wednesday, my current WIPs I’m featuring on this blog are:

Primary WIPs:

“Hiraeth” - Two world-jumping sisters and their estranged family trying to reconnect and maybe save their own world from some gods in the process.

“Serene Phobia” - A security guard stumbles upon a mermaid and realizes 1) she’s kinda gay 2) her entire life might be a lie.

Secondary WIPs:

“Seelie” - A girl gets invited to the fairy kingdom, brings her best friend who breaks the one rule of the fairy kingdom and now she has to rescue him.

Untitled - In a world where witches once tore the land asunder, a girl born with red eyes finds she may not only be the last, but may have some connection to their disappearance.

And WIPs that are so early in the idea process I barely have anything for them:

Untitled - Essentially a Beauty and the Beast-esque story, a girl who absorbs curses and a beast who once lost himself to his find love in each other and go on adventures together (while maybe adopting other cursed souls along the way).

Untitled - A girl goes to a doctor’s appointment and wakes up in an asylum in a city where magic and monsters are real.

[organabanana]

Here are the eight things that seemed most important when I decided to put together an ~aesthetic~:

Bonus ninth thing: I am long-winded so I had to put this under a read more to save your dashes. I apologize in advance for the rambling stream of consciousness under the cut.

One. I need coffee: I like tea, too, but I need coffee. There’s nothing snobby or pinterest-worthy about my relationship with the stuff, either. I drink it nearly black, instant (I KNOW, I KNOW BUT I DON’T HAVE THE COUNTER SPACE FOR A COFFEE MAKER), and in ridiculous quantities. I go through two 100-cup tubs a month, though I put in more spoonfuls than they recommend so I guess the number is more likely 150ish cups a month. Which is still frankly appalling, but you know. My excuse is I work full time as a teacher and also full time as a writer which means waking up at 4AM seven days a week and going to bed at around 11PM if I’m lucky so what I lack in sleep I make up for in caffeine.

Two. I hand write a lot: I’ve been journaling since I was around 7 or 8. It’s gone from your basic ‘today the teacher was super unfair and I had orange juice at recess’ kind of journaling to a beautiful mess that’s a mix of journal, sketch book (I’m terrible at visual arts, but dammit, I love it), wish list, scrapbook, and obsessive record-keeping. Though I’ve gone full digital for all my actual writing, my journal will always remain handwritten. A blog just isn’t the same.

Three. I belong near the sea: I was born, raised, and have always lived in a small coastal town. I was landlocked for two different periods of my life (college first, and then a couple of years abroad) and I missed the sea more than anything else in the world. I always hear people say not seeing the sea makes them feel claustrophobic, but for me it’s the opposite feeling. My town is a peninsula so I’ve always thought of the sea as a sort of barrier between ‘home’ and ‘the outside’. Land locked places make me feel like I’m out in an open space with nothing to keep me safe.

Three and a half. My dog also belongs near the sea: I was going to use a picture of him, too, but I didn’t have any in my computer and using a random dog seemed weird. He’s a black lab I rescued when he was three. He’s now six and has some white hairs on his chin which make him look very distinguished. He leads a very pampered life in many ways, but I think his favorite thing is the same as mine: we live fifty steps away from the beach, where he can run off-leash and swim every single morning and night. I like to say I’m his service human because he has epilepsy which means I’ve gotten really good at sensing seizures and making sure he doesn’t hurt himself when they hit. In exchange, he keeps me warm in bed and makes me feel like the most important person in the world.

Four. I’m a woman and I love women (a ton): I fall in love at least twice a week on average, and three times if I happen to visit our vet who is an actual angel. I also have the flirting skills of a sea cucumber, but I make up for it by coming up with the smoothest lines for my characters because I am a benevolent overlady and they deserve better. I extremely rarely, if ever, spend my time consuming media with no women in it. Bonus points if they’re queer, but passing the Bechdel test is usually enough (notable exception: I will love Star Wars until my very last day on this Earth, Bechdel be damned). 99% of my characters are also women, and generally of the woman-loving disposition, and I think that’s okay.

Five. I’m a teacher and I love teaching (also a ton): I’m a special education teacher, and I love (nearly) every second of it. I get to work in small groups, sometimes even one-on-one, with kids and teens and adults who need some extra help. I often say my endgame goal is to transition to writing as my ‘main’ career, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop teaching because I love it far too much. I’d love to reach the point where I can make my own hours and not feel overworked and underpaid while struggling to make ends meet, but a teacher is what I am, not just what I do.

Six. In a different life, I was a stage actress: I even looked into drama schools for years. I think a part of me will always wonder if I could’ve made it, but I’m very happy with the small-scale classroom version of acting I get to do every single day instead. The theater is one of the things I love the most in the world, both musicals and straight plays. I watch nearly everything that comes through my town, and I save up and spend a week in London getting my West End fix as often as I can possibly afford. If I had to go without all other media in exchange for keeping live theater, I would (though it’d make me very sad).

Seven. I read as much as I write: I read, and I read, and I read. And then I read some more. I devour novels, but also long form articles, short stories, plays, COMIC BOOKS OH MY WORD, and even the back of the cereal box if I’m desperate enough. I’ve been living in my apartment for nearly two years, and I still have several boxes of books and comics in storage waiting to be unpacked. I will never not be amazed that comic books are suddenly cool after so many years of being for nerds, and I’m loving every second of it (though as a big time DC fan, I am somewhat butthurt about the current state of affairs in the DC/Marvel competition). My biggest book weakness are old timey nonfiction books for women and/or educators. The more problematic, the better. The crown jewel of my collection is a book written in the 60s for pubescent girls in which the author (a priest) attempts to tackle sex ed. Beautiful disaster. It includes the ‘true story’ of a woman who used lipstick as a teen and that set off a chain of events which ended with her grandchildren blaming her for their syphillis. Living in a country which was under ultra-Catholic fascist rule until 1975, my collection of problematic books is pretty impressive, I must say.

Eight (FINALLY I’M SO SORRY I TOLD YOU I WAS LONG-WINDED). I watch a ton of movies: Old timey, new timey, it’s all good with me. Because I don’t have a lot of time, I’m trying to make a conscious effort to be a bit more selective with what I watch and explore new things instead of rewatching Moulin Rouge for the millionth time. Letterboxd has been a godsend and I spend waaaay too much time fiddling around with it. But no matter how many new (to me!) masterpieces I discover, I reserve the right to watch Imagine Me & You at least three times a year.