where my thoughts live

1. 

Relatability (Not Perfection)

Readers need to see themselves in your protagonist—whether through small habits, internal struggles, or quiet desires.

Flaws are essential. Think: anxiety over texts, a tendency to overthink, procrastination, people-pleasing, etc.

2. 

Introspective Depth

Slice of life thrives on the internal. Your character should reflect, doubt, and evolve slowly. Their inner world is the story.

Give them a strong internal voice or thought life—even if they’re quiet or reserved externally.

3. 

Consistent Motivation

What do they want from life? It doesn’t have to be grand. Maybe they just want to be understood, to feel safe, or to finish something they’ve started.

Their motivation drives the emotional arc, not plot twists.

4. 

Emotional Honesty

Readers are drawn to characters who feel things deeply and genuinely.

Let them react in imperfect ways. Let them cry, freeze, avoid, lash out, or misread a situation—and grow from it.

5. 

Small Stakes, Big Resonance

Your character’s conflicts should feel significant to them, even if they’re seemingly small.

Example: standing up to a friend, choosing a college, leaving a job, confronting a parent.

6. 

Distinct Voice

Especially in first-person or close third-person, give your protagonist a voice with texture. Dry humor? Anxious rambling? Blunt honesty? Curious detachment?

7. 

Growth Over Time

Show change—but not necessarily a total transformation. Slice of life often celebrates subtle shifts: becoming more open, learning to forgive, deciding to stay instead of run.

The morning sun filtered through soft-diffused glass windows, casting a muted golden glow across the room. The light didn’t hurt your eyes here—no harsh fluorescents, no blinding white light that demanded you be more alert than you felt capable of. You stretch in your favorite hoodie, the one no one tells you is “too casual,” because in this world, comfort is a priority, not a rebellion.

Outside, the city breathes slowly.

The crosswalks don’t beep or screech—they pulse softly under your feet. Traffic flows in silence. People walk at their own pace, no need for tight corridors or elbowed apologies. No one stares if you’re stimming. No one flinches if you don’t make eye contact. Your headphones are not questioned; they’re understood.

You pause at the corner cafe. There’s a sign out front:

“Sensory Menu Available. Take your time.”

The barista doesn’t push for chatter. She smiles gently and points to a keypad where you can type your order if words aren’t easy this morning. No rush. No performance.

The building next door is a “Conversation Library.” Inside, people gather to share thoughts—on pages, on screens, in colors or sketches, with time to reflect. There’s no pressure to debate, impress, or argue. Listening is just as valued as speaking.

At school and work, people check in with their energy levels...not just their calendars. Meetings start with the question, “Do you have the bandwidth today?” and end with “Would you like quiet time now?” Nobody is penalized for needing solitude. That’s just a respected boundary.

The city has rooms everywhere, nooks of soft light and silence, for people to reset. Weighted blankets hang on the backs of chairs. Fidget trays sit beside pens and notebooks. No one hides their needs here. There’s nothing to hide.

You walk slowly past a mural where someone painted the words:

“You are not too much. You are just right. The world just needed to catch up.”

And you exhale.

This city wasn’t designed to fix you.

It was designed to meet you.

I am allowed to be a work in progress and a whole person at the same time.

I do not have to fix everything I feel.

My thoughts are visitors — not orders.

Rest is not a weakness. Growth does not always mean doing more.

Today, I choose to be curious, not critical — of myself and the world around me.

this is ok.

you are ok.

everything will work out, you can do this, you are stronger today than you were back then.

you've experienced and you've learned.

do not dive off the deep end, there is no need to overexert yourself.

you know your limits, keep your peace, keep your boundaries.

KEEP DOING THE WORK ON YOUR DREAMS

this will pass, but with everyday you get closer to reaching your dreams.

whimsical

immersive

friendship

slice of life

love

Fear, the fear is starting to become all consuming. It's overtaking me, I am drowning beneath it's waves of anxiety and doubt.  I was such an ambitious, resilient, thick skinned, strong woman and am now reduced to a struggling people pleaser in recovery. I can't say I have recovered when I don't think I did the work to heal, and instead I pushed everyone away to allow myself some peace. 

Why is it so hard for others to respect the boundaries one sets for themselves in order to live a thriving life? Do I need to scream to get it through? A people pleaser and push over to boot. I know you want more than I can give, you know my potential, you've seen my work ethic and I produce good. But, my potential is not yours to own. 

Living in a capitalistic society where you are expected to give so much to your employer and receive so little in return is not a life I am interested in living. Money does not motivate me to give a company my life, yet it was so ingrained in me at such a young age to do all I can within my power to help my employer succeed, even if it kills me.

How, oh how do I get out of this situation? I need an exit plan, I must prepare to save myself. How does one dim their own light to make others uninterested in "my potential". Just dim enough so that people stop trying to use it for their own gain

I  know I must save myself, from future burnout, from people pleasing, from the myth that my worth is measured only by what I can produce.

I want to be free to roam the fields of wildflowers, to hike the ponderosa forests, inhale the red rocks into my skin. Healing. I want healing. Break free from these chains of societal expectations.