May Monthly Wrap Up

Happy Wednesday! I can't believe it's already almost June! Everything feels like it's going by way too fast and I didn't even get up another post for mental health awareness month this month... But is anyone else loving all the Summer vibes? I don't know, I'm feeling summer this year. Having the AC on and we set up a pool last week and having friends over and just wearing dresses and shorts again. After such a rough winter, summer feels like hope and a fresh start. 

Writing: April was a hard month all around, but it was also a rough writing month. From March through all of April I jumped from project to project, all of them falling through. None of the ideas or stories I tried to work on stuck. I felt burnt out and insecure about my writing and the thought of writing another novel or a long WIP was daunting and exhausting to me. I was so scared that I would never write another novel again. That I would be one of those people that stopped writing for months or years or that I would never find a book or characters that would speak to me again. 

But then May came and God delivered just like He always does. I also think that's just part of my process... It's a horrible process, but after writing so many books over the years I've started to become familiar with how my brain works from project to project. Unfortunately it seems that when I finish a book or a series in general, I go through a period of wandering aimlessly from project to project. I usually start to drown and fall apart and think that I'm never going to write again. I leave behind a trail of unfinished projects in my wake until I inevitably happen upon a character and an idea that sticks and then the process starts all over again haha So... that's what happened. It was worse than usual only because I finished a five book series that means the world to me and I couldn't imagine anything else being as good or living up to what I did in The Archive Series. 

All that to say... I found my rhythm and I found a new story. I don't know if anything I write will ever be as good as Golden Touch or The Archive Series, but I've found a new love for a new story and that's what matters. It's called The Runaway and is a YA sci-fi fantasy. I'm still working on finishing the first draft, but I know it's about a girl who has to rebuild her life after everything falls apart. She's starting new and coming face to face with her trauma and finding where she belongs. It's also got asteroid storms and thaumaturges and a rag tag crew of criminals and a handsome and mysterious captain of said crew and a galaxy trying to piece itself back together after being torn apart by a civil war. Something about Chrys (the MC) really spoke to me and I'm really falling in love with her and all the characters and the whole story and have so many ideas for a series. 

If any or all of that sounds fun and interesting to you, I'm actually putting a chapter up on Wattpad every Sunday. It's still only a first draft and is lightly edited, but Wattpad is the whole reason I got this idea and I've been itching to put something up on there again, so I figured why not The Runaway? You can find it here: Read The Runaway

Also I finished formatting Golden Touch and am just waiting for the back cover and spine to be finished before I put it up for pre-order hopefully in the next week or so. I can't wait for the paperback. It's going to look so amazing! :b 

Reading: Reading in May has been slow, but I'm picking it back up a bit. I've started rereading the Caraval series and am re-falling in love with it. This second time around I think I'm liking Scarlett a little more than Tella?? I don't know how that happened... but Scarlett just speaks to me a little more and I remembered how swoon worthy she and Julian are. 

Right now I'm in the middle of Legendary and then plan to take a break before I read Finale to read Yesterday or Long Ago by Jenni Sauer! 

Life Stuff: This month started out a little rocky only because my anxiety and depression wasn't so great. But since I've picked back on taking several old supplements I had stopped taking and I've started taking St. John's Wort every day, my anxiety and depression has improved so much! I'm so thankful for that because I was getting pretty desperate and in a not so great place. 

I started my Astronomy class last week and actually ended up dropping it this week and signing up for an oceanography class that starts in a few weeks. Turns out... astronomy is hard and involves math haha There's no way I would have been able to get through that class, especially not the exams. So, here's hoping oceanography is easier haha

Also, I know this might be controversial or whatever, but it feels worth mentioning. My college has decided that they are requiring vaccinations even for students like me who only go online and never go to campus! I don't even plan to go to a graduating ceremony or anything and I only have five classes left before I graduate! They also said that they're only giving limited exceptions, so I'm praying that I'll be one of the students who are eligible for one. It's a little stressful and frustrating because I'm so close to finishing and I have two classes I'm really excited about in the Fall... but I also feel a lot of peace in that God's way is better and He'll lead me down the right path even if it's not the path I would have wanted. If I have to transfer to a different college to complete my degree then that's what I'll do. But this whole vaccination thing is so wrong on so many levels and is just very frustrating. It's disheartening too and makes me wonder what the world will be like in a few years if colleges and workplaces can get away with banning the unvaccinated. Colleges shouldn't be withholding education from any student whether they're vaccinated or not. I won't know if I'm allowed to have an exception until June 11th, so until then I'm just trying to focus on right now and getting through this astronomy class. 

On a more fun note, May was great because Twenty One Pilots came out with their new album last Friday!! It's so good and I can't stop listening to it! I'm loving hopeful, positive vibes so many of their songs from this album gives off. A few of my favorites so far is Choker, Shy Away, Never Take It, Mulberry Street and The Outside. That's like half the songs on the album sooo I guess I should just say I love them whole thing haha 

Also, Superman and Lois started again this month. I can't get over how ridiculously good that show is. Like one of the best shows I've seen in years. So well done, the acting and writing is A++. 

Legends of Tomorrow came back on too and that show is so whack and so fun it makes me so happy every time I watch it. I never know what to expect. 

And of course I have to mention The Bad Batch because I am slightly obsessed with it. I didn't think I would like it and I hadn't even planned to watch it, but I was bored the day it came out and didn't have anything to watch while I was working out and just decided to turn it on. I was blown away by how much I loved it! The animation is amazing and the voice acting is amazing and just I live for the plot of a rag tag group of big, strong, soldier type misfits adopting an adorable, innocent kid and taking her under their wing and making her their family. Omega is just so precious and amazing and I can already see the potential for so much character growth for her and the whole Bad Batch. I can't wait to see what the writers have in store for their character arcs. Plus being in the Star Wars world during the turn from the Republic to the Empire is so interesting. I'm loving an inside look at the politics and intricacies of how the Empire rose and how all that happened. 

I know this is ending up being a long post, but I guess May was just a really good month haha I drove alone in the car for the first time this month too. I didn't go very far at all, but it's a start and I'm really proud that I even managed to get myself to do that haha 

Looking forward to June:  The sole reason I'm looking forward to June is Loki. I'm counting down the days till June 9th when I get to watch the first episode of Loki.

I wasn't a big fan of Falcon and the Winter Soldier... I actually didn't even finish it. But I've been waiting forever for Loki to have his own movie or show, so I can't wait! I'm also hoping my early copy of Shadow by Kara Swanson will arrive next month too. I can't wait to get my hands on that book. :b 

Other than Loki... I can't think of anything else haha I'll be putting Golden Touch up for pre-order soon and of course working on The Runaway and putting up new installments every Sunday. I'm sure there will be lots of walks at parks and hanging out with friends and just enjoying the summer weather. I'd also like to get out and drive on my own some more. I'll also probably finish Legendary and read Yesterday or Long Ago and Finale before I find something else to read. Plus if Shadow comes, I'll definitely be reading that in June after those. And after Shadow... I've had The Invisible Life of Addie Larue on my shelf for a few months and I was just thinking about getting that out and opening it up again. 

So, yeah, no real plans for June, but I'm sure there will be things that pop up. 

How was your May? Do you have any fun plans for June?