#WeeknightWriters Definitely the fuck scene. It’s not a fucking scene, but a fuck scene, you know? I got that, but it’s like Looking for Alaska-esque in tone. This is just two characters staring, milimeters apart. And it fucks. Hey, Hitchcock has a good amount of romance in his films.

#WeeknightWriters Stay chill, y’all. We all got this in ine way or another.

#WeeknightWriters A4: Uhhhhhhh, gotta focus and give myself more hours. I’ve literally only been writing my #FirstDraftFall project between the hours of 1AM-3AM. Today I got Critical Role to watch so that’s a bust. Definitely gonna have to push, but in a chill way.

#WeeknightWriters A2: I’m all good! I’m a historian at heart so my research is good and thorough, and I got a friend who’s my guinea pig for everything else. Prose/idea/plot wise I’m good for this story, since it’s been percolating for a decade. But I’m down to help if it’s in my wheelhouse.

#WeeknightWriters A1: As mentioned before, my #FirstDraftFall could be doing better, but I’ve had a crazy November so far to say the least. So while I’m just snailing along, I’m satisfied.

#WeeknightWriters! I’m C. H. Lei. My #FirstDraftFall project is a fantasy thriller inspired by Hitchcock movies and Chinese folklore (and by extension folk horror). I’m still terribly behind in my WIP, but I’m happy with what I’m writing.

#WeeknightWriters #FirstDraftFall Wrote the fuck scene. Still behind on target but happy with what I’m getting done.

#WeeknightWriters A5: I can’t think of anything? Stay cool? Stay cool, y’all. We’re all in this together lol.

#WeeknightWriters A4: Finally finish this short story I’ve been working on lmao. I should be knee-deep in twists and turns and horrific illusions. Instead, the majority of my attention is focused on mean girl dryads and gardening.

#WeeknightWriters A3: I’m just happy things are coalescing the way I want it to this time. Granted, I had the same opinion 10 years ago when I was in college writing this. But this is it this time lol.

#WeeknightWriters A2: I’m all good, it’s just time management and health for me. I’m mostly chunking out the writing at 1AM, cus I’m also finalizing a short beofre I sub it. And the concussion. But that’s more prominent when I’m standing or walking.

#WeeknightWriters A1: Considering everything, I’m happy where I am. I’m behind, yes, but I’m happy with that I have on the digital paper.

#WeeknightWriters! I am C.H. Lei, and my #FirstDraftFall project is a fantasy thriller highly influencedby Chinese folklore and Hitchcock’s films. I am not-so-freshly concussed, but my writing has been minimally affected.

#writing They say that you can tell what an author likes or a POV’s state of mind by what they go over-detailed about. Food, trees, etc. Did I write a good chubk of a chapter about someone dressing someone else in fancy clothes. Because. That. Is. Romance? Yes, maybe I did.

Yoon Ha Lee’s Phoenix Extravagant is so underrated in terms of design and layout. The front of the title, the way the author’s name evokes a stamp. Just 20/10z #booksky #books

#WeeknightWriters A5: When an evil spirit gets released during a New Year’s celebration, it’s up to the village loser to try and stop it while it’s still weak. It means trying to parse reality from a carefully constructed magic illusion, and she’s not that skilled at anything but being lazy.

#WeeknightWriters A4 I already have a horrible sleep schedule and I’ve already started woooooooo! It’s compensation for me probably gonna takena couple days off at the beginning.

#Weeknightwriters A3: Write more! I got no other vices besides watching movies, so kore writing!

#WeeknightWriters A2 I’m going to gun for around three of the four parts written out. Purely for the sense of I think I’ll need a lot of time with the fourth and final oart, where everything goes together and all the plots are tied up. It’s all action and climax and then one chapter of denouement.

#WeeknightWriters A1 I’m already sneaking in some writing, just hopping around—this is a plot that’s lived in my head for a long while, so I have a lot of chunks just jotted down.

#WeeknightWriters! I be C.H.Lei. My #FirstDraftFall WIP is a fantasy thriller influenced by Hitckcock movies, Chinese folklore, and with just dash of Mononoke-like scares. I’ve been done with my outline and planning, so I’m just sitting pretty, writing little scenes that pop up in my head.

My word of the week is gamine, which specifically just means a young homeless girl. Sort of wild how there’s a lot of like oddly specific words just forgotten from the 1800. Like skillygalee or podsnappery. #booksky #writing

I think one thing I rarely see (at least around the parts of book net I lurk) is how much the Ninth House series seemingly draws from hardboiled detective novels. Protagonist in over her head, generally unliked by most, stumbling along a set of murders? That’s hardboiled y’all. #books #booksky

Really enjoying those stories that are in first person past tense, but it’s clear that everything happened like a month ago. Sorry, but the sentimental in me still wants to know that so-and-so is still horrible or a restaurant is still good and such. #writing

I might have to just start my #WeeknightWriters #FirstDraftFall WIP cus I just started two more shorts.

#Weeknightwriters A5: Finish my short stories! I’m working on 5-6 shorts and one novelette. And again, I’m a pantser on those lol

#WeeknightWriters Q4: Honestly it’s a problem of having a limited anount of locations. I can only return to the same ruined temple, or same part of the cliffside so many times imo before it gets trite. That and the semi-maybe-romance, like, D plot. But that’s not for structural reasons lol.

#WeeknightWriters Q3: Structured outline. Very structured. Hard to write something with many twists via true pantsing and it work. Trust me, I’ve tried lol

#WeeknightWriters Q2: My #FirstDraftFall story is about the village loser trying to stop a just-released evil spirit from gaining full power via soul sucking. She also starts discovering the village’s history with the spirit and her own familial connection. Not a whodunnit, but a whogotpossessed?

#WeeknightWriters A1: For longform projects, I am go across the plotter spectrum. Intricate outlines (mystery thriller stuff), no character sheets, will just start whatever whenever. For shorts, I’m between neutral and chaotic pantser unless, again, it’s a mystery

#WeeknightWriters! I am C.H. Lei, and my #FirstDraftFall WIP is a fantasy thriller influenced in equal parts by Chinese folklore and Hitchcock movies, about the village loser doing her darnest to prevent an evil spirit’s killer plans during the New Years. Outline’s all done, so I’m chilling.

#WeeknightWriters #FirstDraftFall Trying to make my MC more … palettable? There’s definitely a balance between lovable girlfailure and asshole loser I’m tightroping—I personally love it when someone’s arrogantly incompetent for the most part, but I’m not most people lmao. I’m almost writing a cat.

Trying to serialize an idea based around a character. The problem’s when said character is such a static force, it’s hard to do another story that’s not just the same themes repackaged. Outside of, say, detective stories, where it’s really not about them, it’s a hard sell imo. #writing #booksky

(As a mantra) “I must not be the fantasy cowboy person. I must not be the fantasy cowboy person.” *Writes a girl shooting a dragon-man with a Winchester ‘73* *it’s the best thing I’ve written all year* “YEEE-HAWWWW, BABY. WOOOOO” #writing #booksky

Guessed who dreamed up an entire MG fantasy book plot when he should be doing somethigg by else? This dude! #writing

I mean, I get it that people listen to their epic instrumental soundtracks to write their fantasy, but sometimes I just wanna listen to some 70’s prog rock while writing martial arts fight scenes, y’know? #writing

So I think my limit on active projects worked in a week without getting new ideas is ten. Yes, I’ll sometikes bounce between 4-5 in a day. #writing #booksky

#WeeknightWriters Q5: I have no name for the world yet, but it’s definitely a second world fantasy, since the folkloric beings exist. The influence is Tang dynasty (Apothacary Diaries is influenced by the same era iirc), mainly for the multicultural aspect. Also for getting my Hitchcock blonde lol.

#WeeknightWriters A4: Probably the pantheon, honestly. I like it, but I feel like it is the one aspect of worldbuilding that is frequently overdone, in the sense it’s an obligatory thing. Which is interesting cus my WIP is actually religious-centered for a good amount.

#WeeknightWriters A3: THE. FASHION. The benefit of writing Chinese-inspired fantasy is the sheer amount of fashion and make-up styles among the dynasties. There’s a lot to take influence from. But this extends to all my long-form projects. It goes world + characters, clothes, then the rest.

#WeeknightWriters Q2: Really just the basic basics, and I try to keep as minimal as possible. So enough needed to facilitate the story. For instance, I have scenes set hundreds of years before the plot. How much is really expanded? Not much, because extra is not needed to further the plot.

#WeeknightWriters! I an C.H.Lei. My #FirstDraftFall WIP is a Hitchcockian thriller/fantasy influenced by Chinese folklore—It’s a re-write from something I wrote YEARS ago, so I’m sitting easy and just editing my new outline and doing other stuff. Working 4-5 short stories in the same week. Chilling.

Author portraits need more facial mugging. Also, I don’t care how nice the photographer made you look, go like full cowboy, full armor, a hawaiian shirt with a tiki drink, or just, like, some personality beyond what’s also your LinkedIn profile picture. #books #booksky

Out of all the short stories I’m writing, I can believe the one that’s going smoothly is the weird west travelling circus one and the hardest is about not being racist at your family friend and her cooking. #writing #booksky #amwriting

Went to a panel of authors at the library this week. Idk what was the highlight, the sole male author using a wild penname, or the face made by the lady whose novel was based on deep family research when said male author talked about using an AI youtube summarizing program. #books #writing #booksky

#WeeknightWriters Q5 My MC (still nameless) is the village loser. She has no future prospects, no skillset, and gets most of her food because everyone alots a small amount for her to steal. Bur she’s also loyal to her village. So when stuff happens she takes it upon herself. 100% In over her head.

#WeeknightWriters Q4: Making sure their growth growth at the end-game is satisfying for me. It doesn’t have to be big growth, it just has to be right, ya know? Sometimes it means adding more, which is always a pain especially when you have to cut down a lot in the second draft.

#WeeknightWriters Q3: Since I do minimal prep work on characters (my WIP MC’s mom died in childbirth. What was her job etc? Idk.) I will say definitely THE eblishing moment, mainly because it can defy -“” prep. The moment where you go, “Okay, THIS is what the character’s about,” Is my fav moment.

#WeeknightWriters Q1: This is gonna sound sooooo pretentious lmao. They all come together at once—I do the Salvadore Dali key-on-plate where I force a wake up in non-REM sleep and keep a dream journal next to me. If not then, then again the idea just pops, up then I pants the characters out.

#WeeknightWriters! I am C.H.Lei, and my #FirstDraftFall WIP is a fantasy novel that equal parts Chinese-influenced fantasy and Hitchcockian thriller, blonde and all. My outline has been almost done for like months now, so I’m sitting easy and working on other stuff.