Tag: books

Book Trends I’m Low-Key Hating Right Now

~ Brooke F. ~ 1 Comment

Look, I know reading is supposed to be fun. And if you love any of these tropes, that’s great. Truly. I’m not judging you. I promise, dear, reader. I’m directing my judgment towards the industry that keeps churning out the same lukewarm leftovers and calling it gourmet fiction. I know these tropes have a place in fiction somewhere but I have a few gripes as they become widespread…

So buckle up while I gently roast some beloved tropes. If I hit your comfort trope… I’m sorry. (I’m not sorry.)

Enemies to Lovers (I’m begging… please stop)

Look, I know this trope is BookTok’s golden child. But at this point, it’s been done so much that authors are scrambling to manufacture hostility out of absolutely nothing. Or worse…they’re romanticizing behaviors that go way beyond a mild red flag.

I’m tired. I want conflict with substance, not passive-aggressive banter and emotional constipation that magically becomes love in chapter 17.

Morally Grey / Redeemed Villain (Rarely Done Well)

It’s either:

legitimately abusive people who get a redemption arc because they’re hot

or

villains who are “morally grey,” except their actions are… actually just evil?

There’s a difference between “tragic complexity” and “this man kills entire villages but has one soft scene with a kitten so we swoon.”

BookTok, release him. I’m begging.

Every Brooding Love Interest, Ever

I’ve reached my broody quota for the decade. If has “shadows behind his eyes” one more time, I’m throwing the book.

Can we get more emotionally balanced romantic leads??? Men who communicate??? Men who don’t describe themselves as a monster but just… deal with it in other ways? They don’t even always have to be healthy, I just need a break from the “I treat X main character like crap because of the tragedy.” What if he deals with his feelings by cracking jokes all time? Trying to be liked and loved by everyone? A greed for money or power because it would have prevented his personal tragedy? Idk, I’ll even take a shopping addiction at this point. Please, just change it up sometimes.

Mythological Retellings

I’ve my breaking point. Every Greek myth, Roman myth, Celtic myth, minor footnote of a myth has been rewritten, gender-swapped, aestheticized, and thrown into a love triangle. You name it, its been done but with a twist!

I used to love these, but the market is so flooded I feel like I need a snorkel. Give the myths a nap. Let them rest.

Underdeveloped Magic Systems

I’m tired of magic that’s basically:

✨ vibes ✨

and zero rules.

Magic doesn’t need to be hard sci-fi level, but if plot problems are solved with “because the magic suddenly works this time,” then I’m checking out. I need a little structure here. Develop. Elaborate. Establish. Please.

Fantasy Formula Fatigue

A much more broader complaint but the BookTok effect is real. Something goes viral, sells 10 billion copies, and suddenly we get:

the same cover,

the same “aesthetic”,

the same plot beats,

the same protagonist with “fire in her veins” or whatever.

It feels like copy-paste culture. I want fresh stories, not reskinned bestsellers.

Childhood Friends Who End Up Together

This one is personal: I just don’t care for it.

Also applies to “the leads always end up together” no matter how incompatible, underdeveloped, or generically pleasant they are. Sometimes characters should just… not date? Sometimes the chemistry isn’t there?

And that’s okay!

Let them end the book with growth, not forced romance. Ghibli has been doing this right since forever.

Tragic Backstories (Especially the Last-Minute Ones)

Not everyone needs a traumatic fifteen-page flashback to be interesting.

And oh my goodness, can we PLEASE have more stories where the characters have loving, functional families? Actual parents? Actual siblings? Families that aren’t evil, dead, or conveniently absent so the protagonist can be “strong and independent”?

There is so much narrative potential in healthy, intact families.

Imagine:

an adventuring party that’s literally a family business

siblings questing together and bickering the whole time

a fantasy inn run by a chaotic family who’ve seen every hero, villain, and bard in the realm

a family cracking a mystery together and following clues

Tell me that wouldn’t slap.

Broody Mentors

Sorry if I’m repeating myself but this combo of tropes specifically gets under my skin. If the mentor is mysterious, brooding, evasive, emotionally stunted, and 500 years old… no thank you.

There is something inherently weird about that dynamic, and adding brooding on top of it makes my skin crawl. Give me wise, funny mentors. Give me competent, happy mentors. Give me mentors who aren’t one bad day away from a villain arc.

The Chosen One (I Don’t Hate It, But Please Cool It)

It started as a classic but hasn’t evolved much since.

I’d love to see more stories about the supporting character who never becomes the star, who chooses loyalty over destiny, who stays in the background and is okay with it.

There’s beauty in being the one who helps and not the one who saves the world.

Aaaand I think that about wraps it up! I could probably go on but that’s enough venting and negativity for the day. Hopefully you got some mild enjoyment from this post or at least related a little to some of my reading icks.

Hopefully see you in the next post, reader!

Yay or Nay Book Tag!

~ Brooke F. ~ 5 Comments

Got tagged by Riddhi B. over at Whispering Stories! Thank you so much for the tag—it’s been far too long since I’ve done one of these, and honestly? I miss it. I love feeling connected to the broader blogging world, so today we’re diving into a little game of “Yay or Nay” with some popular bookish trends.

This trend was originally created by Becky over on her blog, so definitely check out her post if you want to see where it all started!

With the intro out of the way… let’s jump in.

Bookish Tropes

I’m very on the fence here. Tropes can be fun and comforting…like that warm blanket you’ve wrapped yourself in a thousand times sitting on the corner of your couch (And may look a little ratty) but still love. But sometimes they feel exhausted (Much like aforementioned couch blanket). (And yes, I’m looking straight at you, enemies-to-lovers. I’ve read so many versions that my eyes roll on instinct now.)

The real issue is when publishing leans too heavily on whatever trope BookTok is obsessed with that month. It can feel like creativity gets shoved into a garbage can and quickly forgotten: “Write this trope, this way, with these beats, or it won’t sell.” So tropes are a Half Yay, Half Nay for me.

Alternating POV

Yay! When authors do this well, it’s incredibly engaging. You get different layers of the story, different emotional angles, and sometimes even dramatically different interpretations of the same event.

But when it’s done badly? It’s torture. You’re stuck slogging through a POV you don’t care about, flipping pages praying to get back to the character who actually has something interesting going on. So maybe technically another half yay and half nay, thinking on it now.

Ambiguous Endings

Mostly Yay from me. I love when an ambiguous ending feels intentional. I like when the author is almost asking you at the end to imagine where they go. Use that brain of yours!

What I don’t love is when it feels like the author simply… ran out of ideas. Or panicked. Or thought, “What if I just… stopped here?” Ambiguity should fit the story, not be a last-minute escape hatch.

Non-Fiction

Yay! Shocking to my high-school self, who would’ve voted “Nay” with her whole chest. But I’ve grown to love nonfiction of all sorts… memoirs, nature writing, cultural commentary, even the occasional self-help (ok, a lot of self help). Sometimes real life is intriguing.

Historical Fiction

A personal Nay for me. I’ve tried! I really have! Something about the pacing or the tone or the dusty-old-period-piece vibes doesn’t click for me. Maybe I just haven’t met the right historical fiction book yet, but until then… nay. I am so far from a Jane Austen girl too.

Morally Grey Characters

Another split vote. Truly morally grey characters? A Yay. Give me complex motivations, ethical dilemmas, conflicted loyalties! It can be chef’s kiss.

But a lot of “morally grey” characters in romance are really just… rude. Or emotionally unavailable. Or hot with trauma. That’s not morally grey, that’s a red flag. Go get therapy. So: Half Yay, Half Nay.

First Person POV

Big Yay. My favorite POV, honestly. I just love being inside a character’s brain and hearing their inner monologue, watching them rationalize questionable decisions, and getting that close, personal connection. When it’s done well, it feels like borrowing someone else’s brain for a few hundred pages.

Audiobooks

Nay! I’ve tried but it simply doesn’t work for me. My brain wanders unless I’m physically turning pages. Plus, I feel like I retain the story so much better when reading visually. There’s something about the tactile act of reading that makes the story stick.

Re-Reading

Yay! If it was good the first time, why not revisit it? I love catching details I missed or rediscovering lines that hit harder now that I’m older… or just more tired.

Classic Novels

Mostly Nay. I struggle to read a lot of classics without feeling like I’m decoding something. But I do have my favorites: The Princess Bride (forever iconic), Sherlock Holmes (so witty), Little House on the Prairie, and Animal Farm (simple and brutal).

Annotating

Nay. I wish I could be that aesthetic cottagecore annotator with all the colorful tabs but I can’t bring myself to write in my books. It feels like vandalism. My brain screams “crime!” every time.

Cracking Book Spines

Depends. A beautiful special edition? Absolutely not, I treat it like a museum artifact. A beat-up, well-loved personal copy? Crack away. That’s character development.

Character-Driven Books

BIG FAT YAY. My beloved. Give me deep and flawed characters, emotional journeys, growth arcs…yes, please. Plot is great, but characters are what keep me thinking about a book weeks later.

Past/Present Split Timeline

Mostly Nay. I can admire the skill required to weave two timelines together, but it’s not my favorite reading experience. There’s a lot of hopping around, and sometimes I feel like I’m doing mental gymnastics just to keep track of who knows what and when.

Heavy World Building

Yay! Build your world! Flesh it out! Let me smell the air and know the currency system! I love when an author actually commits to making their universe feel real. It shows care.

Signed,
Me (your local fantasy enthusiast)

In conclusion…

That’s all for this round of Yay or Nay! Thanks so much for reading and thanks again to Riddhi for tagging me. I’ll drop my own tags below as I have already put together my list of victims… I mean, fellow bloggers and friends.

Stay cozy and keep reading! 📚✨

I tag:

  1. Forest Stories aka Feather&Pen
  2. Deborah O’ Carroll
  3. Reflections and Reads
  4. Lillian Keith
  5. The Texas Lass

October Life Update

~ Brooke F. ~ 2 Comments

I’ll probably keep making these posts until I die. Yaknow, the obligatory “I haven’t posted in X months but! I’m not dead!” posts. All that being said, wow! I haven’t posted in about 2 months, and yes! I am indeed not dead. I think ya’ll are used to this song and dance by now.

So! What have I been up to, two or maybe even THREE of you may be wondering. In short: not writing. But before you bring out the tomatoes and fruit to throw at me (as I literally wrote a post about not procrastinating writing like three posts ago), I will say, it’s been a busy past couple of weeks. This was less of me blobbing around and doing anything but writing and more of me rushing around and doing anything but writing. Big difference.

Okay, okay, I’ll cut to the chase. I got married.

And gosh, it was lovely.

(Relevant instagram post inserted above because I actually have no pictures on my computer yet).

So yeah! It’s been busy. Making room in your house for another human is also an arduous task, especially if you find yourself a collector of a wide array of trinkets and are used to being utterly selfish with your use of space. It has been accomplished, however (if you ignore the study/office space), and we find ourselves finally lapsing into a semblance of routine that we now call normal.

The aftermath is very real though. I am a routine person by nature. When this routine is messed with, I find myself collecting a nice little bouquet of bad habits before I try to get my crap together and shed them again. And that pretty much sums up where I’m at currently.

Living with a lovely man, now known as my husband, and learning to share my life. I have also, as of late, found myself struggling to manage my time (namely, overusing my phone, a constant frenemy of mine), struggling to read, and struggling to eat actual meals, not just a weird variety of snacks and junk food. And then I got sick.

I write this post sitting at home during regular business hours with a cup of mint coffee in a mug beside me (which I’m quite proud of actually, because another bad habit that has been wriggling its way into my life is my over-eagerness to spend $7 on a fancy but delicious coffee. Great treat, but not an everyday purchase.). I caught an annoying cold, which required me to call out sick for probably the rest of the week. Irksome, but I have decided to use the time to do a few dishes and reflect on my life.

This reflecting has yielded a few conclusions: One, I need to get back on track with both my caffeine and time management. Second, I need to work on a new writing project. Now, figuring out what this creative project is, is a whole other problem of its own.

I love thinking up writing ideas, but I think it’s an entirely separate hobby from writing them. I am overflowing with concepts and projects I would love to see brought to life, but I often find myself grasping to find the motivation and time management skills to produce something (ugh, there it is again. Time management. Ick).

Creating an actual end product writing-wise just takes so darn long, and, possibly, linking me back to the whole time management thing, I don’t like taking that time. I often find myself spending that time making a Pinterest board for it and nothing more. This, unsurprisingly, leaves me entirely dissatisfied. And I’m tired of being dissatisfied.

(After all, it’s been a few months since my latest poetry book release and I’m getting ANTSY)

So! The anthem for the next month or so is to work on SOMETHING. It doesn’t matter if it’s a singular huge project or a bunch of tiny little ones. I just need to get back into the creative mindset of making something and letting it suck. And perhaps, in all this project bouncing around, I’ll find out what I want to set my eyes and attention on consistently, and that elusive next project will make itself known.

So stick around, there’ll hopefully be more to come as I’m getting back into the swing of things. And if not, I give you permission to throw the fruit this time. Throw a few “boos” in there too if you’d like.

The Dangers of Writing Like You Don’t Read

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

There’s a special kind of writing slump that sneaks up on people if they’re not careful. It’s sometimes not the one where you’ve got zero motivation, but the one where your words feel… stale. The same old metaphors. The same style. The same syntax. It becomes a formula of sorts and doesn’t feel fresh. It gets old.

I think a big culprit behind this is writing without reading.

When we only pour out words but never take any in, our writing starts to echo itself. It’s like talking to yourself in a room with no one else around. Eventually, you’ll run out of new things to say.

Reading gives life to your work. It stretches your brain into shapes you wouldn’t find on your own. You pick up little tricks without even realizing it. This could be a fun phrase, a surprising metaphor, or a way to pace a scene. Sometimes it’s not even about the writing itself but about remembering why you wanted to write in the first place. Books can also remind us of the wonder that made us pull out a pen or our laptop in the first place.

I didn’t read much throughout college and good gracious, it showed in my writing. Everything I wrote felt…Safe. The echo chamber became comfortable. Because, you see, a crappy side effect of not reading is sometimes not even REALIZING the echo chamber your writing is becoming until you sit down with a fresh pair of eyes and you find your own writing boring! It’s bland. It’s missing something. But when I began to pick up reading again (post college), I found writing easier and the quality better.

So if you’re in a slump, maybe the best cure isn’t another thousand words of pushing through. Maybe it’s picking up something off your shelf, letting someone else’s voice break through the echo chamber, and remembering that writing is, at its core, a conversation between you, your imagination, your inspiration, and your readers. And you can’t hold up your end of the conversation if you’re not listening, too.

Anyways, happy Tuesday, and thanks for dropping by and reading my little mini-rant.

K byeeee

Writing When You Don’t Believe in the Ending (Yet)

~ Brooke F. ~ 1 Comment

When I was in middle school, I had no qualms about just opening a Word doc and shooting from the hip. Who cares, right?? I’m in middle school. But as an adult, I can tell you a completely different story…

My tune has definitely since changed. As self-doubt and perfectionism have become a more prevalent issue in my writing life, I have found that writing when you know where you’re headed is not always easy. Even when you’ve got the finish line in sight, writing WITH a plan is hard enough.

But writing when you don’t believe in the ending? When you’re not even sure if the ending is good, or if the whole thing is worth finishing? That can be a little petrifying or even a slog depending on your personality. That’s like trudging through fog with no map and hoping you’re still on track.

And honestly, that’s where a lot of us live, I think.

We start a project full of enthusiasm, picturing readers crying or laughing at the perfect final scene. Then somewhere around the middle, the plot feels flat, the characters stop talking to us, and we start wondering if we’ve just wasted months of our life. Or maybe we planned the ending and Oh Shoot! It doesn’t feel like it fits anymore! What now???

My advice?

1. Remind yourself you don’t have to believe in it to keep going

You can keep typing even while thinking, This is probably terrible. You can finish a chapter while doubting whether it will all make sense in the end. Doubt doesn’t have to be a stop sign. Resign it to some annoying background noise, and you may even forget about it. Try and loosen up a bit and actually enjoy this whole writing ordeal; otherwise, it may be worth abandoning altogether if you cannot find a shred of enjoyment in it. Just don’t be so hard on yourself, and maybe attempt to write through the doubt.

2. Lower the bar when you’re in the fog

If you can’t see the grand, perfect ending right now, fine. Just write the next part. You’re not committing to keeping it forever. You’re committing to getting it down on the freaking page. Sometimes a clunky placeholder scene is the bridge to the better one you’ll write later. This is the whole “one foot in front of the other” tactic and it works rather nice in my opinion.

3. Let the ending find you

The pressure to “have it all figured out” before you get there will kill your momentum. Sometimes you only discover the right ending after you’ve written the wrong one. Keep moving forward and trust that clarity comes from progress. I have often found that the right ending can come to me when I see how these characters have progressed and grown. I am better equipped by the end of the story to say “ahhh this feels right.”

4. Remember: every story feels worse in the middle

Middles are messy. You’re too close to see what’s working, and your brain is wired to spot flaws. But a finished draft, even a shaky one, can be fixed. An abandoned draft can’t. At the end, you can always edit but you cannot edit what isn’t even there!

5. Have something else that carries you through

Chances are, some redeeming elements about this story that made you start it in the first place, even if it wasn’t the ending itself. What are those elements? The characters? Your interesting or complex MC? The side romance you want to write? That scene in the middle where you reveal that plot twist? Maybe focus on that instead of the hazy or non-existent light at the end of the tunnel

In conclusion, I shall restate my hypothesis (just as my science teachers HAMMERED in my head): Write the next sentence. Then the next. Then keep going until you stumble right into the ending you didn’t see coming but are actually quite delighted with because it’s one that feels RIGHT.

How to Generate Stories from a Deck of Cards

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

🃏Deck of Tales: Turn a Deck of Cards into a Storytelling Game

Did you know your old deck of playing cards is secretly a novel generator?

If you were the kind of kid who made your barbies have backstories or invented entire kingdoms on notebook paper, Deck of Tales is for you.

This game turns a plain old 52-card deck into a whimsical, dramatic, slightly chaotic storytelling machine. It’s part improv, part intuition, and all creativity. Great for writers, kids, bored adults, or anyone who wants to escape into a made-up world for a bit. It’s a game I invented as a middle schooler, and I hope you’ll get as much joy out of it as I have. But, enough backstory, on to the rules!

🎲 What You Need:

  • A regular ol’ deck of cards
  • Your imagination (and maybe a notebook if you’re a writer-type)

🧙‍♀️ The Magic of the Cards:

Face Cards = Characters
These are your story’s stars.

  • Kings are leaders, wise or power-hungry
  • Queens are love interests, schemers, warriors, or socialites
  • Jacks are dreamers, rogues, or loyal sidekicks

Aces = Fate
These cards shake things up.

  • Ace of Spades = The villain appears
  • Ace of Hearts = Love is declared
  • Ace of Clubs = A major battle or victory
  • Ace of Diamonds = Treasure or opportunity

Number Cards = Events
Each number is a kind of scene. Each suit gives it a flavor.

Suits = Story Themes

  • ♥ = Emotions, relationships
  • ♠ = Conflict, mystery, death
  • ♣ = Action, battle, adventure
  • ♦ = Wealth, ambition, discovery

Numbers = Action Prompts

  • 2 = A new encounter
  • 3 = A choice must be made
  • 4 = A new place
  • 5 = An obstacle appears
  • 6 = Bonding or betrayal
  • 7 = A clue or item is found
  • 8 = A fight or competition
  • 9 = A shocking reveal
  • 10 = A major turning point

Jokers (if you want to get wild): Plot twist! Magic! Prophecy! Sudden death! Dream sequence!

🧩 How to Play: The 7-Card Spread

  1. Shuffle your deck.
  2. Lay out 7 cards in a row. These are your story beats:
    1. Setting
    2. Main character appears
    3. Conflict begins
    4. Rising action
    5. Twist!
    6. Climax
    7. Resolution
  3. Interpret each card using the guide above.
  4. Tie it all together into one juicy little tale.

✨ Bonus Ways to Play:

  • Genre Remix: Assign each suit a genre. (♥ = Romance, ♠ = Mystery, ♣ = Fantasy, ♦ = Sci-Fi)
  • Free Write Oracle: Pull cards one at a time and just write what comes to mind. No rules.
  • Group Mode: Each person draws a card and becomes that character. Let the drama unfold.

💡 Example:

You draw:

  • 4♦ (a new city)
  • Q♥ (a charming love interest)
  • 6♠ (a betrayal)
  • J♣ (a loyal bestie)
  • A♠ (the villain arrives!)
  • 8♣ (a showdown)
  • 10♥ (a love confession that changes everything)

Story Summary:
A traveler stumbles into a glittering city. They fall for a mysterious woman. Just when things heat up, betrayal! With help from a scrappy sidekick, they escape. But then, the villain strikes. After a fight in the rain, love wins the day. Cue dramatic music.

If you’ve ever wanted to write a novel without actually writing a novel, this might be your new favorite game.

Let me know if you try it! I’d love to hear the wild tales your deck delivers.

How to Be More Whimsical (Without Moving to a Forest)

~ Brooke F. ~ 6 Comments

Sometimes life feels like a never-ending list of emails and meal-prepping and remembering your passwords. And while that’s all very adult and responsible of us, sometimes you just want to inject a little whimsy into the day. I’m not talking wearing a tutu to work of course (unless you’re into that? Idk where you work). I mean tiny, delightful oddities that make life feel like a storybook for a second.

So here are some specific ways to be more whimsical. Even if you’re a practical person with bills to pay and a Google Calendar that rules your life. Aright, here we gooo:

Start carrying around one overly specific item for no clear reason.
A vintage skeleton key. A feather quill. A deck of cards. Let people ask questions. Refuse to explain. Mystery is 30% of whimsy.

Host a “mismatched tea moment” once a week.
No guests needed. Just you, an oddly paired mug and saucer, maybe a cookie, maybe a journal. Bonus points if you wear a shawl like you’re some mysterious wizard woman.

Leave secret messages for your future self.
Tuck tiny notes into your coat pocket or inside a book you’ll eventually re-read. “You are loved. Also, buy ice cream.” It’s like time-traveling kindness.

Assign your day a genre.
Decide that today is a romantic comedy, or a slow-burn fantasy epic, or a chaotic detective story. Suddenly your coffee run is a plot point, and your bus ride has cinematic tension.

Make a “soundtrack” for your day.
Start your morning with French café jazz, switch to dramatic classical when you do emails, then blast 2000s bops while you make dinner. Be the main character in the most eccentric indie film ever made.

Pick a word of the week and use it dramatically.
Not a normal word. Something like “bewildered” or “henceforth.” Use it in casual conversation.

Choose a random object as your daily talisman.
A marble, a mini pinecone, a button. Carry it like it has secret powers.

Add a secret ingredient to something you cook just because it feels magical.
Nutmeg in your eggs. Rose water in your lemonade. Not because it’s gourmet, but because it feels like a potion. Say “a dash of enchantment” while doing it.

Tell the time like you’re in a fantasy novel.
“It is the second hour past dawn, and I have yet to answer my emails.”
“It is nearly the witching hour—I must fetch snacks.”

Hide something for a stranger to find.
A doodle. A quote. A “congratulations, you found this” note under a library chair or taped to the back of a street sign. It’s low-stakes mischief. Good for the soul.

Rename your calendar events.
Instead of “Dentist Appointment,” call it “Royal Council with the Tooth Kingdom.” Instead of “Grocery Store,” try “Foraging Quest.” Suddenly errands are… thrilling?

Go out dressed like a book character.
Not full cosplay. Just a little nod. A scarf like Miss Marple. Overalls like Anne of Green Gables. Boots like a pirate.

Hopefully these will add a bit of sparkle to your routine!

A Beginner’s Guide to Finishing Stuff (From a Chronic Abandoner of Various Projects)

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Hi, my name is Brooke, and I’m a chronic abandoner. Not of people (I promise), but of projects, books, hobbies, that one prom dress I swore I’d make in an attempt to teach myself how to sew… you get the idea I think.

Finishing things has never been my spiritual gift. I’m the queen of a passionate beginnings, you see. I romanticize the planning stage. I make Pinterest boards. I buy cute supplies. I tell at least three people, “I’m so excited about this!” And then somewhere between “this is so fun” and “this is taking longer than I thought,” the energy fizzles out. The end result, I’m sure you can vividly pictures. Shelves of crafting supplies. Half-finished books in word docs galore. A USB stocked with outlines for projects that never quite made it. And not a lot to show for it!

But lately, I’ve been trying something new: actually finishing things. Ok, not everything. But SOME things. Like my poetry book. Like my journals. Like that book series I forgot about. The Prom dress still needs to be hemmed though I’m afraid. We’re not all perfect.

From all this “finishing” going on, I have learned a few things in the process. Disclaimer though, I still have more unfinished projects than finished ones so DEFINITELY take what I say with a pinch-no, a CUP of salt. So! With that disclaimer on the table, let’s get rollin’.

1. Start Smaller Than You Think You Need To

I used to set goals like “write a book,” “learn to quilt,” or “organize my entire life in one weekend.” Funnily enough, these goals would often occur on a late night during the weekend when I was suddenly zapped with ambition. These are not goals. These are lofty, unsustainable, and vague finish lines that realistically take ages to actually cross if ever crossed at all.

Now I aim to “write for 10 minutes,” “sew one line,” or “put away the laundry mountain (just the socks).” Turns out finishing is a lot more achievable when you’re not setting yourself up for theatrical failure. Be realistic and be kind to yourself.

2. Romanticize the Middle

We romanticize beginnings and endings. The start is all fresh notebooks and adrenaline. The end is the glorious Instagram post or the satisfying checkmark. But the middle? That’s where things get boring, awkward, and full of self-doubt.

If you can learn to love the middle and make a vibe out of it, throw on a playlist, light a candle, celebrate the slog, Congrats! You’re halfway there. Progress is still progress, even if nothing is complete just yet. Celebrate more than just the finish-line.

3. Keep a “Done” List

Everyone loves a to-do list, but I’ve started keeping a done list. Every time I finish something (even the tiniest task), I jot it down. Finished a book? On the list. Replied to that one email that’s been haunting me since Tuesday? Absolutely going on the list. Wrote 300 words on a story I’ve been ignoring for months? That’s going in bold and underlined.

There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing all the little wins pile up. It proves that yes, I do finish things, just not always on the dramatic scale I imagined.

4. Stop Waiting to Feel “Ready”

Finishing stuff isn’t about being ready. It’s about deciding to move even when the ending isn’t in sight or planned out. Waiting until I feel motivated has kept me in procrastination purgatory more times than I can count. I’ve learned to accept that I won’t feel like finishing most things but if I just start walking, the motivation catches up eventually.

(Usually after snacks. Snacks are the ultimate motivator.) (And maybe a nap. Naps are important too.) (Honestly, just make sure you’re taking care of your basic needs before you take any of this advice).

5. Embrace the “Imperfectly Done”

Not everything you finish has to be amazing. It just has to be done. The first poem you actually finish might sound weird and cringy. The painting might look better in your head than on canvas. The short story might never get published. But hey! It exists. That’s pretty neat!

AND it’s done. And that’s worth celebrating. You saw it through. You beat the voice that said, “Why bother?”

And with every imperfectly finished thing, you build the muscle. You prove to yourself that you can finish projects. Even if it takes longer than you originally intended (when DOESN’T it???). Even if you abandoned it once and came back weeks later with coffee and renewed determination. Still worth throwing some confetti. Perfection is NOT a prerequisite for appreciation or celebration. (I find myself constantly yelling this at myself mentally).

So here’s your permission slip: Go finish something tiny today. A draft. A to-do item. That sandwich. (Never let a sandwich go unfinished. We eat our crusts around here) You don’t have to be perfect, fast, or even consistent.

You just have to keep going, little by little.

From one recovering abandoner to another, I believe in you.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go add this finished blog post to my list!!

Preview of my Next Book

~ Brooke F. ~ 4 Comments

I don’t talk about my faith a ton on the blog. Not that I am ashamed of it but it’s something I usually I don’t delve too deep into as most people are probably here for writing tips and random writing experiments. BUT when I write poetry, it tends to spill out in all its honest glory. My next poetry book is all about love lost and God. The heartbreak stuff, the deep stuff, the wrestling-through-questions kind of stuff. It’s the most vulnerable I’ve been with my writing in a while, admittedly.

I wanted to give you a little sneak peek. If this sounds like your cup of tea at all, feel free to keep reading. If not, see ya in the next post, I’ll not hold it against you 😉

This poem came from one of those thoughts that just wrecks you in the best way: Do you think Jesus, when He prayed in the garden, thought about Adam and Eve? About walking with them in the cool of the day? And did He already know that His sacrifice would reach all the way back to redeem even them?

I had never considered that before and when I did, the parallel seemed interesting. So, naturally, I wrote a poem about it.

Here it is: The Tale of Two Gardens

The Tale of Two Gardens

Do you think, when Christ knelt in the garden all alone,

That He thought of the first breath, or the first bone?

Of footsteps that walked on soil in the cool of the day

Two souls unashamed, then two led astray.

Did He think of the fruit, the reaching of hands,

Yearning beyond what he commands.

Of fig leaves stitched with a shiver of dread,

Of paradise lost, and the very first tears ever shed?

Did he think of their conversations with his first own,

As He whispered His prayer in that garden of stone?

Did He see not just thorns but a tree once denied,

Where mercy was given, but they were not yet justified.

He sweat drops of blood where they once walked free,

But even then, grace reached backward, far beyond what we see.

Redemption is deeper than we understand.

It touches the first folly of humans, the Savior’s extended hand.

And Father, perhaps, when night turned to day,

And the stone rolled back from where Love chose to stay,

The echo of Eden rang sweet through the skies,

For even the first ones were brought back to life.

Finding My Lazy Genre (And Escaping Reader’s Block with Cozy Mysteries)

~ Brooke F. ~ 4 Comments

Reader’s block hit me like a wet paper towel after college. Who knew years of reading ONLY for school and committing every braincell to your degree could burn you out on books??

I used to devour books as if they were my favorite dessert. But once I graduated high school, I’d open a book, read two paragraphs, and suddenly remember I needed to reorganize my closet or wanted to scroll on pinterested for an hour. I could not for the life of me focus.

Then, I cracked open a cozy mystery a month ago, and, just like that, I was back. Not back in an “I’m suddenly reading 700-page literary fiction before bed” way. No, I was back in the “I finished this paperback in two sittings with a latte and a blanket and now I want ten more just like it” kind of way.

It made me realize something: I’d finally found my lazy genre.

Now allow me to explain. A lazy genre isn’t a dig at the books, first off. It’s a term of endearment. It’s the genre you can slide into like sweatpants after a long day. The kind that requires zero brain gymnastics but still gives you all the serotonin of a well-timed twist or a slow-burn romance. For some people, that’s YA fantasy with dragons and chosen ones. For others, it’s angsty romance with dramatic rainstorms and not-so-conveniently timed confessions (hey, Jane Austin readers. How ya doing?)

For me I had just found out that It’s cozy mysteries with predictable plots, modern settings, and characters who are funny without being emotionally exhausting. Like, please don’t give me a main character going through too much. I’m tired. I want her to bake muffins, accidentally find a dead body, and flirt with the local cop. Is that so much to ask?

There’s something comforting in knowing exactly what’s going to happen: someone dies, someone investigates, someone has a quirky pet, and justice is served along with with tea and cookies. It’s like watching reruns of your favorite show. You’re not surprised, but you are deeply content.

So here’s a thought for you all that I wanted to share: If you’ve been struggling to get back into reading, maybe you don’t need a “better” book. Maybe you just need your lazy genre. The one that goes down easy. The one that feels like a warm cup of Jo for your overstimulated brain.

Find it. Embrace it. Stack your nightstand with it.

And if anyone judges your reading choices, remind them that reading is reading. Whether it’s Tolstoy or a sassy amateur sleuth named Mabel who keeps stumbling over corpses in her idyllic coastal town.