Coping Mechanisms and NTS Annotated Reread Chapters 16-20 (Patreon)

I actually read these chapters last week. I made notes. And then I...did nothing. I'm not quite sure if I'm dealing with creator burnout (I wrote a LOT in the last 2-3 years), general "I feel like the world is on fire" stuff, exhaustion from all the house stuff and life stuff I've been dealing with, career frustration...but I suspect it's a delightful "all of the above" situation. 

All of which has made me want to hibernate. I've barely been writing. I have been reading a ton, but my usual creative output has slowed drastically. This happens, but usually I snap out of it in a week. It's been longer than a week. I wanted to just power through and put up a chapter post anyway, but besides the inertia issue, I was worried that anything I posted would be a postcard from Bummertown, USA. I don't want this to be a sad place. I want it to be a fun place. The problem with being a writer is that, even if I have the skillset to write Happy Funny Things even when I don't feel that way, my real feelings bleed through on some layer. 

Anyway, I'm doing my best to do my usual "snap out of it" (this is shorthand for actual healthy coping mechanisms and work my psychologist has recommended, I promise) because no posts on here isn't really fair to y'all. 

This was just going to be an annotation post, but I had to go back and change the title because I realized that a lot of people are struggling, so maybe I should share some of the things making me happy/coping mechanisms? 

*Recognizing when I need to close my social media. I want to stay informed, but this last week/month/year have been a lot. But I've also had a book come out, and I've made a lot of friends on there, so I don't want to completely dip out.

*I made a new book friend! I love connecting with book folks--readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, bloggers, etc, and this week, a bookseller friend retweeted a book with the cutest cover ever. (The book is called Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree.) I made comments on the post and long story short Travis and I realized we lived in the same state and decided to trade books. So I sent him a copy of ALTF. I can't WAIT to get Legends & Lattes.

*Realizing some of my tactics really did work. Two things that helped me write during lock down were new noise dampening headphones and short, three minute anxiety mediations on the Calm app. I realized that I stopped using both at some point...and I can see how much they helped. So back on it!

*The Calm app (there area  lot of meditating apps) was something my psychologist wanted me to get back to using regularly. Apparently "using it like a bandaid" is better than nothing, but it's better if you do it consistently. I have a hard time meditating--total squirrel brain--but the short ones work for me. The other apps my doctor suggested I try (as apps seem to work for me) was Daylio (mood journaling type thing where you can set goals) and Finch, which has a little pet you take care of by doing all the things you're supposed to, like drink water. Hydrate, people. I'm not a spokesperson for these things by any stretch, but I like to talk about things that are helping me.

*I've been using the Duolingo app for 214 days! Not bad for just randomly deciding one night I wanted to learn Italian. I feel like they're throwing shade at me all the time, though, because one of the common phrases I have to translate is, "Quando scrivi?" (When do you write?) and "Lei scrive i libri." (She writes the books.) REAL SUBTLE, DUOLINGO. I KNOW I NEED TO WORK.

*reading & rereading. I find rereading really soothing. I've been rereading the Mercy Thompson series. I've also been listening to the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series on audio, and reading some newer books, like Mindful of Murder by Juby, Nettle & Bone, and other books I'm blanking on.

*Movies! I saw Everything, Everywhere All At Once. I can't remember the last time I laughed and cried so hard in the same movie. So good. So weird. So lovely.

*Author Charlie Jane Anders wrote a post about the term "Sweetweird" and it turns out that's my brand. My stories are sweetweird.

*And finally, because this past of the post is already too long, it's been really nice seeing people reading ALTF and buying copies for friends, checking it out of the library, and posting about it on social. Indie publishing is a new and strange thing, but it's been great seeing all the nice words. (And how many people have loved the sticker and bookmark. If you want one, DM me.) Thanks to all of you who have read the book, reviewed it, or reached out to tell me that you liked it. It means a lot.

Okay, FINALLY WE GET TO NTS!

Chapter 16--starts with I Remember You, which is by Skid Row. A karaoke favorite around my parts. I snuck a Bill & Ted reference into this chapter, which makes me happy. I think I've said this before, but the whole jade egg/Douglas's soul thing was based on the folktale, A Troll with  No Heart in his Body. (The most recent version of this that I read is in a book with that title by Lise Lunge-Larsen.) This chapter also has the quote about Douglas liking how wind doesn't discriminate, which strangely is one of the most quoted lines from the book on the internet. It got on some quote website or something at some point, because I'm certain that most of the people quoting it on IG have not read the book.

Chapter 17--This chapter title was brought to you by Lionel Richie. I don't really have any other behinds the scenes stuff for you here. A lot happens in this chapter, though.

Chapter 18--Mr. Sandman Bring me a Dream. I'm most familiar with the Chordettes version, as well as the Four Aces, but my son knows it from the old video game Stubbs the Zombie. This chapter fills in the history of Douglas, the egg, the ritual, and more of his backstory. It's also supposed to show that Douglas's connection to reality is tenuous at best, because he keeps slipping in and out of dreams.

Chapter 19--Our House is from Crosby, Stills & Nash. There are a lot of things I snuck into this chapter to make myself laugh. A reference to Mad Max & the Thunderdome. I named the gladiator Dave because he's Canadian and there's an entire Kids in the Hall sketch about Daves. The "Bite Me Shirt" was one we had made for the book release. I still have one somewhere! The story about Ashley being like a bee you swallowed is from this time I was in Mexico and I told one of the other writers, Danny, that maybe he shouldn't be staying at the hacienda that had all the bees outside as he is allergic. And he told me that his allergy wasn't that bad and as long as he didn't swallow one, he was fine. Of course, that's exactly what happened. A bee crawled into his water bottle. He swallowed it. He had to go to the hospital. He was fine, but...we couldn't stop laughing. (Because I am a terrible person and WHAT ARE THE ODDS.)

We get more Ed in this chapter, which is always great. Also, I've always pictured Well as Simon Baker (from his Mentalist days) don't ask me why. I miss Kell's manly parasol. More people should carry parasols, really. They made a lot of sense when I lived in New Orleans and sometimes caterpillars FALL OUT OF TREES AND BITE YOU. 

Chapter 20--I Feel the Earth Move... is by Carole King. I have it in my mind that Aretha Franklin covered this song, but I can't find it. Did I just make it up? Who knows. 

This chapter has an argument that I actually won with my copy editor. They flagged the red huckleberries as they're usually blue, but in Washington we do have red ones. I was stoked on this, because usually the CE's win because they're right. Ha! This was something my mom used to do. We would do this hike to Lower Lena or Upper Lena lakes in the Olympics all the time. My mom would send us out to gather huckleberries, most of which we'd eat, but a few would make it into pancakes. We'd also fish for trout and cook them over the fire. The Devil's Club--which really are HUGE plants--was something we'd run into a lot when we'd stay in my stepdad's cabin as kids in Forks, WA. Yes, that's Forks. Sadly, I never saw any vampires, but my brother did get trapped in an outhouse there once by a herd of deer.

Utilikilts were made in Washington. I'm both fascinated by them, but also poke fun at them a little. Because I'm a jerk.

This chapter also gives us Nick's return! It goes poorly. Ha!

And with that, this long, long post comes to an end. Stay safe out there, friends. Hydrate. Take care of yourself. Hug things. Whatever gets you through the day.

-Lish