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- New Day and a New Newsletter
Hey everyone!
A.B. Queen here with a new batch of updates for the week.
Quick, a summary of what I aim to deliver with these weekly newsletters. Ideally they are updates on my work in progress and what you can expect to see published down the road.
Though, I also wanted to proved some insights to my life, what I am learning, experiencing, and or thinking. All with the intention of passing on knowledge and inspiration.
With that said, let’s get started.
What I Am Working On ✍️
This can actually be broken down into a couple of different items, because, let’s be honest, I am always working on multiple projects at once.
The Curiosity Collection Book #2
I am currently working on draft 3 of this series. I am at roughly 50% completion of this draft. Draft 3 is taking a bit longer than other drafts. Though, draft 3 is usually where I make a good amount of changes and updates. After I finish the 4th draft, I will send it off to some beta readers to give it a run through.
Short Stories
Another project I am working on is a revision of my Post Card Series. This was at one point a weekly fantasy/mystery series that was based around two people sending each other post cards. Each week would be a new post card that revealed more of the story.
The trick with this one is consistency. Not only in releasing them weekly, but in how I displayed the post cards. I am in the process of developing a new graphic and template to place the stories on. Essentially, I am designing a post card from scratch. This isn’t a difficult task, just time consuming.
I hope to have these up an running by July with the idea of releasing them in “Seasons” like a television series.
What I Have Learned 🧠
This week has been an interesting week of learning not only in emotional capability, but technical skills as well, both incredibly valuable.
Technical Skills
I began to familiarize myself with the ins and outs of recording an audio book. I have some interest parties in recording The Rings of Flight for me, and I am exploring the world of audio books. I get to put some of my background of audio engineering to the test if I continue forward with audio books.
Emotional Skills
I am finding specific scenarios in which my anxiety tends to take control of my life. It seems to be I have been impacted by the pandemic and the lack of social engagement to where it is now preventing me from going out into public and experiencing new things.
I know this is not a unique scenario to the world, many of us are actually going through this. Though, I will say this is new to me. I never saw myself as having anxiety in the past, and never thought I would have anxiety, or at least to this level.
However, while I am learning more about myself and how I handle certain scenarios, it is also teaching me more about humanity. Providing the chance to practice empathy for those in similar situations, or even those that are fighting their own battles that are not anxiety driven.
What I am Reading/Watching/Listening
Novels 📚
I just finished the Star Wars novel Red Harvest. I was surprised with my feelings on this book. Not bad feelings, but more surprised on a new genre I have now explored and the other possibilities to read. Red Harvest was a gothic horror/thriller, really probably the first of this genre that I have read. The closest thing I would have read in the past would be The Shining, but even that isn’t the same. I am now looking forward to read more of this genre and actively looking for the next read.
Show/Movie 🎥
Silo.
Holy hush puppies! I love this show. It speaks to me on…so many levels (pun most certainly intended). The whole Fallout/mystery feeling does it for me. It only makes me want the Fallout series to come out sooner.
Music 🎵
Music hasn’t been anything new. This time of year I usually get pretty wrapped up in my 90s playlist. Spacehog: In the Meantime has been on pretty heavy rotation.
What Inspired Me
Nature 🌳
Our gardens are really taking off this week. We are needing to harvest lettuce every few days. Carrots are sprouting and thriving. Tomatoes are flowering. Roses are blooming and looking just as beautiful as ever.
Really, nature is always something that inspires me. The growth and birth of life in my backyard is inspiring and motivating. Reminds me of new chances and new ideas.
Re-doing My Office
I spent a day organizing my office to a more efficient and motivating workflow. Something that puts more focus on creativity for my writing, and less focus on my boring 9-5 job. It has done miracles for my happiness and motivation. I look forward each day to enter my office and not feel dread or the Sunday night blues.
My Item of the Week
Mini Daim candies from Ikea. One little bar has been the perfect little sweet each afternoon. I will be sad when I run out.
That’s it for me this week. I can’t wait to check on in next week!
Also, if you haven’t picked up your copy of The Curiosity Collection: The Rings of Flight I have placed the links below:
The Rings of Flight by A.B. Queen