Greetings from winter!
Hey everybody,
Jess here, writing to you on a frankly bloody freezing day. A great southerly is whipping up from the antarctic and reminding us that we live on a little island in the middle of nowhere. Usually that's quite a nice feeling. Today it feels...cold.
Writing updates
It's been an interesting month; I've been working towards a writing deadline for a short story anthology my writing group is putting together. We're allowed to write anything, in any genre, as long as the story includes the following elements in some shape or form:
- the feeling of water
- an unexpected package
- a guilty pleasure
- a bird
- the chariot tarot card
Even though I love doing creative exercises like this I actually have really struggled to get something down on paper that I'm happy with. I've run through three or four different ideas so far, with each sort of there but not quite. I think I've settled on something to do with a series of mis-directed letters, but am still working through the draft.
I've been journalling a lot (as I suspect I do when I'm creatively frustrated) and just finished the one I've been writing in over the past year. Some interesting commentary in there about Covid-19 and what the world's been going through. These years will be such strange ones to look back upon.
Other news
It's been a busy May, with school holidays, sick pets, a trip to see my parents, a new campaign started of Rise of the Runelords with friends on Roll20, working on the story, doing tarot card readings for strangers on the internet, a guitar concert, and darkroom workshop. Whew!
Books
I am still reading N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season. Not because it isn't great. It's amazing. Everyone should go out and read it, especially if you live in a tectonically-challenged area like I do. I can't believe I haven't read anything of hers before.
Blog round-up
The blogging routine started up again (whew), but I haven't been posting as regularly as I would like. I'll never be a post-a-day sort of person, I don't think, so this is likely as good as it gets, hehe.
Cool links
A few things I enjoyed in May!
- Sacha Chua's series on blogging
- A recipe for Finnish spring mead -- I totally want to make this!
- This post on being a webmaster in 1993
- Matt Gemmell on working in the shed
- These Richard Parry posters!
Thanks again for subscribing! I'd love to hear from you about anything. Just hit reply, or email jess@jessicanickelsen.com
Until next time--stay warm!
Jess