Needing some caitvi

How I sleep in the third trimester: sleep for 2-3 hours > wake up in pain (muscle cramps, round ligament, hip/lower back aches, etc) > shift position to try & lessen pain > realize I have to pee > go pee > struggle to fall asleep again > repeat until 7am when I inevitably give up

I am really struggling with how uncomfortable & alien my body feels. I don’t understand what it’s capable of anymore like I used to, and I don’t feel like myself at all. I feel heavy and stretched and in constant pain, ranging from mild to sharp/sudden/severe. 10 more weeks to go…

Spring equinox vibes: fresh pesto with asparagus, blooming neighborhood trees, dogs napping in the sun from an open window, and walks by the water without any chill.

This book was so delightful and well-written and fun, highly recommend!

I pride myself on being able to write what (I think) is witty and enjoyable dialogue between all of my characters, but I’m especially excited about the conversations between my FMC Lou and Evagoras, the swordsman who’s soul is trapped inside his own sword (that she forms a blood pact with).

Played in my first big #riftbound tournament today! Lost most matches, but they were all pretty close. I don’t play a super meta deck, and I’m still newer to the game, so not a shocking result. Proud of myself!! It was fun & I got a lot of good practice in ☺️

Shout out to bananas (especially banana milkshakes), my purple exercise ball, and Pepcid for getting me through this current phase of pregnancy. They’re the real MVPs.

This was a great article! I agree completely with the points made about the "miserable slut." I LOVE the opposite of this trope: the self-empowered, at-peace-with-their-choices, sex-enjoying, "happy slut"! I have at least one sex worker/slut character in almost every story I write for this reason!

Post 4 fictional characters you relate to and let people assume things about you.

I’m about to become a mother at 37, and I’m really looking forward to showing my daughter what a healthy, happy, confident, badass female role model looks like when I’m thriving in my 40s 😤

Really solid day today. Baked homemade pretzel bites, organized a bunch of Riftbound cards, played Animal Crossing, took my dogs on a walk, had a great gym session, and wrote 1,000 words of my novel. I cherish the high-energy-minimal-pain pregnancy days like this one.

I never had Taco Bell once before pregnancy (shocking I know) but now I crave the cantina chicken crispy tacos sometimes (after Shawn had me try one). I don’t know why, but they really hit 🤣

Sometimes I do a good job eating healthy during pregnancy… (cute breakfast from a local cafe and my own homemade veggie Pad Thai)

If I made a blog, would you read it? It would be funny and whimsical. You’d get to see photos of my dogs! I will review things, nerd out, provide updates about my novel (and other projects), recap travel, and tell you really honest & multi-faceted stories about pregnancy and motherhood!

Daylight Savings always fucks me up, and pregnancy fatigue on top of that doesn’t help. I think I slept something like 12 hours Sat night into Sunday morning? Spent Sunday still exhausted. And then went to bed at like 10pm and slept another 10 hours… really hoping I can be more productive today!

Completed chapter 1 of my novel yesterday (I’ve written more than that, but I jump around as a writer 😅). Chapter one is currently 3,990 words. First draft, grain of salt, etc etc - but it’s nice to have one whole chapter completed. #writingcommunity #writesky

Before you argue about the merits of literary fiction versus science fiction versus speculative fiction, consider: Are genres helpful? Are they necessary? Are they kind? In the newest Mark As Read, @mollytempleton.com reconsiders the role of genre:

It is truly some form of body horror to have grown accustomed to a living thing kicking me from the inside, like, I don’t even think about it being weird anymore, I’m just like "ah, yes, my parasite is active."

Sci fi story about a found family crew (think: Firefly) loosely inspired by the Chinese epic Journey to the West. Prequel novel to my current high fantasy WIP that tells the full story of one of the characters/takes place when he was alive (in the past). #writingcommunity

Cas, Andi, and Urena were all raised with intimate knowledge of Elationcraft, as well as elven religion. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Oops, it's March - but let me answer the final few prompts for this just to close it out. Casimir, Andi, and Urena - being deeply associated with elven culture/heritage - were all trained from a young age to use their Elationcraft abilities. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

People might think, “you’re having your first child AND finally getting serious about writing the novel you’ve been trying to write for a year? That seems counterintuitive.” Well…

So tempting to say to myself, “my workouts are pathetic now.” BUT ACTUALLY, they aren’t pathetic!! I’m working out while growing a human inside me!! If anything, that’s even more badass than when I was climbing V7s without my little lady…

I’m not built for 9 hours of meetings straight when I’m not pregnant, let alone pregnant 😵

All of the elves & half-elves in my story have at least one Elationcraft ability - whether they're main or side characters, simply by nature of being elves/half-elves. Arcana-wielding humans will depend on rank/class/circumstance. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Magic permeates my entire story, as it's a high fantasy. All three of my MCs & all three of my supporting MCs, as well as basically every supporting/ally/villain character, has some connection to magic - either Elationcraft or Magecraft. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

I get it now. I understand what Bilbo meant when he said he felt like butter scraped over too much bread.

Elves (and most Half-Elves) are used to magic being a part of everyday life. Children usually manifest their Elationcraft in the early years of their lives, and are enrolled in training at that time. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

A tabletop game set in my fantasy world (Caessenia), with a starter campaign that includes cameos from all of my OCs, would be amazing. I have so much work to do before that’s even a remote possibility 😂

I’ve journaled/recorded my responses to the #Febchantment prompts over the last day or so but forgot to put them here. Catch-up day tomorrow…

Man, sometimes the fact that technology enables keeping up so easily with long-distance friends is a double-edged sword. I get sad when I remember that some things really have to be experienced in person…

Elationcraft is a universal Elven societal experience, so the impacts are woven into Elven culture: primarily, this has manifested over the centuries as religious doctrine/spiritual appreciation for the Elations. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Today I adult-ed by spending money on a quality dinnerware set, a quality knife block, and a nice wooden cutting board. My partner’s old, cheaper stuff from years ago wasn’t cutting it anymore, and we needed an upgrade. Also I’m 100% done with using plastic anything!

Skipping this one, as I've already answered this in my other responses (for the most part) 💗 #Febchantment

Caessenia is an inherently magical realm, so there are no laws "against" magic (as a whole). However, Magecraft has regulations around the creation of Arcana, as well as the selling/transference of Arcana from one user to another. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

My favorite nurse at the OBGYN office always makes me feel better when she’s around, ty to all healthcare workers who are patient, good listeners, and know how to wield authentic positivity/good humor vs the fake/over-the-top/dismissive kind. I appreciate you 🙏🏻

Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快乐! 🧧🔥🐴

What makes a magical ability powerful often has a lot to do with the person wielding it. Any usage of the Elations can be considered "most powerful" depending on the Crafter and how skilled/clever they are. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Never tell a pregnant person (even in good humor): “sleep now, because when the baby comes, you won’t be getting any sleep!” I’m running on 3 hours of sleep regularly because of insomnia, the world’s worst acid reflux, raging hormones, and back/hip pain. It’s not a helpful comment 💀

I've actually already talked about this in previous prompts! So I'll just reiterate the Elations and their Blights, with a little bit of additional commentary/information. #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Ugh a typo. Obviously I meant “power”, apologies!

As is the case with any form of "powr", it can be misused by those with sinister intentions. Any Elf can use their Elationcraft to accomplish dark/evil/etc endeavors, in theory, if that's the sort of person they are. (Thread) #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Pregnancy is the constant battle between “I am a total gremlin and that is ok!” & “I will put max effort into looking my best today because it’s the closest I can get to feeling good right now” 😅

For Elves, mastery = age/experience. Because Elven society tends to be strict about training from an early age (since all Elves are born with at least one Elation affinity), the older the Elf, the more mastery they likely have over their Elation gift(s). #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Because Elves/Half-Elves channel the Elations through their bodies, there are breaking points that can be reached. No Elf/Half-Elf is capable of using their ability or abilities endlessly without fail. #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Elves/Half-Elves channel the Elations through their bodies. As long as there is intention to use their ability/abilities, usually hand gestures are enough to then perform their magic. Some, however, use voice/sound, and others are entirely mental. #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Pregnancy is wild. I don’t recognize myself at all in the mirror. I had an athletic build like 5 months ago! It’s distressing at first, every time, but then I grow peaceful & accepting. Hopefully by my birthday (October), I’ll be back to my old self again.

Elves don't need tools! Every Elf/half-Elf is born with a natural affinity for a specific Elation (or rarely, two). Humans, however, need tools, which is precisely why/how they invented Magecraft. They can only channel Elations through inanimate objects. #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky

Magic is a "natural" part of the continent of Caessenia. The Elations have existed for as long as the Elves have existed. The Elves are indigenous to the continent; humans migrated there from the other side of the world later on in history. [short thread] #Febchantment #writingcommunity #writesky