This is cool. Usually we get “this person is the embodiment of this season”, but here, I like the way you’re hinting at whole cultures and unique histories. This story could be a lot of fun.

That’s funny, I just picked up SPQR! And it… seems to be stuck to my hand, I can’t put it down.

It totally makes sense! And it’s not like there’s a right/wrong answer, I was just curious. Yeah I’ve definitely found that *staying organized* is a secret cornerstone of writing well, it isn’t flashy but it’s so important

What’s causing you to plot instead of writing the way you usually do?

Great job pushing through. The tough days really do make a big difference. Hopefully tomorrow will be easier on you!

Good job, Fae! Let’s goooo!

That’s a fun question! Hmm… I would ask myself: if the French don’t exist, where did the concept of a soufflé come from?

Maybe some other culture came up with a similar dish and gave it a different name. Maybe this dessert is only soufflé-adjacent. Maybe your soufflé is a worldbuilding opportunity!

I see it like this: if your experiences are shaped by the world around you, and your book is shaped by your experiences, then your book is a little way for the world to know itself. So, don’t be intimidated! Insofar as the world “wants” anything, I think it would be delighted to read your story!

Honestly… the advice is just “write.” 20 words that you kinda hate, on a page, are better than 1000 perfect words that exist only in your imagination. The 20 words are seeds, the 1000 are just a “someday”.

This is the worst. And it can happen in social settings, too!

“What’s your book about?”
“…That’s a great question! Ask me again in two minutes.”

I honestly had to practice an elevator pitch.

...Yeah, I resonate with this. I'll share what I try to tell myself: "Your lens is just distorted. Your writing isn't inadequate, you just have extremely high standards for your own writing." You can have excellence without perfection. And hey, I glanced through some posts, your stuff looks great!

I like this a lot. Usually what I read has an undertone like, "we may look different, but really we're all the same". Normalize to equalize. This vivid imagery you've come up with for "we're all so different, and also, together we're something great"... that's good stuff.

If that happens, it sounds like the word “lapidary” could cause them to DNF a real gem. Poetic justice.

My fear is usually that something’ll sound “too made-up” when I’m making stuff up.

Ah, man. I’ve had this happen too. Best of luck.

Just in case it helps: for me, the winning strat was to create an empty document, save it, and close it. Then I found the XML file with my work, and I moved only that single file from the corrupted doc container into the new doc container.

Write your thing, Ari. You’ve got a story that wants to be told, you don’t ever need to be scared that you might tell it wrong. You got this. 💙

You're in for a treat, so excited for you!