09:37 (important to anchor timeline)

Thinking about what to post on the blog.

How I got here, what I ate for breakfast, or what my desk looks like, you won’t know yet.

But now you want to know… and you’re in; that’s how it starts.

Love this about epistolary fiction, especially the diary format. No need to stand at the front door of the story, welcoming everyone and showing them around. Readers come in and make their own cup of tea.

10:15

Appreciate that readers don’t expect a grand adventure. Often the story is a record of someone making sense of an ordinary day filled with small details and moments that reveal an emotional landscape. Calorie counting, awkward conversations and failed attempts at self-improvement are compelling enough in Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary series because not only are we living in Bridget’s world, but inside her head.

The diary format reminds us that plot isn’t only what happens, but also what matters to a character. A question for you: What ordinary thing in your life would become fascinating if we knew why it mattered to you?

The diary is also a good format for characters with recurring worries and obsessions: weight, school, popularity, money, romance, ageing. What we repeatedly return to tells us something. It may be boring, but it may be an emotional arc in disguise, because beneath an obsession is often a fear, desire, insecurity, longing or grief.

11:45

Humour doesn’t announce itself, but slips in almost by accident. Narrators are funny without trying to be. They report events and interpret (read misinterpret) them, but only readers notice the absurdity.

The gap between what the narrator believes and the reader understands is one of the richest sources of comedy. Case in point: Sue Townsend’s Adrian Mole series where Adrian takes himself very seriously. The reader has other ideas, as with Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid range, which captures the immediacy and visual comedic value of the diary form so well.

13:30

Nothing to post.

14:05

So convenient that you can skip the boring bits. There’s such freedom here for the author. Gaps create tension, mystery and emotional resonance.

15:30

Diary fiction isn’t about unedited writing, but about creating the illusion of unedited writing. It appears so simple: a date, time, voice and things going wrong, but it is the character’s voice that truly carries the story. Readers will follow a character through the most ordinary day if the voice is irresistible.

15:45

Seven cups of tea. It’s probably enough for the day.

16:00

It isn’t.

Try it yourself:

• Write a diary entry about today. (Don’t explain your life.)
• Include one insignificant detail.
• Include one thing you haven’t told anyone.
• Tell a story about something that happened where you were reasonable and the other person was not as reasonable. Now imagine the entry in the other person’s diary.
• Read it back tomorrow – perhaps you’re surprised as to what your entry was trying to tell you.

Photo by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash

Readers arrive late for a story that’s already underway.

In the same way, we’re born into action. Not only do we inherit family surnames and recipes, but we’re also handed unfinished conversations, habits, patterns, traumas and expectations, all in the hope we’ll continue the narrative.

And look, here I am, talking about middles before I’ve introduced beginnings.

“A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end.” – Aristotle, Poetics

Childhood messaging repeatedly reinforces this idea. For example, a child explaining to a caregiver what happened in a fight is encouraged to share the scenario from the beginning. In school, we colour diagrams of story mountains and then label exposition, rising action, climax and resolution, as if stories were as predictable as geological formations.

As any writer will tell you, stories – like cats and houseplants – rarely behave according to instructions.

“What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.” – T.S Eliot, Four Quartets

That said, as creators and consumers of stories, we know that context and timing changes everything. A closed door means one thing in chapter one and something else entirely in the final pages. The same event can be a tragedy, initiation or plot twist, depending on where it sits on the timeline.

This also feels close to lived experience. Jobs end and new identities emerge. Relationships dissolve and unexpected opportunities arrive. Children grow up and a different version of parenthood begins. Endings keep disguising themselves as beginnings, which feel more like a process of germination than an absolute starting point.

Often we begin something new in our life during a moment of tension or change, hoping to discover the rest of the story along the way. When we recognise we’re in what writers affectionately call ‘the messy middle’, a season of uncertainty feels less alarming. This is the time that characters (and often their authors) become confused, change direction, lose certainty and reach a crossroads. Yet it is the middle that turns out not to be a failure of structure, but ultimately the backbone that empowers the story and its characters.

And the ending, that place where nothing further is expected. The end, or is it? A story ends when the author stops typing, or does it end days later when a sentence or image returns to the reader?

It can be disorientating not knowing where we are in our own story and whether we’re in the midst of a prologue, plot twist, dark night of the soul, or chapter transition. Is it a beginning, messy middle or an ending of something? Perhaps the question we can gift ourselves is: Where do I think I am in my story right now?

Once we’ve bookmarked the chapter, we can stop demanding certainty from the plot and begin to trust the process of becoming, as the larger narrative unfolds on the horizon.

Photo by Eilis Garvey on Unsplash

The name March originates from the Latin Martius, which honours Mars, the ancient Roman god of war, representing courage and action. And, like March, dragons – among the oldest mythical creatures in storytelling – also stand at liminal edges, inviting us to step forward into new seasons and worlds.

Dragons protect caves, gateways, treasure, or sacred knowledge. They are threshold guardians, inviting characters to confront their fears, especially those buried deep below the surface, so they can claim the reward.

“People who deny the existence of dragons are often eaten by dragons. From within.”
— Ursula K. Le Guin

Perhaps the enduring power of dragons to fascinate us lies in the truth of Le Guin’s observation that dragons are not only elemental creatures, but also creatures of the human psyche, becoming destructive when ignored, or imprisoned.

If our dragons represent deep forces within us, then denying their existence does not make these forces disappear. It only drives them inward where they consume energy and distort our sense of self.

This month for your equinox reflection, why not ask yourself these 7 questions to see what your dragons are trying to share about the patterns holding you back from stepping fully into your power.

1. Where do I need to feel safe in my life?
2. What part of myself wants to be accepted?
3. Where am I ready to reclaim my power?
4. What needs compassion or release?
5. What truth wants to be spoken?
6. What illusion am I ready to see through?
7. How can I reconnect with my deeper sense of belonging?

The equinox is not asking you to become someone new, but rather it offers a time for you to come back into balance. To listen. To remember that every dragon guards a treasure that you can access, once you acknowledge the dragon. Perhaps this season’s gift is asking your dragons:

• What gift have you been protecting for me all along?
• What are you trying to awaken within me?

Photo by Dan Cutler on Unsplash

Romantasy (romance + fantasy) is a genre that has captured readers’ attention and hearts around the world, popularised by bingeable books like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

But what is it about this powerful blend of magic and romance that intrigues us?

Romantasy has a central love story unfolding within a fantasy world. Unlike traditional fantasy that focuses primarily on quests, battles, or political intrigue, Romantasy places the emotional relationship at the heart of the narrative. It’s not to be confused with Romantic Fantasy, which is fantasy first, romance second. If removing the romance would collapse the story, you’re reading Romantasy.

The genre is addictive because it works on multiple emotional levels at once: high external stakes (war, magic, survival, destiny) and high internal stakes (trust, vulnerability, healing, belonging). This creates a powerful emotional immersion and resonates deeply because it speaks to core longings such as being chosen for who we truly are and being loved by people who believe in us.

At its core, Romantasy asks: What if love itself were powerful enough to change the fate of worlds?

Other common elements include:

• Epic settings
• Slow-burn or enemies-to-lovers dynamics
• Soul bonds, fated mates, or magical connections
• Character growth driven by love and trust
• Found family
• Hidden power

Romantasy offers more than escapism. It brings emotional catharsis, a sense of wonder and possibility, permission to feel deeply, hope that love and growth can coexist with struggle and the reminder that vulnerability is a form of strength. It shows us that the most powerful magic isn’t only in spells or dragons, but rather in the courage to open our hearts.

Reflection

If you’re drawn to Romantasy right now, ask yourself:

• What kind of love story speaks to me: slow burn, fated bond, or enemies-to-lovers? Why do I think this is?
• Which character’s journey feels closest to my own?
• Where in my life am I learning to trust, open, or be seen?

Photo by Elin Melaas on Unsplash

Crystals and stories serve as anchors for intention, mood, and attention without forcing change. They help you listen differently to what is ending and emerging in terms of what your inner world is ready for next.

January doesn’t have to be about becoming someone new. Sometimes the deepest reset is simply to permit yourself to see more clearly, which can mean sitting with uncertainty.

Here are three crystal-and-book pairings to support your energy this month before the world speeds up again.

1. Clear Quartz

When you’re contemplating choices and paths, wondering what if?

Clear Quartz is a master crystal of clarity, especially if you feel scattered or overwhelmed. If you’re at a crossroads, questioning direction, or feeling pulled between possibilities, this energy is about seeing yourself or your situation without distortion. It clears the noise or mental fog, amplifies intention and helps you hear your own voice again so you can be true to yourself and a new beginning.

For readers, it can support your choice of an emotional direction for the year, help you focus attention during short reading windows or assist with anchoring a personal reading intention.

Recommended story pairing: Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

At its heart, this story isn’t about becoming a perfect version of yourself. It’s about shedding illusions – expectations, silence, and fear – until we can finally see who we truly are.

This is a story for anyone asking:

• Who am I when I stop performing?
• What path feels true, not impressive?
• What remains when the noise falls away?
• What do I see of myself reflected in the story?

Reading intention:
What do I know already that I’ve been avoiding?

2. Moonstone

When you sense change, but aren’t ready to name or grasp it yet

Moonstone shines in thresholds and liminal spaces. Connected to cycles, feminine wisdom, intuition and emotional flow, it offers calm support when something is shifting – when your intuition senses before your mind understands.

It reminds us that not everything needs to be understood, but rather felt, especially if you’re craving softness, romance or inner connection. It offers space for reading moods to change, helping you stay open to the emotional swings in stories – and yourself.

Story pairing: Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

This luminous story moves like moonlight on water – fluid, reflective, and full of possibility. It explores choice, fate, regret, and free will, reminding us that life isn’t a fixed path, but a series of shimmering alternatives.

This is a story for anyone:

• Facing a season of uncertainty, emotional transition and inner awakening.
• Looking for answers – why not trust the tide and assess what possibilities glow the brightest?

Reading intention:
What am I feeling beneath the surface?

3. Smoky Quartz

When you’re releasing heaviness and disconnecting from the previous year

Smoky Quartz is grounding, protective, and cleansing. It helps you release emotional clutter – disappointment, fatigue, old stories – without forcing yourself into instant optimism.

For readers, Smoky Quartz can support releasing guilt around unfinished business (or books), grounding after emotionally intense stories or creating a calm reading space.

Story pairing: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

The shifting doors and smoke-like boundaries between worlds in this story mirror the way identity and possibility can change when we release what weighs us down.

This is a story for anyone:

• Wanting to close emotional chapters and rewrite old definitions.
• Looking for a portal (or doorway) into lighter, more spacious timelines.

Reading intention:
What door might be opening for me?

How to use this pairing practice:

Choose the crystal and story that resonate most with your emotional landscape at the moment. Try this:

• Hold or place the crystal nearby while you read.
• Before reading, ask: What inside me is ready to shift, release, or be seen?
• Notice what moments in the story feel like mirrors.

Photo by Sierra NiCole Narvaeth on Unsplash

Perfect for a quick read, each snapshot captures a fleeting moment based on an emotion, experience, thought or prompt.

This month’s Seasonal Snapshot #1 of Festive Fiction was written in response to the Curtis Brown Creative (CBC) Winter Story competition on Instagram #CBCWinterStory25.

I followed the prompt set by Maame Blue as the first line of an original flash fiction story: The tree looked naked once all the ornaments were smashed…

Naked Joy

The tree looked naked once all the ornaments were smashed.

Stunned by the silent chaos, Gill clutched the doorframe. Now even her plastic pine had buckled under forced festive cheer. Deep-green tinsel twisted around lower branches and drooped across the carpet. She kicked it aside. They would be here soon, wanting a winter wonderland when the best she had was a summer setting.

Craving calm, she observed the fever tree outside, its bark a pale-lime glow in the African sun. A weaver was crafting a nest for inspection, ruby eyes bright against his masked face and lemony body, as he flitted between thorns. If the nest was not perfect in placement, construction, or greenness, the female would tear it apart. Talk about expectations.

Back to the shattered stew on her floor. The window had been open during the night’s gusty thundershower and one explanation was simple physics – the tree wobbling on its rickety tripod stand.

More probable was Portia, her senior pug, brushing against it after her midnight drink of water and then fighting with it – or with Santa Paws bumbling around in the dark. He wasn’t the youngest either. The fruit mince pie she’d left out – hoping he’d be generous to Portia – was untouched. Clearly he preferred shortbread, or a cooler climate.

Portia waited at the door.

“Okay, let’s go potty, and then you can bite open your present.”

She left Portia to sniff and circle on the lawn. A sassy zik-zik-zik sounded above the weaver at work, as his emerald nest shimmered in the sunlight. He was weaving her tinsel through the twigs, grass, and plant fibres.

Joy lifted inside her, unexpected and naked.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Day-to-day life is not much different. We set a direction, start climbing our mountain, and then something/someone pulls us off-trail. Sometimes it’s chosen, other times it’s forced, but often it doesn’t feel optional at all. Yet, almost always, it becomes meaningful.

Side quests in books (and life) are usually delays, detours, pauses, chance decisions or distractions, but they are important in the sense that the character will emerge as someone capable of the main quest. While they can be unexpected, inconvenient or uncomfortable, they are never wasted. A side quest can be a temporary job, a healing period, a pause to care for someone, a new relationship, a project ‘just for now’, or a personal crisis. There may even be times when the side quest transforms into the main path – when detours reveal a path we hadn’t previously considered, but it turns out to be exactly right, more aligned and more honest.

Matt Haig’s book, The Midnight Library, is a beautiful example of how much impact a side quest – or making one different choice – can have on a life. In the book, Nora finds herself between life and death in a library of infinite possibilities. Each book she opens lets her experience a life she could have had – careers she never pursued, relationships she didn’t build, and adventures she never took.

“Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived.” – The Midnight Library, Matt Haig

Not everyone will understand your side quest/s. Some may think you’ve ‘lost the plot’, or you’re ‘wasting time’, but these comments reveal their fear, not your truth. People who misunderstand your detours are usually:

• afraid of taking their own
• uncomfortable with ambiguity
• invested in you staying predictable
• projecting their insecurities
• unaware that growth often looks chaotic before it looks clear

Your role isn’t to convince them. Your role is to continue your story. Side quests don’t need outside approval to be valuable. Not everyone understands your internal timing, personal transformation, or story arc.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” – The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost

Think of a detour you’ve experienced recently…

• How did it revisit a lesson from your past in a new way?
• How did it turn out to be meaningful?
• What is one thing your side quest has taught you that will guide your next step?

If you’re ready to integrate your side quest and get back on track:

• Acknowledge what it gave you – insights, clarity, stamina, a boundary, a relationship, skills, or perspective.
• Take a small next step – you don’t need the whole plan.
• Release the idea of ‘lost time’ – you weren’t lost, you were learning.
• Re-enter your path with new insight – your main journey may not be the same, and that’s perfect because you’re not the same person.
• Let the transition be gradual – heroes don’t leap from the side quest to final battle.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

It’s a cosy, spiced mug of deliciousness – perfect for dreaming, reading, or pausing to enjoy the magic of the season. This warming brew also supports digestion, circulation, and overall balance by offering a calming, restorative effect.

Ingredients (makes 1 cup):

• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Pinch of black pepper
• A slice or two of peeled, thinly sliced fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• 1-2 tsp honey (adjust to taste)
• Optional pinch of saffron filaments (can be infused in the brew or sprinkled on top for decoration)

Method:

1. Keep the water at a low simmer. Add the turmeric, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, half the honey, and optional saffron.
2. Simmer for at least 10 minutes to extract the flavours, stirring occasionally and enjoying the warm, spiced aroma.
3. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Stir in the remaining honey before serving.
4. Strain the brew into a mug (to leave sediment behind).
5. If using saffron as decoration, sprinkle a few threads on top.
6. Enjoy warm or cool – it’s especially comforting as a mid-afternoon treat.
7. Wrap your hands around the mug and imagine a dream weaver hovering above your shoulder.

Main Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash