August. The death rattle of summer is hitting hard, with more heat waves as I hoard ice and try and figure out how to cook without heating up the kitchen. But that's what the weather's doing. For me, personally, things have been shifting, though perhaps for the better. Projects have been put aside, and I'm focusing on far fewer things than I typically do. And, who knew, the creative juices are having a better time flowing when I don't force myself to constantly be moving.

Alright, so let's get into it.

What I'm Writing

Staying up on the substack posts have been super fun, and a nice way to engage with the consistency of writing, especially for the nonfiction stuff. When there's so much time that exists between starting a project and actually writing it, because of research and fieldwork and all that other stuff, having an outlet to practice and continually produce has actually been helpful.

On the fiction side of things, I have started in on the rough draft of my new novel I'm calling Project Submarine - it's a dark academia/steampunk mystery/horror. I've been super excited about the project, and enjoying the process of just sitting back and writing.

What I'm Reading

So, if you've been following the vlogs, you'll know I shifted some stuff in the nonfiction projects to bring focus to my newest one I'm giving priority to: the mythology of Taylor Swift. This means I've been doing a lot of research into this avenue. I've written a survey, which is now out of its pilot study and ready for the public to take (so if you listen to Taylor Swift, go ahead and take it, please!)

So, I've been reading some related materials. I've got some mythology things, obviously, but also looking into Taylor Swift studies - academics who have spent a lot more time than me whose only just getting into it.

My current one, along with some articles and such, is Taylor Swift: the star, the songs, the fans. It's a nice edited volume of loads of different topics, approaches, and thoughts. And it's a pretty recent publication, too, so there's references to the newest album, which is nice.

What I'm Enjoying

Oof. Loads of stuff. I just finished watching all of the White Lotus. I... I'm not sure how to feel about it. I know I'm a bit behind on the times, but I have thoughts. Trying to decide if I'm going to be putting it into a video essay, or if I'm just going to let it pass by. We'll find out.

The new season of Wednesday is out! Look, it's not a perfect show but it's just a lot of fun. I giggle, I enjoy it. It's just a bit of fun, and sometimes that's enough.

And that's it today. I'm just in a state right now of complete excitement and joy at the projects I have going on, and - I'm not going to lie - it's been a long time since I've felt this way. I'm optimistic, and can't wait to keep sharing with y'all all I'm doing. Anyway, until next time, stay good to each other!