Something Just Like This

Thumbs Up to everyone who stopped by to let me know what you thought of my story (and if you want to read it, go back to yesterday). It's helpful. It helps the story form. It's a big week for me writing wise. I have two major open calls that open Saturday and I am set. I'm also trying to make a better record of all my unplaced stories along with word count/genre so I don't forget something.

It's also a very big week in terms of emotions. Friday is 5 years since I nearly lost my leg. That seems amazing.

Cancer is coming for another family member (which luckily is usually curable with surgery but still, fuck you cancer). Speaking of which I'm in the last days of my American Cancer Society read-a-thon charity drive. You can see more about it here.


As for Fannish 50 Tuesday it's THIS bullshit AGAIN. Creators being attacked, threatened, bullied. This past week, in a nutshell, Gooseworx, creator of The Amazing Digital Circus was in one of the livestream/video game plays this cast/creator loves to do and she mentions that Jax and Pomni are the main characters and people lost their fucking shit. They dragged her so hard over this, for daring to say who is the main character in this thing that they created but it didn't match their headcanons. She deleted the reddit account she used to interact with fans. A couple days later she apologized for not being professional in doing that.

I'm like maybe but I wouldn't say that. Why should you give fans access if they're going to be like this? And it's not just her. Vivzie who does Hazbin gets it like this all the time, Dana Terrace (the Owl House, Knights of Guinevere) does as well. Even Matt Braly (Amphibia) got slapped hard this past week. It culminated in Goose saying she doesn't want to touch her creation again once the last two episodes drop (something Dana Terrace did until this year, almost 4 years later with hers) and Glitch, the production company stepping in try to calm these people down.

If you're curious you can see Matt's thread here on twitter. What Glitch had to say is here.

and here are a few YT commentors who tend to have decent insights into things




and two from Ayy





Who would have thought I'd miss the toxicity of the Buffy days. At least it wasn't batshit crazy like this. And I truly miss the Prodigal Son fandom which was mostly (but of course not always) civil.

Last week I wrestled with a tough emotion to portray in fiction and here's another one, grief/mourning. this might be one of the most personalized of emotions. It's freaking tidal, coming and going with whatever moon your mind is following. I think the difficulty of this emotion is just how different it can be person from person, from all the various lived experiences out there. It's not even necessarily the same within one person.

Take me for example. Within a year I lost my last two uncles (the only two I was related to by blood) and the grief hits different for both of them. Uncle S died suddenly, unexpectedly, of a heart attack. He was, without a doubt, the more gregarious of my uncles, the 'fun one.' The fourth of July last year was hard because the family always went to his lake house. Mom and I had also been at a rock/gem show the day he died and when that rolled around, neither of us wanted to return so that is a shared bit of grief that maybe in a story might not make sense.

Uncle D was the shy uncle, the introvert who really should have been helped more in school with his learning issues but that wasn't the done thing in the 50s and 60s. The first anniversary of his death is coming in the next few weeks and yet oddly there is a lack of grief when I think about it. It's not that I didn't like this uncle but it is different. Maybe it was the lack of a funeral. Maybe it was how much he pulled away almost as if afraid he had nothing to talk about with me because he wasn't 'smart enough' (no, I know he feared that.)

Even yesterday, I finally decided to stop being a jackass and answer my 3 month back log of emails/blog comments. I had at least a dozen in there that I owed spikedluv. There is so much regret in that, an emotion that doesn't go with grief alone but it is a big part of it. There is, of course, nothing I can do about that but I am determined to get the rest of the owed comments out in the next few days. I'm avoiding future regret, right? And avoidance is definitely one sign of grief.

I think in many ways, grief isn't necessarily hard to write but the way others perceive it i s where it gets sticky.

For example, I think I wrote grief well in These Haunted Hills but the book fell flat (though I did just find a great review by someone I'm not sure I know on GR) Ah well (but that's a heart break for another time)

How do you handle grief in fiction?


Open Calls


Story Unlikely This mag pays well BUT you have to subscribe which is free but if you get a paid sub your pay as an author goes up and that, while I understand it, doesn't necessarily sit well with me.

Horror Library Volume 10 Original, thoughtful horror-centric short stories

Folded Space Podcast Science fiction, exploring new worlds, future possibilities, and the enduring human spirit

The Whumpy Printing Press is looking novelette, novella, novel, short story collection, and graphic novel submissions Novelette, novella, novel, short story collection, and graphic novels that fall into the whump genre (i.e. a character needs to be hurt). We’re looking for strong stories with a balance between whump and plot. Ideally science fiction or fantasy (is it possible I DO NOT have a whump story?!?)

Street Magic III Magic. Hiding right under our unsuspecting noses, or swirling around all around us. When we’re talking about Street Magic, it’s probably closer than you think.

SciFi To Go: Food For Thought Funny short stories in the areas of science fiction, fantasy, and horror

86 Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers (February 2026) many of these include LGBT and women in general





From Around the Web

How the Page Thinks: Spatial Intelligence in Writing


The Four-Act Structure and the Circular Shape of Story

Fix Flat Deep POV: 7 Probing Questions for Better Immersion

How to Build an Author Brand That Attracts Readers and Sells Books (Step-by-Step Guide)


From Betty


How to Create a Simple Language

How to Use Story Structure in Non-Narrative Writing

Six Rape Tropes and How to Replace Them

Reconciling Character Choices With Your Plot

How to Make Your Dark Event Pay Off

Using Contradictions to Create Masterful Microtension – Part 2

Setting the Stage with Powerful Description

Fix Flat Deep POV: 7 Probing Questions for Better Immersion

How to Turn Feedback into Action: Understanding Editorial Letters

Why Writers Fear and Resist Change (and Characters Do, Too)

YouTube for Writers, Part 6: Building Your Author Brand on YouTube

Why Every Writer Needs a Critique Group (and the Six Relationships That Shape Your Career) Okay this one is something I have been saying forever. Ignoring the whole God bit (which fine if you're religious great but otherwise I don't feel like it needs to be in this article. This is not for everyone). I do still wish I could get more people into my critique group.


Email List Segmentation for Authors: How to Reach Readers and Increase Sales

A BREAKTHROUGH Program for Writers of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror This is like a college class in a way complete with application fees. It is NOT a cheap opportunity by any means.

The most exciting things that happened today is my knee is sad and I can't find my brace.

Rocket barfed in the computer room

And I found out how much of a difference Kerry Gold makes when you're making a butter-based sauce. It transformed my alfredo sauce. So damn good. Worth the expenseif you're going to do something butter forward.

And here are the fannish recs. Nothing from me. I've been stuck on my Hazbin WIP and finally edited a chapter that's been sitting on my to-do stuff and it's been a chapter I posted over a month ago...fantastic. How did I fuck that up and how has it been a month since I posted (oh right 3 sentence ficathon and half a moon, fun but diverting.)

I'm also trying to decide if I start a new novel or combine it with an idea I already have.

Fannish recs

What A Year Torchwood

Little Wolf (Or: Trust is for the Weak). The Owl House

Sea Snails The Murderbot Diaries

10 Seconds Hazbin Hotel

Braving the Weather She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Cold & Warm, Sweet & Sour, Heart & Soul Hazbin Hotel

A Thoughtful Gift Torchwood

Bad Weather The Fantastic Journey

About John Sheppard Stargate Atlantis

Final Session: Communication Class Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss

The Plan The Godfather

Second Chance, Third Life Hazbin Hotel

BFF 4 Eva <3 Hazbin Hotel

Don't Need It Hazbin Hotel

Damaged. due South

For Toshiko Torchwood

Close Hazbin Hotel

Long Lost Genius Stargate Atlantis

admiration through affection Hazbin Hotel

Lust and Love helluva Boss

touch averse Hazbin Hotel


Hollow Batman

A Night In The Afterlife Hazbin Hotel

Fire Alarm Teen Wolf

But first HAPPY BIRTHDAY seta_suzume



Hope it was a great one.


Had my virtual psychiatrist visit. She lit up when she saw me. Your office is so cool! Look at your plants! And quizzes me on the jungle behind me.

You look so much better in just a month (which is ironic since apparently both me and my brother woke up exhausted. We're both surrounded by flu so I think I have been exposed but my vaccine is kicking in) You look like you're doing better OFF your anti depressants than you were on. She let me choose what I wanted to do. See you no drugs in 2 months because in the year I've been on the meds my blood pressure has shot up. She knew that but hearing other symptoms she said you're getting an EKG and taking it to your pcp. Yep, fair, good idea. I'm a little worried honestly that the coughing stuff isn't a hiatal hernia but rather cardiac. I want to chase this shit down.

It's Ash Wednesday. It's been since forever since it mattered much. Years ago I gave up the idea of suffering to be more like Jesus. I have in the past did charity work and/or donation. And then I saw this. I see how much HATE this Pope gets not for some of the shit the church has pulled. No, because he keeps reminding Maga what Jesus actually said and he is pissing them off. I like this and while I can't promise to keep my mouth off some of the shit stuff MAGA does I CAN give up negative self talk and see if I can see my own self in a better light. If we can love ourselves, we do better in the world I think.



What I Just Finished Reading:

Heavy Vinyl Complete Collection by Carly Usdin - really fun sapphic comic full of girl power and 90s vibes and lovely art



What I am Currently Reading:


The Final Problem - mystery set in the 60s (no progress because I couldn't get the netgalley app to download. FINALLY did and so far it's not freezing up_

Dark Life - YA book (so far so good)



Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - She's a fucking passive twit and yet I don't hate this


Check Please sticks and scones - had to find one for my favorite winter olympic sport. Okay that is NOT hockey but that's what the library had and the first book was cute.



What I Plan to Read Next: This Is How You Lose the Time War, La Grand Familia, Zombie Day Care and This Is How You Lose the Time Lord

Luna Park history

I mean I should have stayed and cleaned or something but like most of the eastern/midwestern US I've been snowed in for weeks and it wasn't snowy today. It was supposed to be in the 60s. It was not. It was grey and cold but otherwise a good day. I really need to find OTHER things to do in Huntington other than shop because I have it to such an art, it takes me longer to drive than do anything else.

I did get myself a Hillbilly hot dog. Which one, they ask as I stand there in my Mothman shirt. Mothman, naturally.

My pull list at the comic book store is done. I'm almost relieved. Found a new one but we'll see. They did have one Hazbin Hotel funko. Vaggi. I looked around for Angel for my friend's daughter. (I personally find Funkos horrifying) Nada.

I picked up a 100$ overpriced Christmas wreath at Michaels for the 25$ it was probably worth.

And then I got mad at Macy's. I look around. It's been redone. I can't see the plus sizes. I ask.

Oh we're not carrying plus sizes any more.

Murder or shock or something must have showed in my face and she babbles. 'oh wait there's still some.'

She points to two fucking racks in the back. What the actual fuck, Macy's? I know the brand is struggling but I HATE buying clothes online. You have to waste all those resources packaging it, gas in shipping it only to find out it doesn't fucking fit or the fabric is a nightmare and have to re-waste all those resources sending it back and most plus size catalogues DO NOT have free shipping/returns such as Roaman's and Woman Within.

This store's ground level floor had been one quarter plus size just a few months ago. I DO NOT know if this is just this store is all of Macy's doing it(I was just at the one back home with it was more like half was plus). This makes NO sense. Why in the world if you're struggling do you wipe out a huge chunk of your patronage. And especially in Huntington WV. I don't know who/why someone does research on the fattest town in America but it's been Huntington WV more times than it's not.

I'm hoping it's just them like the fucking Nordstrom Rack in Columbus OH. I know my friend, JK says Nordstrom carries plus sizes in Boston but Nordstrom did the same thing in Columbus. Went from a full section to a small section to 2 racks to nothing. Kohl's has a pathetic plus section (mostly work out clothes, nothing I could wear to work) Guess I'm back to shopping JC Penny's after 20 years and whatever bizarre shit Tj Maxx has.

Speaking of that, I went to TJ Maxx/Homegoods which was being worked on and I forgot to look for the two damn things I went there for but got more woodened utensils and another sauce pot (there are reasons but they are bad ones) and all kinds of fun goodies, mostly from Italy one of which JK would probably fight me in the store over, cannoli filled with pistachio cream and some whiskey and strawberry margarita filled chocolates, Faze(?) from Finland. Both are so good I was eating them like a feral raccoon in the car if there had been more I would have went back for them.

It's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is 14 you enjoy that’s in a different language Share your faves too. I know Suzume will be here with some but I'm waiting on my kPop friends to shine too.

( I'm breaking this into two under here, the rock-pop ones and the country )





here's the whole prompt list

( It's under here )

I got to sleep in, I received the most lovely collage card from stonepicnicking_okapi (thank you!!) for the holiday (I was crap at sending any out) I went to the coffee shop to have a chocolate covered strawberry mocha for the holiday fearing it would be packed. It wasn't. yay.

I sat down to write. First up, I sent my vampire story out for consideration and then went looking in my blog and that's when the bottom fell out. I was thinking about reaching out tonight to spikedluv because I haven't heard from her in nearly two weeks and I usually hear from her daily. Her mother was in extremely failing health and I thought maybe she had passed and it's always weird with the do I reach out now or do I wait a bit thing.

And then I ran across kingstoken's blog to let us know spikedluv had passed away. I was stunned to say the least, gutted. I couldn't quite take it in. Someone had posted in Spiked's last blog entry
here about her death and her obituary. It was sudden and I am going to miss her. She was a big supporter of me (sent me lovely things when I was hospitalized), loved talking writing and had just gotten into Murder, She Wrote and was happy to have someone to talk to about it with.

So I was pretty much sad the rest of the day and the parentals didn't help. Dad can't be wrong. About anything. Ever. It was the dumbest conversation about the youtube algorithm and then mom called me back to tell me about a show she thought I might like. We're not on the phone 60 seconds and he's in the background screaming at her to shut up he's trying to watch his show (which he could just fucking pause and he knows this) this is the man who will give you stink eye if you even dare sneeze when he's watching tv but thinks NOTHING of coming in when you're watching a show and talking to you so you can't. She hung up on me to go scream back at him.

Things I learned today both Dracula (1931) and Silence of the Lambs were both released on Valentine's Day and Svengoolie is showing the former tonight. Why do I love both of these movies so?

Some things from science Saturday


The Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree Is Unique, Psychedelic, And Very Real I've wanted one for so long

Mercury: The “Cure” That Killed

Studying Music Can Increase Brain Gray Matter In Older Adults

Viking Age mass grave holds mysterious mix of dismembered human remains and complete skeletons, including a 'giant' who'd had brain surgery

Scientists infiltrated volunteers' dreams to boost their creative thinking

Canada could remove 5 times its annual carbon emissions by planting trees on edge of boreal forest, study finds

All I did today was fail at the things I wanted to do so let's just do the fannish 50 recs. I did finish a story and I will bbl to share it because it's on my flash in another room and I will get up later to get it.

Oh one other thing, I want to use my 3 day weekend to catch up on like months of comments I owe. I have not been a great friend.

Title: Love Potion.

Summary: Angel’s on the job and to his shock a tremendously drunk and depressed Husk is in the audience. Worse, someone has one of Velvette’s love potions and Angel will be damned harder if he’s going to let some fool use that on his friend.

Rating: teen

Notes:Written for sarajayechan in three sentence ficathon for the prompt Hazbin Hotel, Angel/Husk, he knows what date rape drugs look like and he'll be damned if he lets some rando drug a depressed Husk
Also written for Huskerdust week 2026 for the prompt of inhibition/exhibition as well as for the allbingo prompt of ethical sluts and spikesgirl58’s 6 word challenge. The six words are Alluring, Trashy, Adhesive, Vague, Caterwaul & Uncle

( story above or under here )

A Collared Dog The Owl House

I May Be A Loser, But He Likes Me That Way Hazbin Hotel

Wet And Cold Torchwood

Feeling Down FAKE

Happy St Valentine's Day, Bodie
The Professionals

Undefined Fire Emblem Musou: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

Not Letting Go Torchwood

beyond the borders. Fire Emblem Musou: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

Blood Ties Hazbin Hotel

The Star of the Show. Starsky & Hutch

Intruder Alert Stargate SG-1

Wouldn't, Couldn't, Hadn't (Dulce) Hazbin Hotel

14 Days of Valentine's Day Hazbin Hotel

A New Life The Owl House

Zewu-jun’s secret vacation
陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Modao Zushi - Moxiang Tongxiu & Related Fandoms

Toxic Bliss Hazbin Hotel

we're going up (we'll never be denied) Fire Emblem Musou: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

To Be Known Merlin

Feeling Their Age Torchwood

perhaps not so incurable Fire Emblem Musou: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

Eternity (Paz) Hazbin Hotel

untitled Hazbin Hotel


Through The Decades (Hola)

untitled Hazbin Hotel

So I managed to score an emergency visit to my eye doctor. He doesn't think my left eye is infected. However, it has inflitrative corneal-conjunctivitis. Whee. Basically my eyeball decided it didn't want a contact in it and threw a tantrum. (I've had this once before in college a billion years ago) The cornea isn't damaged but the inflammatory response is SO severe right now that my eyeball is so swollen I can barely open the lid and there is so much fluid IN the cornea (plus white blood cells) that I'm unable to see through it. He made me read the letters on the eyechart. Right eye, 20/40 (that's as good as my vision gets), left eye, are there even lines of letters? I can barely see a smear of something that might be black so even 20/200 is beyond my eyes ability right now. I have a second steroid eyedrop that is also antibiotic as well (just in case) Not allowed to wear a contact for pretty much a month. In the meantime the eye is just over there weeping all day, the color of a tomato and scared students.

I did have to go to give that exam, the easiest I will give. 2 got 100%, 1 passed, 3 failed. Guess we're going to have a talk about time management, sports vs academia, come talk to me PLEASE come talk to me and that yes Cs get degrees but they DO NOT get you into grad school usually. (this is my I wanna go to grad school class).



The good news today was it was 10 degrees hotter than expected and yes most of the ice is gone off the parking lot so that's good.

I need to get my story out so I'm preserving what's left of my vision for that. No fun fannish 50 stuff but here's the reading at least.

What I Just Finished Reading:

When the Moon Hits Your Eye - meh

Parable of the Sower graphic novel adaptation of the Octavia Butler classic. I forgot how dystopic this was, not to mention the cringeworthy age gap between the MC (18) and her lover (57).


What I am Currently Reading:


The Final Problem - mystery set in the 60s (for some reason ALL my netgalley arcs are freezing up my kindle app. I'm going to have to try and redownload a lot of these using the netgalley app which annoys me


Dark Life - YA book (so far so good)



Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - okay I'm at the point of thinking Maxim isn't much better than Heathcliff, NOT a good place to be


Heavy Vinyl - graphic novel for the sapphic comic prompt on popsugar


What I Plan to Read Next: La Grand Familia Zombie Day Care and This Is How You Lose the Time Lord

Luna Park history - it was an amusement park in Pittsburgh around 1910.