# Preface Date: January 11, 2026 I still feel like I don't write enough. This past week was (and I'm doing my best to be snarky here) a measly 1,828 words. So it's not *nothing*. That's why I started this, to show myself that I am indeed writing much more than I realized. And since it's January, that's when a lot of the worries tend to return. But I'm journaling a lot more. Hell, if it weren't so labor-intensive I'd count those words too! I'm writing a ton in that cute lil notebook. But the other reason behind this blog is to cut myself some slack. Speaking of journaling, I've also gotten into fountain pens. Which has been reteaching me how to write - I apparently put too much pressure on the pens I've used in the past and have been putting a lot of strain on my arm. Not condusive for things like writing a grocery list or sketching. But it's reminded me that I actually love writing. Handwriting just as much as storytelling. And I've started getting different notebooks for different things. It's become a whole process, and I'm falling in love with this. # Part 1: Non-Fiction Word count: 514 I wrote a bit about this disillusioned feeling I've had for a while now. I don't know if I'll edit this version. I may try to sit down even longer and try to rewrite it entirely. The country I'm in is terrible. It's only getting worse. But it doesn't help to *only* focus on the bad things. I want to be up lifting, not a debbie-downer. So I must ruminate some more on it. # Part 2: Fiction ## 2.1 Short Story Titled: Anxiety Potion Word count: 644 Synopsis: A love story in the form of a potion recipe. Notes: I am editing this in hopes to submit this to a literary magazine. There's one with a deadline of the 14th. I'm not certain I'll make that one. But the other? We'll see. Until then, I can't publish this *anywhere*. Not yet. ## 2.2 Project Madison Flame Word count: Synopsis: Tumblr Substack Notes: ## 2.3 Project Moonshadow Word count: Synopsis: Notes: ## 2.4 Project Castro Word count: Synopsis: Notes: ## 3. Substack **Please note:** I'm stacking my fiction and (eventually) non-fiction for Fridays in future. So you won't immediately see the content for Substack. It's queued up. I'm trying out some of my Substack things here today. Not sure why, but it feels like I should have Substack links all in one place. ### 3.1 Flash Fiction Friday 339 "Labour of Love" Titled: Holiday Healing Date: January 9, 2026 Word count: 663 Synopsis: Richard visits his boyfriend Richard’s family. To keep the peace, Isaac is doing everything in his power to make things easier for everyone. [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/acewriter/805307912563097601/holiday-healing?source=share) [Substack](https://open.substack.com/pub/aroacephoto/p/holiday-healing?r=2getsk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true) Notes: This is my submission for January 9, 2026. [**@flashfictionfridayofficial**](https://www.tumblr.com/flashfictionfridayofficial/). This is a weekly prompt that I try to participate in every week. Some weeks I can’t think of anything, other weeks I do. I actually meant to schedule the post for this Friday, but accidentally published it at the same time. So in case you prefer Substack, you can read that immediately! Haha # Conclusion Back to the notebooks. I have several, like I said. One is my diary (that fills up the quickest). Another is my goals & desires, where I list out what I desire to do on the front end, and fill the rest of the notebook with my goals to achieve that followed by my notes on what I did. It's fast becoming a good way for me to track things. Then there are my sketchbooks. A Hobonichi calendar where I keep track of my word counts (in case you wondered *how* I was keeping track of them). Then there's my German phrases book. I have a busy mind. Is it any wonder that I beat myself up over so much? The focus next week will be Project Castro. I have a game dev meeting next week to see how far we've come on this visual novel of mine. In addition to writing notes I need to sift through, I'm also drawing the backgrounds. Which is a lot for me, but a welcome challenge. I've also started an online art class! So I'm going to be progressively getting better than I already am. Right now I'm working on plumb lines, measuring everyday objects, and several warmup exercises. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next week! The below table is mostly for myself. But if you, like me, enjoy seeing numbers go up in any capacity, then this may be for you as well. It's meant to be an encouragement. | Word Type | Weekly Totals | Monthly Totals | | --------------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | Project Castro | 0+0 | 0 | | Project Moonshadow | 1,112+0 | 1,112 | | Flash Fiction Fridays | 0+670 | 670 | | Short Story | 0+644 | 644 | | Non-Fiction | 1,103+514 | 1,617 | | Grand Total | 1,828 | 4,043 |