Happy Hearts & Chocolate Month

Hey Readers, Crystal here! It’s February!

If You’re Reading this You may have noticed

I skipped January's newsletter. 

Sorry about that, by the time I realized I forgot to write the darn thing it was the last few days of the month but in all honesty I didn't really feel like I had much to say. Do I have stuff to say today? Maybe 😛

My Housing Floorplan

Trying to Balance Writing While my Game has a New Feature to Obsess over!

In January I finished the zero draft for book 2, codename Project Fall. Which is the direct sequel to Incarnate's Rise. I may have mentioned I was struggling with it so I'm proud I finished it even if I feel like it's too short but zero drafts are allowed to be flawed, right... Right?

I've also been playing a lot of World of Warcraft when my brain just can't write anymore and they released player housing... Where you can design your own house (the picture is of my floorplan. Should I make a tour video? I might) It's become the second half of my personality right now! It's like I'm building my sims house all over again. Send Help.

Good news is I am still able to get myself to write in the morning and while Project Fall is being looked at by Critique Friends I am working on the prequel to the Godsborn series, Project First. Why not book three? Well The events in book three are heavily dependent on Project Fall while Project first is so far in the past it's more or less its own lovely little beast. 

It of course comes with own hurdles. I'm going from writing a modern contemporary paranormal fantasy to writing a high(ish) paranormal fantasy and it feels VERY much like a different muscle I get to flex.

To be fair Project Immortal Masquerade was more high fantasy but it was also romance so is it the same? Eh. 

The Problem I've Been Having

Speaking of Immortal Masquerade, it (and a long conversation during a live stream) had led me to approaching my writing a little differently again. I think my problem has been that I've been trying to take writing way to seriously. 

Sure, I published a book and I have seven more(ish) I want to write, so I need to write consistently, I need to make sure the plot flows in the right direction and that everything makes sense at all time, right? All of that is true, but it's lead to a sever session of over thinking.

During the live stream someone told me something very important, "the research needs to serve the draft the draft doesn't serve the research. I'm working on zero drafts right now, I need to just focus on getting them out and enjoying the process, I need to play with ideas and I need to have just as much fun as I'm taking things seriously. That day caused a shift in my brain and I'm flying with it. and currently working on Chapter three of Project First. So yay.

A Thing That Happened

As of writing this, there is an event going on over on AuthorTube called the Under 1k Marathon where a bunch of smaller YouTubers who have subscriber accounts under one thousand subscribers all get together to stream and write and have a great time for a whole week to prop each other up, meet new folks in the space and just have a great time. I'm liking it here incase you are curious. It will open in a new tab if you click it.

I streamed Tuesday & Friday during the event and it was soooo much fun! I am very grateful for the invite. All I did was co-host, maybe if I get invited back I'll sign up as a host... Who knows...

Did Someone Say Azurite the Archfey?

Yes, yes I did. Here is your monthly(ish) dose of my little fluff bucket. 

She has been super cuddly lately as the weather gets colder, thankfully I can write over her with the laptop a little easier then the big computer. Anywho, I think I got everything said I wanted to say. So-

Until Next time,👋