#7in7

I have always lusted over beauty

beauty in a photo

beauty in words

beauty in people, especially

the beauty I found in women often confused me

was I supposed to be quite so enthralled by the blush dusted over freckled cheeks

that bunched beneath crinkled eyes when she smiled?

that heavenly smile to match that beautiful laugh!

was I supposed to press my own lips together

when watching her apply lipgloss?

wondering how those lips would taste under mine

sure, beauty can be found in all people

boys included

but I’ve just always been drawn to girls

in all their cherry pink softness

with their smooth skin and dark eyelashes

catching glitter from their eyeshadow

surrounded by the damp morning dew of grass and daisy-flowers

that’s how I’d like to find my love

at least,

in the meantime, the artist is excellent. the process was so smooth and easy. i highly recommend working with her. you can find more of her work on instagram.

Today was supposed to be the last day for writing but that has been pushed back to the 23rd, with intended publication still on the 24th.

(does that pull time from its sister novella? yea. but that plays more to what i feel my strengths are)

Anyway. Big The Sidh fan while I race the clock.

The brain is on fire, and light fucking hurts, which is making it very hard to write. And to think, if I'm honest. HOWEVER. I cannot not think of my girl. Consider:

Essë the sorcerous is looked upon as competent and a trustworthy soldier on the battlefield. It's a position that she doesn't enjoy, because conscription, but that she likes, because power is privilege is ease. She's not a troublemaker who makes her people look bad. She's respected. She's listened to.

It was after choosing her name as Essë that I realised I was confusing ë with the ǚ in Nǚwā. The 'ewe' sound rather than the 'oo' sound.

But I like the way that Essë looks.

I debated whether to share this or not. Is it going to even make it into the book? Is the book even going to meet its deadline? If it doesn't.... Could I even spare another seven weeks?