Category: Journal

Phew. Life the past couple of weeks has been both completely bonkers, and simultaneously motionless. Had a brief COVID scare when B-Bug developed cold symptoms and a fever, but his test came back negative, thank goodness! With an under 1yo at home and grandparents over 60, the doctor recommended getting tested. SO THAT HAPPENED. Thankfully,… Continue reading Cabin Fever & the Doldrums

UUUUUUGH. So the past two weeks have been about as productive as a clogged toilet. The sleeping situation did not improve, NAY-! Our attempt to fix the situation inevitably made it horribly worse, so we're backtracking to what used to work (at least, better), and restarting with a later bedtime and hoping that at least… Continue reading PPPFFFTTTTTT~!

Phew! So...it's been a bit since I updated where things stand currently! Truth is, it's been a sleep-exhaustion-induced haze, these past couple weeks. Goldbug is either toothing or going through his 9mo sleep regression or hitting major brain milestones (he is walking!), or ALL THREE AT ONCE, combined with dropping temperatures at night and uneven… Continue reading About as Good as an Exploded Whale Carcass…

It's so rainy today, and I woke up in the middle of a dream to get B-Bug breakfasted and logged into school. My folks are taking a much needed (quiet) vacation for a few days, which means I'm 100% on point, which is surprisingly challenging. I've gotten so used to having at least one adult… Continue reading Re-established Habits, Silence, and Looking Ahead

I am officially a year older! October rolled into town and officially ushered me into "adulthood" with no "young" modifier. There was only a brief internal panic about the number of years wracked up, time passed, etc., but overall, I had a lovely day. Goldbug gave me two nice naps and a poop, and B-Bug… Continue reading 1 Birthday, 2 Games, 3 Writing Goals

Have you ever been possessed by a book? You're just reading along, and all of a sudden, you're either completely emotionally overcome or you're going about your day later, and this book just keeps intruding on your thoughts? I don't mean just that you enjoy it, or even that you want to just get back… Continue reading POSSESSION BY BOOK

Another bum week. I tell you, toothing is the worst thing to happen to the primary-caregiver/writer. Naps once dependable are shot through with wriggles and evaporate at the slightest noise. Nighttime sleeping is a tumultuous affair, more characterized by shots of adrenaline whenever the wee one stirs than by restful slumber. And don't even get… Continue reading Tooth 4.0, Brick Walls, and Cabinet Mayhem

Show, don't tell. Fix it later. Kill your darlings. Hook the reader. Torment your characters. Writers write. Ours is an industry that loves catchy truisms. Writing is tough at the best of times, but what makes it particularly challenging as a career is that there's no clear path to success, no obvious steps or stages… Continue reading KEYS & LOCKS

Well, this was certainly a week! Not necessarily a good week, though I'm sure it could have been worse by a lot. School started remotely for us here, which has--surprisingly--been awesome so far. B-Bug loves it, and the school has done a great job keeping even 1st Graders on-task and entertained. Meanwhile, Goldbug has been… Continue reading Teeth, Ruts, and Step-by-Step Help

I met Katherine years ago when I was a Portland-based writer, and she's absolutely one of my favorite people. Her stories are imaginative and whimsical and rich with sensory detail and heart. I'm excited to share her work and thoughts with you today! 1) Do you tend to plan your stories before you write them,… Continue reading THREE QUESTIONS: Katherine Quevedo