Nerd Church - It's OK (Just Keep Going)

 

The world is a total mess, but it's OK, just keep going.

There's war and floods and famine and disease, but it's OK, just keep going.

The things that bump in the night are real, but it's OK, just keep going.

Month In Review(s) - March 2024

 

March wasn't great.

Not terrible - but then, the bar for terrible is pretty high (or low, depending on your perspective, I guess,) at this point - but not great.

Basically: my mental health sucks at the moment.

Nerd Church - Can Books 'Talk' To Us?

 

Do you think that books can send us messages?

I've been re-reading Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl -

so that I can finally move on to the second book in the series with some sort of familiarity with these characters because my brain is swiss cheese

- and I'd forgotten that there was a scene, in the library, where the books are 'talking' to the main character.

Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: How Do You Assess Your Own Writing?

 

Can someone tell me how to assess your own writing?

Because I am not good at judging the quality of the stuff I write!

Nerd Church - The Participation Trophies Were Never The Problem

...Some hard truths from one of those pesky millennials

I know you wouldn’t expect any less from a millennial but:

The participation trophies were never the problem.

Nerd Church - Should We Judge Older Books By Modern Standards?

 

Warning: this post discusses racism, ableism, and general prejudice, including reference to dehumanising language and slurs

I've been re-reading* The Princess Diaries for a while now.

For those not aware: this was a massively popular YA series by Meg Cabot from the early 00s where a New York teenager named Mia Thermopolis finds out she's actually the Princess of Genovia. (As you do.)

There also 2 films starring Anne Hathaway, which are fun, but don't really match the tone of the books.

*Well, re-reading the first couple and reading the rest for the first time 😅

Month In Review(s) - February 2024

 

February for yours truly wasn't too bad.

...It wasn't great either, tbh. But it's still one of the better months I've had lately, so I'll take it!

Nerd Church - Short Story: Everyone Is Born With A Void

This story was originally published on the Promptly Written publication on Medium, in response to the following prompt from Ravyne Hawke:


Write a story around the following:

— a bottomless pit
— a moment of despair
— a hopeful or hopeless outcome

Warning: this story contains injury imagery, including acid burns, and also centres on mental health issues (depression,) and hopelessness.

Everyone Is Born With A Void

This is Emmeline's.

Nerd Church - Practice Runs and Prototypes

We're so used to seeing our media as the finished product that we rarely think about the component parts...

...the drafts. The demos. The practice runs and prototypes. 

Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: Writing vs *Writing*

 

In my head, there's a difference between writing and *Writing.*

Like, I'm one of those people who thinks that all writing is writing, and I will take that to whatever bank and/or government authority you want me to.

I mean it - I will back you up 100%. All writing is writing.

All writing is writing.

Writing this blogpost is writing. Writing a tweet is writing. Writing a to-do list is writing.

It's all physically (or digitally in some cases, I guess,) writing. 

And all of it works on your skills with words - don't ever let anyone tell you different, m'k? Gatekeepers can get all the way in the bin. *nods sagely*

Month In Review(s) - December 2023 + January 2024

 

And 2023 is OUT OF HERE!!!!

And thank whoever's listening for that.

Because, in case you weren't aware, my 2023 effing sucked.

Nerd Church - I Seem To Be Watching More True Crime...

Warning: This post references true crime and murder, and discusses mental health problems - especially Anxiety.

Disclaimer time: I am not any type of psychological, medical, or scientific expert. I'm a chick with a blog, nothing more, nothing less.

Wild-child that I am, of an evening I like to get myself a snack, and a glass of diet coke, and watch TV for a while.

Lately that's meant, more often than not, true crime.

Because there's nothing more calming than some grisly murder before bed.

Nerd Church - Short Story: Living the Dream

So this is another instalment of my 'Snapshots of Anna Sinclair' series from Medium.

If you want to see the first one - New Money - on Dora Reads, then you can do so here.

Hope you enjoy!

Warning: brief references to domestic violence and prison

Living the Dream

Good morning, Anna Sinclair

Image by Marco Wolff from Pixabay

Nerd Church - Is Karma Real?

...Because if so, I think she’s taken some time off

Nerd Church - Genocide Is Bad, Actually

Warning: this post talks about sensitive topics, including the current conflict in the Middle East, genocide, and the Holocaust

It was Holocaust Memorial Day yesterday (27th January) and one thing needs to be said to honour that: genocide is bad.

No matter who the intended victims are, no matter who the perpetrators are, genocide is bad.

Nerd Church - Beautiful Failure

Warning: some discussion of Anxiety and Depression, brief ref. to abusive friendship

I'm not a fan of failing.

And I know, I know, all the dude-bros and productivity coaches and all that will be like, 'failure is a stepping stone to success!' or some sh**, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't like failing.

I mean, no-one likes failing, if we're being perfectly honest.

I, especially, don't like being Wrong (yes, with the capital W,) - my Anxiety and Depression (more of those capital letters,) tend to latch onto being Wrong and run with it.

Nerd Church - Putting Self-Care At The Top Of My To-Do List

I've had to remind myself so many times, over the years, that it's best to take things one step at a time.

...That I only have two hands.

...That I actually get more done when I relax.

And yet... it's still so hard to do.

Month(s) in Review(s) - October + November 2023

 

Yes, this post covers two months.

No, I have not done that before.

But I was already pretty busy/lacking in time in October, and then November...

Well, my criteria for a 'good month' in the hellstorm of 2023 is one where no-one I care about (human or animal,) dies, almost dies, or has a life-changing diagnosis.

Nerd Church - Entropy

 

Sometimes you just need to take things a step at a time.

Sometimes it's just about putting that one metaphorical foot in front of the other - not doing too much, not trying too hard. 

Just. Keeping. Steady.

Because in a universe that tends towards entropy, stasis is progress.

Entropy, just to letcha know, is a scientific concept/rule...

Nerd Church - Short Story: Mornings Dawn, Whether You Want Them To Or Not

 

Originally published in the Medium publication Promptly Written, for the quote-prompt '“Some people live just looking for someone to die for.”― Dominic Riccitello' set by Ravyne Hawke.

Warning: this story deals with grief a lot, as well as generally discussing death and related topics.

Mornings Dawn, Whether You Want Them To Or Not

Image by Martina Bulková from Pixabay