Jessica_Cohen

I am not made to function before 8AM. I have a hard enough time functioning NORMALLY. We're on our summer schedule at work now, which means earlier hours. I am sooooo not a morning person, y'all.
          
          On publishing, I'm still trying to get my sh*t together, I swear.

My mother had a health scare yesterday. She's fine, but I'm emotionally drained. I'm burning myself out so much lately dealing with my home life and work. I NEED A VACATION SO BADLY. It's been two years since I've had one. And yet I have so many projects to finish at home, too. UGH.

Checking in! Hope you’re doing well! 

I've been thinking about how to make Cel's story more palatable to my dedicated readers, such as those who enjoyed A Cage for Hungry Hearts. I too enjoy a M/M romance, but I also veer away from writing solely that, as I am neither gay nor male-identifying.
          
          However, after giving it some thought and doing some experimental drafting, I think I might expand the cast of Cel's story to include her parents, as she has two dads and I *love* them so much. So I'm taking a note from The Sword of Kaigen and turning this into a family epic. This story already has a large cast, so I'm ready to embrace it as an even bigger project than it already was.
          
          I'm back to using dabblewriter, because I like being able to keep myself organized. I def recommend that writing website for anyone who has trouble staying organized while writing.

I'm going to start a monthly newsletter. I've been wanting to do this for a while, and now seems like a good time. If you want to get a monthly update about my life, art, and writing/novel updates, you can sign up here: https://forms.gle/ADCsE4CMKdPXvYUJ6
          
          Start date is tentative, but I'm thinking it'll release maybe toward the end of each month. I'll have to work out a set date.
          
          @miapanda7 thank you for the suggestion

Hello friends and readers new and old! I hope you're all doing well!
          
          My birthday is tomorrow, and I took the day off work. I'm so excited to get a break.

I've just got to polish up the epilogue of A CAGE FOR HUNGRY HEARTS and then I think I'm calling it a done deal for publishing. I might spend later this week drawing another cover for it, because I'm ridiculous and I have an idea. It falls closer to danmei art than normal cover art, but I'm ok with that.

At this point, I'm not super sure anyone cares, but I am trying to work on A Cage for Hungry Hearts, the publishable version, this weekend. Truth be told, having COVID for the first time in January and then work just being absolutely brutal every since has really made it hard for me to do much in my own time. I'm always so exhausted.
          
          But I'm trying, as always.
          
          I always feel so slow at everything I do, but needs must. I wouldn't chase promotion opportunities so much at work if things would STOP getting so much more expensive each year, but BILLS.
          
          Finally, for anyone who missed it, I did add a new piece to my artbook:
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/912573697-escapism-art-book-character-art-nefarre

I'm determined to improve my story-telling ability. I think one of my big weaknesses is that I get too tied up in weaving the plot and, in the process, fail to round out the characters and build their relationships adequately. Problem is, in trying to do this, I may be overwriting. I really want people to latch onto my characters, even if they're not "good" people, but I also don't want to scare them away with the word count.
          
          I've been reading an HP fanfic that's really got my writing noggin working again. This author is SO GOOD at writing character relationships and internal conflicts. The fic is "The Mirror of Eciderue" by starbrigid on AO3 if anyone's curious.
          
          Fellow authors, what are some of your writing weaknesses?

About a week and a half ago, I caught COVID for the first time (or at least it's the first time I ever tested positive for it). I'm through the worst of it, but boy does it suck. My taste/smell is off, and I'm perpetually tired. I'm back at work this week and having a hard time thinking through the brain fog.