We often phrase the “Golden Rule” as though it’s simple: do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. Or, according to Rabbi Hillel, what is hateful to you, don’t do to your fellow. Or, love your neighbour as yourself. All of these are slightly different takes on the…
Here is something weird my brain does: I love fictional genius characters, especially ones whose sense of self-worth is tied up in their intelligence and whose story arc is partially about the messy process of untangling the two. I love Charlotte Holmes, Harrowhark Nonagesimus*, Gregory House, and all the rest.…
A lot of the best stuff in my life this quarter has been specific to my location and situation. Pandemic-related restrictions have been loosened in my area, and I’m fortunate that the people I’m close to have access to vaccines. But I didn’t want to fill this entry with the…
When I’m not concentrating on what I’m doing, I’m thinking about stories. Sometimes, I’m thinking of my own characters and situations. Sometimes, I’m thinking of other people’s. The pattern is always the same: I start off really excited about these personalities and that situation. Without any effort, I’m enthralled by…
(Missed Part I? It’s here.) Would this still be my blog if I didn’t ramble on about Sherlock Holmes adaptations? Probably not. As in the previous entry, I’m reading a bunch of Sherlock Holmes adaptations/re-imaginings/subversions that change the gender of the Holmes/detective character. Here are my thoughts on the second…
In therapy, I’ve been struggling to accept that no matter how hard I try, sometimes I’m going to hurt other people–and that sometimes, I can’t or won’t try my hardest, because no one can all the time. I’ve internalized somehow, and reinforced through some of the discourse I consume, that…
I can’t speak for every writer, but for me, at least, when I’m working on a manuscript, the mention of another work that shares some of the key elements of my story gives me super mixed feelings. On one hand, I’m writing this story because, damn, I love those elements!…
*** This blog entry discusses thoughts about the possibility of becoming pregnant. Please consider this a friendly content warning so you can make your own decision about whether to read further!*** So because Husband and I are of a certain age and have to consider what we want out of…
Make fun of amateur improv performances as you will, but one of the most important ideas I’ve learned came from improv training: “Yes, and…” I competed in the Canadian Improv Games as a high-school student, and that’s when I learned a lot of standard improv concepts and exercises. “Yes, and…”…
As a writer, I love how Tamsyn Muir’s Harrow the Ninth (Locked Tomb Trilogy #2) is a genius masterclass in writing stories with heavy elements of grief. (There were a lot of other things I love about that book/series, of course, but that’s not what I’m rambling about today.) (no…