@c09f86d3 Brilliant! 😃 

 @21149f3e When water becomes ice it can move mountains. Then again, watch out for those seemingly innocent volcanoes. 😃 

 @66e742bb Have you considered seeing anyone about that? 🤣 Actually, so can I. 😬 

 @66e742bb Yikes, suppressing strong emotions for a century? That sounds like a Krakatoa event looking for a place to happen. 😱 

 @ce78dee8 Oh, they are. I can say this element is close to this and that one close to that. In fact, I do that all the time, but then what was similar for a moment changes. Still, as with reading, and while consuming the story as a reader, I'm analyzing and scrutinizing like a writer. I won't complain because I love to do it. 

 @efa7d71c Now that you've remembered that, you'd best set to work on it. 😃 

 @efa7d71c Sometimes, life says, "Here, sit down. Read a good book." 😆 

 @a3976b27 There's nothing wrong with writing dialogue as good as Buffy banter, which is a masterclass in how to write it. 

 @c09f86d3 I don't watch much, and for all the reasons you just listed. The majority of what's being turned out isn't even recycled, it's a copy of a copy of a copy and so on.

The rare exceptions are typically independent films. Gee, sounds a bit like self-publishing. 

 @f53e7790 Thank you. I’ve worked on these stories since 2016 while better learning the craft, and that’s not counting all the stories that I’ll not publish. 😃 

 @f53e7790 I haven’t, except for several short stories on my website. The misconception might come from the fact that I have so many stories drafted and in various stages of editing. To me, they “feel” like they’re out in the world. 😃 

 @66e742bb Thanks. It’s both a flaw and a motivator. 😃 

 @66e742bb It’s not sapphic, but it’s a small taste of the world. 😃 

 @ce78dee8 @a3976b27 I think one of the keys to writing children is to start from a place of respect. I've read books where children come alive and add to the story and others where it feels like the writer put more thought into the family dog. 😬 

To me, even if they struggle to count past ten, they're still little people worthy of respect and cherishing. 🤗 

Well, okay, I also write my animals much the same, but I write the adults that way too. 😃 

 @ce78dee8 Do you teach at a level that helps you better understand your YA audience? 😃 

 @2a9a6bfb Well done finding a niche and making it yours. 😃 

 @66e742bb And if you don't obey? 😬 

 @66e742bb @3a4288d3 What a huge step that is, though. 👏 😃 

 @3b678e16 Great lesson list. I've encountered those. 😃 

 @d73175df Thank you. 🧡 

 @66e742bb Thanks. 😃 

 @66e742bb We do. It's where I'm not alone. 😃 

 @66e742bb Thanks for asking! 😃 

I haven't selected the exact stories for the third, but all three anthologies are built around a theme & will contain a mix of short stories & novellas that are all written.

(1) The Techsquanmic Age is a collection of historical tales leading up to modern day (for them) Pannulus & go back about 60 years.

(2) The Gender Spirited Collection is pretty self-explanatory, though the fantasy genre mix is pretty eclectic otherwise.

The third will contain mysteries. 😃 

 @66e742bb I did that with my Kovenlore series and most people are stunned I had the patience, but I think it's paid off. Easy to say that now, I guess. 😆 

 @66e742bb That's a worthy goal! 😃 

 @2ee95d3f Thanks. My big inspiration is my mother. She died at 68. Basically, she let stress consume her, then had a stroke. I have that same tendency. 😬 

 @2ee95d3f Keep that brain healthy by exercising it! Write, write, write. 😃 

 @21149f3e Thank you! It's almost all I've done since 2015, though I had a job for two years in there. 😃 

 @2ee95d3f I'm 64. Despite everything, I'm in good health right now, but healthcare costs are a US headwind. It's an unpredictable age in an unpredictable era, so uncertainty is a constant cloud. Hopefully, I have another decade or two in me. Hopefully, I go at my desk or on a hike. 😃 

 @21149f3e Writing is (and really, should be) about vulnerability. It requires a special brand of bravery. You'll do it, and you have great support to help you. 😃 

 @efa7d71c I agree, there's a lot of therapy in my books. What doesn't kill us makes us better writers, after all.

There's nothing wrong with post break-up tales (I've read a fair number), but wanting to explore new directions sounds great too.

Back in August 2019, I devoted 2 journal pages to "Stories: What's Important to Me." My goal was 10-12 entries. There are 26. It really focused me at the time and boosted my productivity. 

 @66e742bb Glad you have a few outlets. 😃 

 @66e742bb You have a lot of irons in a lot of fires, but it's exciting how far you've already come. 😃 

 @21149f3e Ambitious plan, but I'm sure you'll get through it. You've made it so far already! 😃👍 

 @2ee95d3f "Old age things" are often a consideration for some of us. I understand that. 😃 

 @eca01f60 I understand the "never again" stage. You might be alone where you are, but you aren't alone here. 😃 

 @d73175df I agree. It’s amazing what can surface in the drafting and editing phases as we go deeper and deeper. 😃 

 @21149f3e @a3976b27 You shouldn't consider him again. His unprofessional behavior has broken a trust, which wouldn't bode well for any future business relationship. 🤨 

 @a3976b27 @21149f3e Excellent point! Ghosting IS rude and unprofessional. 😠 

 @21149f3e @a3976b27 Oh wow, I'm so sorry. You have all my sympathy. There could be lots of reasons why, but I can understand the hurt. I know I'd struggle. 🤗 

Please keep in mind, though, that it's all subjective. For all we know, the agent had a death in the family the day they started your book, or were in a car accident. That's the quagmire that is publishing. Don't let it stop you! 🤨 

 @a3976b27 @21149f3e Oh my gosh, I've started books that I thought were kinda sorta similar to mine just to discover they were awful. I'd then be gripped with anxiety wondering if I've written THAT? 😱 

That's why I can see where you'd be distressed to have the agent who'd helped launch a book you couldn't finish. 😬 

 @66e742bb I analyze stories SO much. I've read books where I wanted to weep for the character because they deserved a better story. I remember one  where the characters were amazing, but it was nothing but a series of unrelated events. 🤔 

On the flip side, I've read tales where I admired the intricate plot that kept me guessing, but if the MC exited the story I'd be really grateful. I'm just someone who wants to like the MC. I have to care. 😃 

 @66e742bb Oh my gosh, it helps me so much with drafting. Otherwise, I feel lost in the woods where I check the map on my phone and all it says is, "Good luck!" 😆 

 @b7ab5d68 I agree that, when examining any of my stories, it's a weave, that it's all "intertwined," as you say. Maybe more than that, to the reader it should feel like a weave they want to wear, a comfortable fit where they can't imagine it separated into parts. 😃 

 @a3976b27 I'm starting to think he'll go anywhere they'll let him babble for well over an hour. He probably wants to be as far from Florida right now as possible so he can avoid the hurricanes that don't exist. 

 @d73175df Thank you. At the time, I made them in Photoshop Elements, but these days I have Affinity Photo. If I was starting from scratch, I’d probably use Affinity Designer. Since I “colorized” it in sections, I can turn the color on and off in places. 😃 

 @21149f3e Thank you so much. You're exactly right

There's been so much support this morning. It's too easy for me to slip into an over-thinking loop that then grasps at every little issue, book related or not (the election, for instance).

This is the dream and I need to focus. I need an orienting hike for my mind. 😃