With every lockdown diaries post I feel more compelled to yank some of my (very) old notebooks and seeing what horrors lie within them. They're not even diaries, more just full of short stories, but it might be interesting to see where I was as a writer/person a decade ago and compare it to where I am now (where I am currently in the midst of editing multiple sex scenes).
Speaking of the writer I am now, lockdown was exhausting in a lot of ways (that summer of 2020 when everyone realised they might be a little bit racist and made a big deal of proving they didn't want to be did actually cost me my relationship (no hardship long term) and at times my sanity) BUT I did make the switch over to Substack, it did encourage me to find joy in my literature and brought me back to romance books and it did give me an idea for a novel that I have actually finished writing and reminded me that I am a creative person at my core, there is a reason I have always been best with words.
Sophie! Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I so appreciate your words. I am so excited about the finished novel and am thrilled for the day I get to hold it in my hands!
P.S. If you do decide to share some of those old entries, you know I would feel honoured to read them or your reflections from reading them!
“We will intuitively know how to handle situations that used to baffle us...” and that’s a promise! 😆
I truly enjoy listening to your flashbacks. I recently came across the journals I wrote in 1998, my first year sober, and--whoa. It’s astonishing how far we have come.
"it is always a good idea to go outside." YES, I must remember this. Soooo jealous that you are in Nashville, somewhere I really wanna go. Lots of pix please! xx
Yay, Cowboy LD! You show Nashville you know how to have a good time
The lockdown was a weird time for me and Cuddles. We began it trapped in the house she grew up in: nothing but terrible memories and stress.
We managed to get into our now house that we own together, but that process was ao stressful I had a mini break from reality.
Then there was our wedding ceremony to organise, and a honeymoon which we were fortunate fit right between two separate variants of covid happening!
All of that on top of getting used to new physical limitations and pain, and my mental health starting off pretty bad...I barely wrote for years. But I've somehow managed to produce a story every 2 weeks for almost 3 years now. Just keeping that fire burning low, enjoying new challenges, and sometimes slogging through til I wanted to tear my hair out. But I got through.
Being here, and making some new creative friends online, that brought me back. But it was during that rough time, while I was slogging, that I began testing myself, and storing story and creative ideas away.
But the main thing I somehow managed, was to run a ttrpg for a year (Jump Rangers - written by my good friend Tenny), and that made me take the ttrpg I'd begun creating years ago out of some books I wrote, and give it a complete rewrite into something much better, with input from some beta players. That project is not yet finished. I need to go check and rewrite some more bits again, but I want it to go into book form and for sale. Planning that for next year.
With every lockdown diaries post I feel more compelled to yank some of my (very) old notebooks and seeing what horrors lie within them. They're not even diaries, more just full of short stories, but it might be interesting to see where I was as a writer/person a decade ago and compare it to where I am now (where I am currently in the midst of editing multiple sex scenes).
Speaking of the writer I am now, lockdown was exhausting in a lot of ways (that summer of 2020 when everyone realised they might be a little bit racist and made a big deal of proving they didn't want to be did actually cost me my relationship (no hardship long term) and at times my sanity) BUT I did make the switch over to Substack, it did encourage me to find joy in my literature and brought me back to romance books and it did give me an idea for a novel that I have actually finished writing and reminded me that I am a creative person at my core, there is a reason I have always been best with words.
Sophie! Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I so appreciate your words. I am so excited about the finished novel and am thrilled for the day I get to hold it in my hands!
P.S. If you do decide to share some of those old entries, you know I would feel honoured to read them or your reflections from reading them!
“We will intuitively know how to handle situations that used to baffle us...” and that’s a promise! 😆
I truly enjoy listening to your flashbacks. I recently came across the journals I wrote in 1998, my first year sober, and--whoa. It’s astonishing how far we have come.
Thank you so much, lovely friend. I am so happy for us, living out these promises fulfilled. What a gift, what a miracle. So much love to you! 🧡🧡🧡
"it is always a good idea to go outside." YES, I must remember this. Soooo jealous that you are in Nashville, somewhere I really wanna go. Lots of pix please! xx
I need to add more pics to the thread! This is a good reminder (I was too busy danccccccccccing haha)
I totally approve of being too busy dancccccccccing!
Yay, Cowboy LD! You show Nashville you know how to have a good time
The lockdown was a weird time for me and Cuddles. We began it trapped in the house she grew up in: nothing but terrible memories and stress.
We managed to get into our now house that we own together, but that process was ao stressful I had a mini break from reality.
Then there was our wedding ceremony to organise, and a honeymoon which we were fortunate fit right between two separate variants of covid happening!
All of that on top of getting used to new physical limitations and pain, and my mental health starting off pretty bad...I barely wrote for years. But I've somehow managed to produce a story every 2 weeks for almost 3 years now. Just keeping that fire burning low, enjoying new challenges, and sometimes slogging through til I wanted to tear my hair out. But I got through.
Being here, and making some new creative friends online, that brought me back. But it was during that rough time, while I was slogging, that I began testing myself, and storing story and creative ideas away.
But the main thing I somehow managed, was to run a ttrpg for a year (Jump Rangers - written by my good friend Tenny), and that made me take the ttrpg I'd begun creating years ago out of some books I wrote, and give it a complete rewrite into something much better, with input from some beta players. That project is not yet finished. I need to go check and rewrite some more bits again, but I want it to go into book form and for sale. Planning that for next year.
I am so glad I met you through the powers of the internet. Thank you for sharing this 🧡🧡🧡