48 | Writing and spring restlessness

Hi everyone,

I'm in this strange liminal space right now, editing two projects at once. The veil between them feels thin as smoke.

It’s spring restlessness, I think, making it tempting to cross that barrier between them frequently. I want to inhabit both worlds at the same time. It’s hard to pace myself.

On Instagram I wrote that spring makes me feel “like I’m bursting out of my skin to walk and walk until my body gives out, like I want to turn everything upside-down to remind myself that I can.⁠”
⁠
The same feeling is showing up in my editing. I have such a strong urge to move, fix, resolve. This is stronger in the newer novel, the one that’s more nebulous and riddled with placeholder text. I peer through the spaces of possibility in those yet-unwritten places and I light up. The hibernating bear in my brain, now awakened, feels a little destructive. How would it look to turn this upside-down too?

I won’t, though, don’t worry. I’ve been observing my spring restlessness for a few years now and I think what it really wants is just acknowledgement, not actually to flip things over. I’m not one for grand gestures anymore. I prefer solidity, little intentional changes.

This is actually the best mindset for editing, isn’t it? It’s exciting to cross the barrier from one novel into another, poke around, see what can change. But I’m taking things as slowly as possible and not indulging in hours of deep work. I have to make room for patience, for observing, for listening to what filters in. I want to remain open to those little moments of inspiration. If you’ll indulge me in another spring metaphor: I don’t want to trample all over the small, growing things at this stage.

Pivoting away from writing for a second, a few days ago I shared a free article about the Filipino hidden city of Biringan, including stories about engkanto and theories about why the legend endures. It’s a full sample of a typical Chronicle I write monthly for the Boundary Keepers and Path Shifters tiers on Patreon. It’s here if you’re interested. Oh, and during April I’m running a 10% discount on one month of all tiers of Patreon membership. If that sounds good, you can use code APRIL10 when joining.

If it’s spring where you are, how are you feeling? Eager for stories of transformation and internal shifts? Or curious about what’s growing in your life?

If it’s the former, I suggest you check out Katie Li’s short stories Ghosted and Mr. X - now in cool paperbacks! Ghosted is about a new homeowner who makes an unusual friend after his fiancée ghosts him, and in Mr. X, a boy seeks the guidance of the neighbourhood hitman in order to kill his father. If you like my work, you’ll like Katie’s too.

If it’s the latter, I suggest you check out Corinne Cunningham’s Write Into Spring journalling workshop on April 25. Her workshops are always chill, low-pressure, and reflective, and the last one I took helped me realize I’m actually not shitty at journalling! This time she’ll offer prompts and freewriting to help you focus on what you’re cultivating this spring.

If you’re a creative, I also recommend “The Fool | Tarot & Literature” lecture on YouTube. It’s part of a series breaking down one tarot card at a time and how it can support creative work like writing, art, and music. My favourite quotes from this video:

Thanks for reading Deadmedia today. I’d love to hear what you thought — leave me a comment or hit Reply to send me an email!

Talk soon,
-Sg.

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