You know when you pick up a book that was recommended as a business book because you tried to read something fictional and you just couldn’t get into it, but it turns out that business book is actually just a whole allegory told as the story of penguins? Yeah, I didn’t either.
The book follows a group of penguins as they discover that the iceberg they call home may not survive the winter. It starts with one, Fred, who finds the problem, and then spirals as he finds people to help figure out a solution to the problem, resulting int he penguins changing their whole way of life as they get buy in from more and more of the colony and deal with the detractors. And the whole thing is an allegory for how to approach change management within a company.
I thought it was fantastic, honestly. Not everything is going to translate one to one to an actual organization and it does paint a somewhat ideal version of how things could end up going, but overall I thought it was a pretty effective way to get the message across in a way that wasn’t as bland or overly “This is the only way to do it and I am the only one is right”-ish as many of the books I read do it. It really was a lot more showing than telling, which I appreciate, and illustrating how this whole thing could happen.
If you’re looking for a bit of a business book that is honestly a lot more effective than other books out there, definitely check this one out. It’s pretty great, informative, and also has some really lovely illustrations throughout it.
I have been publishing since 2012, putting out several books a year for a decade, and took the last year off of publishing. At first, that was an intentional choice. The actual plan was to use the year to try out a few stories that I wasn’t sure about and give myself the space to not like something and still have something that I could get ready for publication the year after.
That plan fell apart pretty much immediately. Between the flood and getting sick with a chronic condition that I have not yet recovered from (I might one day, but it’s going to take a while) I have had to learn a lot about rest and figure out how I can still consider myself an author when I am not writing. Or when I am incapable of writing.
The thing I’ve come to realize in my time of forced rest is that the way I was going before, with time spent working almost every evening on writing the next book and making sure I was always busy with another new project, was probably not sustainable in the long term. I have needed the rest for a while, and finally circumstances allowed me to take it.
And rest has been hard. It’s not something that comes naturally to me by any means. I want to do things constantly, but this rest and the new habits that I’m building as a part of it are good for me in the long term, regardless of health. Spending hours on the computer churning out 5000-10000 words in a day in order to meet deadlines may mean that the stories get done faster, but ultimately that rate is not good for me.
I had my productive decade. And now I am entering an era of rest. Expect books much more slowly, as I try and find a new balance with where I’m at now.
Time to tackle the digital TBR! There’s not as many books in there as I thought (Or maybe I just haven’t been looking at the right place) and it’s been ages since I got these so this should be interesting. I don’t even remember when I got these ones…
Four Thousand Weeks looked like a productivity book and even started like one, but quickly devolved into a discussion on time and what the purpose of productivity is. It’s an interesting intersection of what productivity practices teach and why being productive isn’t necessarily the best thing for us as people.
As someone who has been learning an awful lot about rest the last year and trying to make life better for myself in the long run, I really resonated with some of the discussions around how the things you once did for enjoyment become things you have to do for income and the loss of enjoyment in the name of productivity in general. The idea that you can just… not for a while is strangely comforting.
Overall, I really liked it, even if it wasn’t what was expected. There are legitimate tips in the book, but if you’re looking for something that goes more into the purpose and intent of productivity and rest, this one is a great read.
Did I forget I had a digital TBR as soon as I finished off my physical one? Yes. Did I just pick the pretty cover off of my books to maybe read from the library instead of looking at the blurb to find out anything about it? Also yes. Did I even read the subtitle that is directly on the cover? You know the answer here.
Sway is a discussion about unconscious bias and how it’s an underlying part of life in general. It’s a lot of research around how there is a lot of historic and structural bias, which then leads into how people interact with one another, and some of the more subtle forms of how it shows up. It was a more difficult read than Design Justice, which covers a lot of the same subject matter, but I found myself liking it more because it didn’t feel like it was trying to offer solutions ((Which ultimately didn’t feel like actual solutions)) so much as just highlighting that the issues exist, how they appear, and how they affect people.
Also will say that the one star reviews on this one are a lot of fun.
Overall, it’s an interesting look at the pervasiveness of unconscious and implicit bias and how it affect people in their daily lives. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, check it out!
I’m very happy to announce that I’ve managed to make something! After some feedback on the workbooks, I’ve heard you and I’ve put together something that is much more guided!
(Also, I now understand that my understanding of a workbook is different than others, and I should have been more clear that those were more guided and structured workbooks, my bad!)
Guided Character Development Workbook is designed to walk you through my process of developing a character, as well as give you everything you need to integrate their character traits into your writing, helping you show who your character is rather than telling.
I hope you enjoy it! Do let me know what you think and if there’s any other things you are interested in. This was a lot of fun and I’m starting to think of some other processes that might be helpful.
This was the last physical book on my to be read pile and I am finally through it! At last, the whole pile is gone! After this I can start on the digital one and then finally I will have read all the books I have! AT LAST! And then get more books as a reward. Anyway…
We follow Frankie as she heads to Hollywood with her friend, Connie, to pursue a life as an actress. Things go wrong on the way there as they end up giving a truly awful person and famous director a ride into town and get caught up in the glamour and mystery of Hollywood, along with all the disappointment that comes along with it.
The story doesn’t really kick off until more than half way through the book when the murder mentioned on the blurb actually happens. Before that, it’s a lot of set up to understand the inner workings of Hollywood and just how terrible just about everyone in the book is. Once the murder happens, it feels almost like a completely different story, with Frankie going underground and trying to solve the crime while evading the police.
While the story is pretty well paced once the murder happens, I found that I didn’t like any of the characters. People are vindictive or self serving, and even when there’s a moment of redemption where I think someone might make a good decision, that is soon undone by their following actions. I was rooting for no one in this even though I’m pretty sure I was supposed to be.
Honestly, I preferred her Stella Ryman book more, but this might be a good fit for someone looking for some of the old Hollywood glamour and a more traditional read. If it sounds interesting, check it out!
Back to my physical TBR and another book from the Pulp Lit event! Naturally, I did not remember what the book was about and just picked it up because it was the next one on the list, but I am pretty happy with what I found! It’s been a while since I’ve read some fantasy.
The story follows Kyer as she ends up being recruited into a party on a mission. The country is being slowly overtaken by another power on the edges, but Kyer is mostly just trying to figure out her own life and along for the ride and the experiences. Due to a duel at the start of the story, she is pursued by a man named Ronav whose plans she has thrown a wrench into and he is on a mission to get what she owes him as a result.
This may be because I’m currently putting together my character for a new campaign, but this whole story had a D&D feeling to it where the campaign is based around one character. The magic and the worldbuilding just felt like I was in that world, which felt both very familiar and a bit off at different points, and I was waiting for more side quests that would allow other characters to shine as well.
Despite that, it felt like a familiar journey back into my fantasy days where there was a quest to be fulfilled and a lead with a mystery about themselves that made them the chosen one. It’s a fun read and I’m interested to see how the rest of the story goes. This is, after all, only the first book and I would like to see how some of the threads about Kyer’s past progress. Check it out if you have an itch for a fantasy book!
I am someone whose brain is constantly going on and on, and I need a way to manage it. I’ve tried a lot of strategies over the years, some great and some not so good. Here’s some things I’ve tried, and how I personally felt about them.
Disclaimer: Your milage may vary! There are things that work for some people and not for others. This has just been my own personal experience and I am not a licensed professional, just someone who has been trying a variety of things to help bring my life together.
Morning pages
Every morning, sit down with a pen and paper and write three pages of your stream of consciousness thoughts. This is intended to get all of those thoughts and ideas out of your head and in a place where you can either take some action on them or let them go so that you can continue with your day.
Rating: 3/5 – It was nice in the morning, and I do well with stream of consciousness writing, but as the day progressed my brain got cluttered again
List making
Sit down with a pen and paper (This is a theme) and write down a list of something. This can be a list of things you are grateful for or that bring you joy, which you can use to reframe your ways of thinking about things. Or, if you’re me, it can be a list of things you can do next and a chance to pull those ideas together into something you can take actionable.
Rating: 4/5 – I like having actionable items, the gratitude and joy stuff doesn’t really stick.
Meditation
This is the idea of sitting down and being aware of not only yourself, but being more okay with letting your thoughts come and go. In time, this practice can make you a calmer person because it can teach you to better handle things like intrusive thoughts and unwelcome emotions. If you want to give it a try, regardless of my feelings on it, Headspace is a nice app to go for some guided meditation practices, or you can check Youtube for more.
Rating 1/5 – Made me actively more anxious on a regular basis. I kept thinking of things I wanted to remember for later, stressed about keeping those thoughts in my head, and then was frustrated that I forgot them.
Guided journaling
This references writing to a prompt of some sort. You can get these as books, or look them up for yourself, and they are meant to give you something specific to write about to help you figure out your thoughts and to reframe your experiences, often in a more positive light. Or that’s been my experience.
Rating 2/5 – I tried a book with prompts and they so rarely aligned to what was actually the problem that I found it frustrating. Looking online for random ones also ended up being frustrating because, again, they just didn’t align with what I was dealing with.
Continuous brain dumps
This is the thing I do and the thing that has helped me the most. I find a place to put a journal that I go back to throughout the day. Maybe it’s the bathroom, or a couch. Somewhere where you are a few times a day and can be alone. I put it by the cat’s food, because she will lead me there to watch her eat.
Every time I’m there, I open it up and start to write complete stream of consciousness. This helps me to constantly dump out the buzzing thoughts and put them on paper, where I will either remember them for later or let them go.
I have also paired this with having a second notepad close by to take note of any things that I want to get done.
Rating: 5/5 – Of course the method I created for myself is the one that works the best! It’s one that’s kept me calm, and better at dealing with the nonsense that life has been throwing at me these past several years.
In trying to turn Scrap Paper Entertainment into a more formal business, I’ve taken a step back to try and understand what I need to do in order to just… keep going with it in general. I’ve struggled a lot to think of it as a business for reasons that were very specifically highlighted in How to be Everything.
So I’ve taken a little time to consider it, and here’s a few… Principles? Ethos? Guidelines? Things I can decide to do now that will hopefully make it easier for me to keep working at it when things get tough. These had to be entirely practical, not big ideals, and I think I’ve got at least an initial set that I can work with.
Put myself first
This shows up in two main ways.
First, I am giving myself the permission to pursue things that are creatively fulfilling first and then figuring out how they can be monetized second. This is not really how you do things, as I well know from years in tech, but doing things like writing to an audience has always made me hate the things that I once loved. So I’ll do things for myself first, and figure out how to make it work for the business second. ((Or decide that it’s not going to be a business or monetizable thing. That is also something that will probably happen.))
Second, I am currently chronically ill. I need to feel like I can step away and recover now and then when I need it. This is a new practice, but one that I’m going to work on more actively because, well, I’m never going to see improvement if I work myself like I once did.
Document everything
This is a general practice that I need to start putting into place. It’s something I do at work, but one that I need to start to put into place for myself as well. I am going to write down everything and keeping documents so that I can look back on how things were done in the past and see how I have been able to evolve. This is also something that leads into…
Repurpose everything
If I have everything documented, it makes creating content easy, right? Blog posts, social media posts, everything is a lot simpler if I can just keep track of it all and then repurpose the documents for when I want to talk about everything.
On a larger scale, though, this also extends to some of the things I am making. Different people have different needs, after all, so if I am making another workbook then I should also make everything in that workbook into something that people can download and re-use over and over again once they’ve finished with the book. Or maybe let them just pick the parts of the workbooks that are useful to them. Maybe that workbook can also turn into a podcast with just the information sessions, or even a small course so that you can hear the instructions instead of reading it. Maybe some of that workbook can be turned into an infographic or a poster for people who just need a reminder and not the whole thing.
Essentially, the idea is to make a thing, and then figure out how to make that thing available to the most people in the most ways.
Create systems for the long term
All of that is a lot of work, so I need to create systems that are going to work for me long term. This shows up in two major ways.
First, I need to focus on making long term sustainable processes for everything I am doing. That’s figuring out how to integrate the marketing into my creation time, and being sure I can balance all of the things I need to do.
The second is that I am not going to jump onto something just because I think it might get me a boost in sales right now. It’s a lot of not doing one time things as I have been doing for so long, but coming up with something that I can sustain and provides some stability.
I’m realizing the last three are all about business process, so let’s step back to something else that’s more of an intentional decision that I can use to help me in the future.
Encourage people to walk away
This is a bad business decision I am making on purpose.
Marketing makes me incredibly uncomfortable because it feels not only like I am bothering people, but also like I am supposed to mislead them in order to get them to try out whatever I’ve made. There’s this feeling that in “enticing” someone into getting my stuff, I’m leaving out information that you would need to make a fully informed decision.
So instead, I’m just going to tell people exactly what’s in it. No trying to create a need that they never knew they had before, no leaving out any important information. I don’t like the term transparent (Tech will make you hate the term, it means basically nothing over there) but that’s the only word that’s coming to me. Essentially, it’s going to be a lot of marketing that consists of showing and not telling. This is the thing I made. Take it or leave it.
And with those now decided, let’s see how this goes! Hopefully putting all of this in place will let me keep a clear head about what I’m going to do next.
Today in I don’t remember why I put a hold on this book but it came in and I did not even read the summary to find out what I was getting into, body horror! Do I normally have absolutely no issues with this kind of thing normally? Yes. Is my brain pretty fried from work burnout and stress and still recovering from all the brain issues, making it much less okay with this kind of thing? Also yes!
The book follows Kara (Carrot to close friends and family) as she finds herself living in her uncle’s Wonder Museum and helping him care for it while he’s out having knee surgery. A small hole appears in the wall, likely caused by a tourist accident, she discovers a passage to a strange world between worlds where you hope desperately that the willows that cover the place are hungry, because if they aren’t they are curious and will find new and interesting ways to toy with the humans who are unfortunate enough to find themselves trapped there.
The worldbuilding is a lot of fun, especially in how the willows become a very strange, alien force that creep into the minds of people. There’s also the fun that is seeing what was left behind by others, and how Carrot finds out that these are people who did not come from her world, but from parallel universes that are just a little off of her own.
I also appreciated the interplay and relationship between her and Simon, the barista from next door who also ends up experiencing the horrors with her. There was a distinct attempt to ensure there was absolutely no sexual tension between Carrot and Simon by pointing out he was, in fact, gay, which was just a weird reminder for me that they would have been expected to end up together otherwise.
Overall I really enjoyed it! It was a creepy story maybe not best read at bed time with some haunting imagery and an appreciated lack of a clean wrap up for the situation. If it sounds even vaguely interesting, definitely check it out!
