the april spread

kicking off Q2 with my favorite things.

It’s been a minute. I know. I KNOW. Don’t look at me like that 👀. But I am so excited to be back with a another monthly spread and i’m already hard at work with some new post ideas for the coming months.

a brief personal update.

I’ve been doing my best to settle into some new routines to help me juggle everything i have going on. Between working a full-time job, writing my book, making content, and this newsletter, it’s hard to find time to just be, but i’m feeling very blessed that my life is so full.

March came and went as did my 31st birthday. I couldn’t help but think back to my birthday last year and to how depressed, anxious, and miserable I was. Unemployment dealt a massive blow to my mental health and my self worth but, with a lot of work, love, and patience, I was able to pour back into myself. I’m happy to report that my 31st birthday was spent basking in a place of pure joy.

I’ve also been settling into my job more and more. I’m loving it. I’m so glad I found this role and this team. Things are slowing down slightly, but I am still very much working at a breakneck speed it seems. And speaking of working at breakneck speeds, let’s talk about some writing updates.

I set a goal for myself to add an additional 30k words to my redrafted manuscript/ draft two of Project Eden by the end of April and i am happy to report that we’ve done it! But why such a hefty goal and why now?

My dream is to get this project query ready by the end of the year.

Not only that, at the start of this challenge I was about to start Act 2. The Swampy Middle. The absolute bane of my existence! I needed something to incentivize me to continue working through the most challenging part of the story, and I figured it would be the perfect time to try this challenge.

I plan on speaking a little bit more about this in a different post — talking all about my reflections, what I learned about myself as a writer, how it taught me to tackle projects differently moving forward — but right now I am basking in the fact that we are 66k words into my 95k goal for this draft. This is officially the most I’ve ever written in a draft and I am over the moon.

That mid-May deadline for draft 2 is looking pretty bright!

Admittedly, after January, my reading has been abysmal. I keep DNF’ing things because they haven’t struck the right cord but leave it to Sunrise on the Reaping to break my reading slump.

sunrise on the reaping by suzanne collins - 5 ⭐️

wow. I don't want to spoil anything for those who aren’t done reading (bc you should be reading this) but holy moly does this book pack a punch. My heart now bleeds for Haymitch. This book completely re-contextualized the story in ways big and small. It added depth to characters I never expected. Suzanne has an insane ability to make even the smallest looks and interactions play immense roles in the overall story. This book left me with a sort of melancholic grief that haunted me for days after.

As a writer, it gave me so much to aspire to. It motivated to carry my book to the finish line. It had me thinking of all the different ways to add depth to my characters. I think it just goes to show how important voice (both the author and the characters) is and how it can transcend genres. The movie is going to break me emotionally.

magic knight rayearth by clamp vol. 1 - 5 ⭐️

This manga is one that I have been eyeing for years! As my next manga is one heavily inspired by the magical girl genre, I figured this was the perfect time to start this read. And I loved it.

Magic Knight Rayearth tells the story of three eighth grade girls who are suddenly transported to the magical world of Cefiro, where they become the legendary Magic Knights. I’ve been wanting to dive into works by CLAMP for years and I was not disappointed. There’s a lot in this that I can already see as a huge source of inspiration for Project Blue along with other works like Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Winx, and W.I.T.C.H.

currently reading | intermezo by sally rooney

I have to admit that I tried reading this book in march and did not vibe with it. However, I am trying again because I have heard nothing but great things about Sally Rooney. As I’m looking to dive much deeper into character for draft 3 of eden, I think this book would be great for research and the story genuinely interests me i love family drama that is not my own. I’ve only just started the re-read, so I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

currently watching: frieren: beyond journey’s end

Along with rekindling my love for manga, I’ve rekindled my love for anime as well (though, let’s be real — that love never died). I wanted to watch something slow. Something beautiful. And even though I am only three episodes in, I can feel this show already tugging at my heart strings.

There’s an element of storytelling here that I’m desperately trying to recreate with my own book so I’m glad I picked this up.

Spring

Spring is finally here in the midwest! No more false spring, although it has been raining like crazy (which, I’ll take, because the blooms have been beautiful). The world seems brighter, smells better, and the heat of summer hasn’t punctured the air yet.

I’m quite literally writing this post sitting under a giant shaded tree in the park. I’m in heaven.

Baggu Medium Nylon Crescent Backpack

it’s no secret that I’m a BAGGU fan girl, but I’m really trying to curb my spending and my bag collection. However, I can no longer deny that I am a backpack girlie. I love a backpack for work, for taking my things to write in a coffee shop, and this backpack has become my new favorite. It’s compact, it’s bright, it’s cute. It’s all I want to use!

Hobonichi Weeks

I first saw the weeks floating around on TikTok but couldn’t justify the price or even knew how I would use it. I ended up picking it up and now?? I feel like I can’t go anywhere without it. It’s my planner. It’s my journal. It’s my writing brain for jotting down story ideas & revision notes. The slim size and cute design have won me over.

iced oat milk matcha lattes & lavender foam

This will be my drink of choice for the spring and summer. No notes.

Trackbear

I discovered trackbear from brielle over on youtube and my god??? I’ve never been one to track my writing (I’ve never had a need to), but with the April writing challenge, I needed something to help me record my progress. Now i’m obsessed with it. The thrill of filling out my word count for the day? Unparalleled. Brielle usually puts together a monthly leaderboard so keep an eye out on her page if you want to join the next one!

April was a great month of posting consistently over on my channel! I was so pleased not only with the content I was posting, but also with how they performed (always a plus).

thanks so much for hanging out with me. i’m excited to start utilizing this space. You’ll have to let me know if you’ve read or watched anything i’ve mentioned or any favorites you may have for this month as well as any recommendations for me! 🙂‍↕️

If you haven’t already, consider subscribing to my channel — my YouTube takes priority over all my other social media channels and it’s where I update you all the most.

Until next time — i’m rooting for you!