Top 24 Books of 2024: A Reading Wrap Up

by R.F. Gammon - December 19, 2024

Hello, sweet friends! It is almost the end of the year (WHAT) and so I am here before you all to announce that I have read an absurd quantity of books this year. I announce this to my own shame. I did not need to do this, but I did, and here I am to report back from the front lines: Statistics! My top books!

Overall I read 150 books this year. That was, in fact, my final reading goal, raised from an initial 60 to 100 and then up to an insane 150. TO CLARIFY: I read this much because I had insane commutes all year and I listen to audiobooks very, very fast. It's the ADHD. I am not here to rub my numbers in anyone's face! This is the most books I've ever read in a year, and I don't know that I'll recreate it. A lot of elements came together to make this possible.

But! I read SO MANY GOOD BOOKS this year! I think my main reason for that is that I finally started reading Adult Fiction and specifically literary fiction/fantasy. YA fantasy is simply no longer my genre most of the time, and I'm learning to be okay with that, because GOSH adult is wonderful.

With that out of the way: let's get into my top 24 books of 2024 and some mini reviews!

Honorable Mentions

Fun fact: the last 3 out of 5 of this lineup are ALL from my Seattle trip! I had SUCH a good reading list from that trip. We love to see it.

#24: Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore

This goes to both books in this duology, but basically: a teenage girl with intense secrets drives a semi truck over icy mountains through magical storms with a motley crew of THE BEST little gang. I loved it.

#23: Fight Write by Carla Hoch

The first of two nonfiction books on this list. Carla is SO GOOD at her craft, but I really give this such a high spot because of Carla's own voice and the way she describes her experiences. I loved this.

#22: Rose's Ruin by Oceane MacAllister

One of my beta read projects this year, and GOSH I loved this. Super anticipated prequel and so so good overall.

#21: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

You will sense a theme with Backman as we go along, but this one is a dark comedy about aging, loss, and found family. Trigger warnings include suicidal thoughts.

#20: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

A YA romance? On the top of the list? I was BLOWN AWAY by this book. I was expecting poorly done disability rep, but overall, I loved both main characters, their internal conflicts, and their relationship SO MUCH. Content warning: some language, domestic abuse, and on-page spice.

#19: The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black

LE SIGH this duology was nowhere near the same as the original Cruel Prince trilogy, which is an all time favorite for me. BUT I can forgive this one because we got SO MUCH JURDAN. Artwork.

#18: James by Percival Everett

A quietly explosive novel retelling the story of Jim from Huckleberry Finn. Dark, painful, and unflinching. It stares straight into the face of slavery, holds your eyes, and doesn't let you look away. Content warnings: yes, this is an adult novel about slavery, with so much honesty. It doesn't shy away from a single aspect of that.

#17: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

A bank robber flees the scene, takes shelter in an apartment being shown as an open house, and takes everyone there hostage. The blurb tells you hilarity ensues; I did laugh a lot, but I also cried, so much. This book ached somewhere deep in my chest. Backman writes real people. Trigger warning for deep, painful, careful conversations about suicide.

#16: In Memoriam by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

An epic by one of the greatest poets of all time, dealing with the anguish and agony of losing his best friend. It spans three years, with Christmas as the refrain. This poem described grief so honestly and candidly and painfully and I loved it. I have read it twice this year.

#15: Water Horse by Katie Hanna

Katie is a dear friend. She's been writing this book forever and I NEEDED IT like...several years ago. It was an absolutely surreal experience to hold this in my hands and I ADORED it. The mythology! The characters! The CREATURES! So so good.

#14: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

The second nonfic book on this list. Riveting, disgusting, horrifying, and so well researched. I have been ranting about this case for months. Injustice makes me very angry, and if you're intrigued by the Osage people, by America's darkest secrets, by any of that kind of thing...read this. You will probably be disturbed by what you learn. I know I was.

#13: A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

This may have been one of my top books of the year, quite honestly. I am in love with this story and the worldbuilding. It's the first book I've read that does the issue of trafficking, female enslavement, and that sort of thing WELL. The sister story at the center is SO well done. I just loved this. It had so many tropes I usually HATE in YA, but it twisted them so well and made me DESPISE the villain and love the main pairing so much. Also! This was his-fic! I didn't know that, but I feel like i learned so much about historical Korea. Loved this and I will absolutely be reading more of Hur's books.

#12: Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

I read this series this year, both books, and y'all. I ATE THIS UP with a spoon. I don't normally read romantasy, but this one was SO FUN. A lot of sexual tension in this, so if that's not something you're interested in, skip it. But also. SO GOOD. so fun. I laughed out loud. I read each of these in a day.

#11: The Dreams Between Us by Brooke Riley

Yep! It's my bestie's book, but like. Y'all. You need this in your life. Let's talk heavy backstory. Let's talk lovable boys in pickup trucks. Let's talk will they won't they friends to enemies to maybe lovers (my FAVORITE). You need this in your life, babes. you truly do.

#10: Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Coleridge

I also read this one twice. This POEM, y'all. This poem. It's 100 pages long. I love it. It's about depression and darkness and hopelessness and the light of Christ and the brokenness of the world around us and the beauty of creation. I wrote multiple papers on this poem and basically I would read it a thousand more times. I probably will.

#9: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

This was actually my first ever Sanderson! And now I can't get enough. I ADORED this. I know it's connected to the larger Cosmere and I am so excited to see more of this world, but this particular storyworld and the regions they explored and the pirate vibes and the romantic twist...oh my gosh. In love with this and I need more Sanderson NOW.

#8: Collusion by HSJ Williams

The first book in this series came out when I was still in high school. Specifically: that means I was a baby. An INFANT. This has been an anticipated release for me for like...five years or something ridiculous. But while I enjoyed Moonscript, Collusion blew it out of the water. It's my favorite storyline: traumatized fantasy MC forced to overcome obstacles that threaten to drag him back to the darkness of his own mind. It's a wonderfully complex look at emotional turmoil, PTSD, and recovery and I loved every page.

#7: And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

This is a novella. This novella, y'all. This made me weep like a BABY. My grandma has Alzheimer's, and this book made me feel so intimately understood. It made me feel like she was intimately understood. Backman has a way with our darkest, messiest human moments that makes me never want to stop reading his books, and I hope he never stops writing.

#6: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands

This is SUCH a fun series. It's like the Cruel Prince but for adults and with less angst, which is everything I want at this point in my life. Heavy on the folklore; light on the romance. But what romance there is? GOOD GOLLY GIVE ME MORE. Wendell is my favorite. Emily is amazing. The side characters are amazing. I love this series and I cannot wait for book 3 to drop next year.

#5: The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Doug Adams

A classic of the sci-fi, satire, comedy, and fantastical genres, and for good reason. I laughed til I cried listening to this audiobook. My dad actually asked me to stop listening to it while driving because he feared for my safety. Just an incredible time that made me remember why I loved reading FUN things.

#4: Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

Divine Rivals is one of my all time favorite books, and this sequel lived up to it (at least for me) in every way imaginable. I love these characters. I love this world. I want to reread immediately. Please and thank you and good night. That is all.

#3: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I wasn't expecting a 17 hour his-fic audiobook to save me from my reading slump. I could not have been more wrong. This was a glittering, gorgeous look at Russia as it was, could have been, should have been. The cast was larger than life, the stories were beautiful, the setting was so evocative. I loved everything about this and I could not recommend more highly. This is the only one of the top three I /can/ recommend without reservation, actually, and that is because the top two are...

#2: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I picked this up aware of a mere two things: it was recommended by a college professor I respect, and it won a Pulitzer. Those things were quickly superceded by the immense narrative power of the book itself. I gasped. I had to cover my eyes. The violence and the rage and the raw evil of human depravity on display in this book are hard to witness. But the end? The ending is exploding with hope and light and the brilliance of carrying the fire and finding an end to the line. This is rated beyond R, probably beyond TV-MA, and it was so violent and hard to look at. But if you have a strong stomach and a willingness to appreciate literary merit...wow. Wow. Wow.

#1: Beartown by Fredrik Backman

The fourth Backman in the top four. My top read of the year. That's a very high medal to grasp, and yet Beartown does it easily. How? Why? I honestly can't say. This was an ensemble cast story about a small town in the woods of Sweden (or maybe Denmark; I don't believe the book specifies, but Backman is Swedish). The only thing going for them is their hockey team. No one can take that from them...even when the hockey team's star player does something unforgivable. A young girl decides to have courage and call him out for it, even though she knows justice will never be forthcoming. We see so many people involved in this mess, so many people forced to make decisions. Backman delves into the dark parts of our souls in everyday life--our willingness to let injustice occur so that we might be comfortable. Our willingness to let things slide so we can keep winning. Our willingness to throw our weakest--our women, our children, our minorities--to the wolves. No one in this book is guiltless. Only a couple are entirely bad. Backman forces us to look at this town and to realize: There am I. Trigger warnings for SA and violence. What a book. What a gentle, carefully handled, tearful book.

And there it is: my top 24 books for the year, plus 5 honorable mentions. That brings us to 29. What an unsatisfying number. If you have top books, comment them down below so I can ~~add them to my endless TBR~~ know what kind of books excite you! Have you read any of these? Which were your favorites? Talk to me in the comments!

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Know the Novel Part 2: Sadly, I Died. But I Lived!

by R.F. Gammon - November 25, 2024

Greetings, friends! Life is too busy for much blogging, but I'm hoping to be active again over here soon. For now: here is a little follow-up on Christine Smith's blogging tag and linkup. I'm talking about my novels, Trucker and The King's Daughter. If you'd like more info on those, part one of the tag can be found here. Without further ado: the questions!

1. How’s the writing going overall?

Haha I think I have made zero progress since my last post. Maybe a little more than that. But very little writing has been done, mostly because life has been SO insane. More details on that to come, but for now, suffice to say: there will be more writing this year. I WILL finish these books by the end of the year. That is all.

2. What’s been the most fun aspect of writing this novel so far?

For Trucker: getting to explore the settings of the brutal, rugged PNW and delve so deep into the way that this particular setting affects all of the characters. I don't use a lot of setting to drive story--it's not usually one of my strong suits, but I have really, really enjoyed this one.

For The King's Daughter: I'm really loving the way that my characters are adapting with my own experiences. For instance, one of my villains in the OG was a terrible person...and that was it. With this draft, he's become a much more developed person. He's still evil, but there's a lot more nuance to him, which will also help make my actual Big Bad more evil (since he isn't nuanced at all. Lol).

3. What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?

Trucker: They confuse me. They confuse me so much. I can't figure them out and I'm desperately trying to understand, but they're surprising me daily and I don't know what to DO with them.

The King's Daughter: They're my old babies and I love them dearly. I have been with these characters, in some cases, since I was 8 years old, and I'm obsessed with them. However, they still wish to end my life at all times. The mixed bag effect is real.

4. Has your novel surprised you in any way?

It's been shocking to realize that my novel is better when I actually let the characters do their own thing. I used to want to control them way more, but now they just kind of make decisions, and that's how I've made progress lately. It's been strange but very fun.

5. Have you come across any problem areas?

Everything? Haha. I don't even know at this point. I tend to feel heavily like I'm messing the book up when I don't know what's going on, and letting things come full circle is difficult difficult lemon difficult. I am a control freak--can you tell? You can't tell, right?

6. What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?

Progress. All progress is good progress at this point. I'm also actually seeing chemistry between my male and female leads in Pentegreens at this point, which is Good and Important considering everyone has shipped them for decades but they've never felt, to me, like they had much chemistry.

7. If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?

In Trucker, I think I'd be Donna. She's the love interest's older sister, and I think I'd do exactly what she does: sit in my house, eat food, wrap up in lots of blankets, and turn the volume up in my earbuds while everyone else is screaming and causing explosions. She really had it right.

In Pentegreens: I'd probably just end up being Elensha, at this point. She's a side villain. I would have left my situationship and probably been way happier than she ends up.

8. Give us the first sentence or paragraph then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!

Trucker:

There is one rule for living out here: if you can’t handle it, you’re not in the right place.

Ash crunched under Tyler’s feet as he leapt down from the truck cab. His leather jacket made him look three times bulkier than his actual bodyweight, and that was a good thing at Barb’s mid-mountain gas line.

Kicking pieces of asphalt out of his way, Tyler entered the building. There was no bell over the door anymore, though he could remember the days when Barb’s had a bell tinkling when everyone entered and chocolate at the counter for every child.

He wasn’t a child anymore. This was real life.

Another snippet from Trucker:

Sienna looks out the window at the town. Her town. She has shot a man for this town just today, and she already knows she will be doing it again. Not much time will have to pass, either. She will do anything, anything at all, to protect this place.

“Where were you on February 6th, 2068?” she hisses into the phone after a moment.

Dead silence.

Then Peter laughs out loud. His laughter shreds the phone to bits, roaring, a cascading waterfall from somewhere high atop the mountains. Sienna holds the phone away from her ear and waits, because this question could answer everything if he’s serious about being honest.

“Any legitimate question, girl,” Peter says after a moment, and then the phone clicks.

The King's Daughter opening:

The blast of the horn was one last deep breath before Esma Pentegreen opened her eyes and looked up at the sky. It was dark. It was all dark.

The heat brimming in her hands, only enough to warm herself, hardly even noticeable as a power, crackled in her fingertips as she moved restlessly about on the street below the wall. The gate would swing open in moments, and their army would be home. The men who had been fighting in the Northern Sector would finally be safe.

But one look at her father’s face told her that it would hardly be easy to get those men back inside the walls.

Another one:

“Excuse me, young lady, but where are you heading off to?”

Esma’s heart missed a beat. Her feet tangled in each other and she stopped, far too fast. Slowly she turned back. Cold washed over her. Such intense cold.

A man stood behind her. A tall, tall man, taller even than Rishatta. His skin was dark, his black hair was cut short, and his face was perfectly clean-shaven. A cold smirk lit his icy blue eyes. “I couldn’t help noticing your speed and wondered if I could assist you,” he said. Her eyes followed his hand as it moved to rest on the hilt of his sword. “Do you require an escort?”

Esma swallowed hard. “No,” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “I was just…on a morning run through the camp. It’s quite nice. Sir.”

His smile grew wider. “Well, don’t let me detain you,” he said, sweeping an arm wide. “Although…I must say, Princess, I have been quite eager to speak with you.”

9. Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)

I mean...in Pentegreens, I have 100% let one of my villains try to kill my protagonist in a way that would never have been acceptable in my older drafts. Things are messy and violent over on that side of things and I'm also FINALLY letting Kariana use the occasional bad word. Not too many, mind you, but occasionally.

10. Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!

All I can say for right now is that I am very much looking forward to getting into a normal writing day routine in the near future!

That's it for the book! If you'd like to share what you're writing in the comments, I'd LOVE to know. Chat with me down below about things you might want to know about the book! I'm looking forward to sharing more once I have actual thoughts!

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Know the Novel: Both My WIPs

by R.F. Gammon - October 15, 2024

HELLO it is that time of year again! I am not participating in FicFrenzy this year (because I have an insane amount of stuff happening in October/November) and I am not participating in NaNoWriMo this year (because MY GOSH who needs NaNo? Who LIKES NaNo? I'm literally so over NaNo. Gonna write a breakup song about how NaNo broke my heart), but I'm still doing tons of writing (to procrastinate all the stuff happening in October/November!) so I wanted to jump on the Know the Novel tag!

This tag is originated and maintained by the immaculate Christine Smith and if you don't follow her...what are you doing with your life? Go read about her amazing sounding book and more.

Anyway, today we have not one but TWO WIPs to discuss because I am an over achiever and cannot sit still. Let's talk my two current novels!

Pentegreens Book 1: The King's Daughter

WIP Known only as: Trucker

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

TKD: This WIP is so old that I couldn't even tell you at this point. It's been kicking around in my brain in some form or fashion since I was 6 years old. That thing is older than some of my readers at this point. I don't know where it came from, but at this point: I'm writing the non-toxic romance we all need to see in this Booktok world.

Trucker: A combination of my fascination with long-term nuclear waste storage, my visit to Washington State and the North Cascades, and my constant inability to not write complex and painful brother-sister relationships

2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

TKD: Six months of war have brought the enemy to Princess Esma Pentegreen's very city. The revelation that the mysterious Lord Dauthang has been hunting her down all along is bad enough, but then the enemy general's son appears in her father's throne room, begging for amnesty. They can't trust him. Esma knows she can't trust him. But as her family begins to fall under the weight of war and the enemy draws closer, she begins to wonder: could he be less of a monster than she'd imagined? Or is he just another enemy?

Trucker: Tyler hauls vegetables from Canada to Seattle in the aftermath of nuclear war. His sister, Sienna, defends their town from looters and enemies. But when Sienna's ex, Franco, shows up to warn them that his definitely evil father is trying to take over the supply chain, things go dicey.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?

TKD: This book in the series takes place almost entirely in Esma's capital city of Misue and the surrounding forests. It's a lot like Minas Tirith, but as the years have gone by, I've really worked to try to make this place more of its own unique setting and not just Middle Earth. What that leads to? A whole heck of a lot of industry. Also a military encampment in the middle of the woods.

Trucker: This is set entirely in the northernmost part of the Pacific Northwest. I fell in love with this area when I visited and I cannot wait to go back. The tallest mountains in the Lower 48 and tiny towns nestled among them? Mountains literally named Mt. Tribulation and Mt. Damnation? I love this setting and it is one of the most surreal real-world places I've ever been.

4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).

TKD: Princess Esma Pentegreen is our main character. She's a shy but determined girl who is determined to see justice and who loves good and beautiful things. Her entire thing is trying to stop a war by understanding the other side, and her heart is so full of love for everyone around her.

Trucker: We have two in this one, Tyler Harris and Sienna Harris. Tyler is a happy-go-lucky mountain man who's prepared for anything, because he knows what happened last time he wasn't. Sienna is a tough-as-nails sharpshooter who cannot feel any emotions or love or anything else, because she knows what happened last time.

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

In both books: the MMC's evil dad!

TKD: There is a real series villain, Lord Dauthang, who the DnDers would probably call the BBEG. But in book 1, he's entirely offscreen and behind the scenes. In TKD, the real villain is Burashna Woods, general of Dauthang's army and governor (read: king) of Esma's neighboring nation, Venaria. He's made a deal with Dauthang for nefarious reasons (vengeance and power), and he's ready to do whatever it takes to get what he perceives as justice...and to protect his family from the Pentegreens at any and all costs.

Trucker: The villain is Peter Bismark. Sienna was in a relationship with his son, Franco, until Franco started working for him. Sienna still blames Peter for killing her dad. For years, Peter has had a rival trucking and logistics business, which Sienna's father never saw as a big deal...until Peter started caring less about the money and more about gaining power in a nuclear apocalypse. Now everyone has concerns.

6. What excites you the most about this novel?

TKD: I feel like I've finally unlocked the story and I'm so excited to finish this draft, edit it, and start PITCHING IT EEP

Trucker: I've never written apocalyptic before, but it's so fun and also I'm in love with my prose so far

7. Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?

TKD: First of a series of four, plus two prequel novellas

Trucker: currently standalone

8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

TKD: the whole book is already written and this is just a scene by scene rewrite, so...plotting I guess?

Trucker: PANTSING BABY WHO NEEDS A CONCLUSION

9. Name a few unique elements in this story.

TKD: fire and ice motifs! Extremely slow burn to the point where you're concerned that they'll never actually 'fess up! Multiple villains! Soft, kind female protagonist who never actually stops being soft and kind!

Trucker: long-term nuclear waste storage! Magical realism in the apocalypse! Folklore!

10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

Since I'm already writing both of these: How about a couple of snippets from each?

TKD snippets:

Esma looked up into her mother’s eyes and saw the flames still dancing there. Mama had not given up.

She couldn’t either.

“I’m so weak,” she whispered before she could stop herself. “And I’m so afraid. I’m useless and hopeless and—”

“None of that is true, my love.” Mama ran her fingers through Esma’s hair. “You are not hopeless. Your hope is the fire that burns in your heart and it keeps all of us looking up. You always, always point to the Mighty One. You find something bright. You grit your teeth and you keep going.” She placed both hands on Esma’s shoulder, and the warmth in her fingers dispelled the cold entirely. Esma let out a sigh of relief in the sudden heat. “You don’t have to fight. Letting your eyes stay on the stars and your hands stay full of warmth? That’s enough. That’s all you need to do. It makes you strong.”

A sob choked from Esma and she fell forward. Mama sank to her knees before Esma’s chair and pulled her into her arms. Her shoulder was so soft against Esma’s cheek.

The murmur of Mama’s words filled her ears, like a lullaby from beyond the sky, from the Mighty One himself.

“Listen to me, my daughter. You are not a failure. You are my brave, beautiful girl. You are the most precious thing in my life, and if I lost you, I would tear the world apart to get you back. I will never let you go. I love you more than you can ever even imagine. You are my strong, strong daughter and you are enough.”

There, in the safety of her mother’s arms, Esma could finally let the tears fall fast and thick and free.

There were eyes on Rishatta. He could feel their weight, their judgment, their questions. He had always been the camp enigma, the one no one understood. He was the general’s son, a man without a rank, unwilling to fight, unwilling to stand down. His father was the most powerful man in Venaria, and all he had was a thin chill. He loved Venaria. He loved his people, his nation. He was a living scandal. He had never belonged. He had never found somewhere he wanted to belong.

Trucker:

Donna shook her head. “It’s funny. You know Yellowstone?”

Sienna nodded. When she was a kid, Mom and Dad had taken them there on a road trip. At the age of six, she’d done nothing but complain about how long the car ride was. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, she just wished she could get back in that car and see them again. This time, she’d do it right. This time, she wouldn’t take it for granted.

“When I was small, I heard about how if Yellowstone erupted, it would kill us all. It would be the worst possible natural disaster. And Mami used to take no end about Krakatoa and the ashfall from that, and how it made the sun go black. People remember volcanoes forever.”

Sienna tried to smile but couldn’t find it in herself. “I try not to.”

“I was so afraid that there would be a natural disaster, back in the day. So scared that Yellowstone would blow up and kill us all with ash.” Donna shook her head. “Who’d have thought that humans could do that ourselves?”

“We’ve always been capable of destruction far beyond our greatest dreams. It’s just that people decided to think past their dreams. They made it reality.”

The Keeper did not blink. He did not move. Tyler had never, in all of his years, seen the Keeper blink. He stood motionless as stone, staring at the mountains like he belonged to them. Perhaps he did. Perhaps he was a spirit, just like the mountains.

His boots, pure new leather, creaked as he took a step toward Tyler.

Tyler gulped and backed up.

“They call it the Blast,” the Keeper whispered, his voice echoing through the canyon, even louder than the rushing water below. “But it was far more than that. The trees, the earth, the fields…they will all die, Tyler Harris. They will burn, and no one will stop this.”

Roaring sounded behind them. Tyler’s stomach turned to ice. The biker gang? The ruffians who would simply not leave him alone?

The icy air bit into his neck. It was too early in the year for heavy snowfall, but he had to hurry. Perhaps the prickling on his neck was just his fear, but he knew better. Fear would be easy. Snow was far harder. “I have the coin,” he said, trying not to rush, because everyone knew better than to rush the Keeper. “Let me get it, and I will pay passage and cross.”

“You must not let this place perish,” the Keeper whispered. “They warned of thousands of years of fallout. They warned about all of the darkness stored below, of the things no one has ever seen. But they do not know anything. There is far more below.” He raised his hand to the waterfall.

Tyler’s skin was ice, far more than the air. “What are you saying?” he hissed.

“This place,” the Keeper whispered, “is not a place of honor.”

Ice. It was creeping down Tyler’s neck, drowning him, gripping his throat with fear. The words were familiar, somehow, hidden somewhere in the back of his mind like he could think of something, anything, that he’d heard before—

So anyway that's my WIPs! What are you all working on? Which of this stories intrigues you more? Chat with me in the comments!

4 comments

Hobbies for Writers: Five Things To Refill Your Creative Well That Don't Involve Words

by R.F. Gammon - September 02, 2024

We're writers. Therefore, we're (usually) readers. Therefore, we blog or make videos. Stories. Words, words, everywhere. They're all around us. They're everywhere we look.

But what if you're burnt out? What if words are exhausting to you right now? What if you want to read, but you start to feel like if you read any more books right now, you'll hit serious creative burnout?

Creative burnout is so real and so dangerous for us as writers. It saps our strength. It takes our feelings and turns them into all-encompassing heavy weights that keep us from getting words onto paper. That's our goal. That's our purpose. That's what we were MADE for. And yet it's so easy to feel like finding the words is impossible.

I faced that as I finished the first summer of graduation. I was burnt out personally in a lot of ways, exhausted, and uncertain how to finish writing books. I had just finished a first draft that in many ways was cathartic, but in a lot of others was exhausting and difficult to process emotionally. This was a recipe for disaster. I'd also just hit a point of reading 120 books in 2024. While I'm very proud of that number, I also am SO burnt out from reading, and I'm still taking a break from reading so that I don't just force myself to do it for numbers' sake.

Here's how I kept myself from burning out: creative outlets that didn't involve words. It's not hard to find them, although they do take a little more work than just picking up a book. Let's talk about five things that will help you, as a creative, to become a more well-rounded person and also keep you from burnout.

1. Handicrafts, especially needle crafts

I used to crochet a TON, but now I'm /really/ getting back into it. I used to only make little projects like potholders or scarves, but I'm now crocheting bookmarks, coasters, and flowers and trying to get into things like clothing.

Needle crafts are amazing because they're intensive and occupying, but you can also multitask while you do them. Talk to friends! Watch a show! Listen to a podcast (or even an audiobook) or music! It's wonderful and it works. Also, the investment to payoff ratio is incredible. You can finish so many little crochet projects very quickly, and that, my friend, is dopamine. WE ALL NEED THE DOPAMINE.

2. Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are SO GOOD for your brain. I don't have any science about that, specifically, but what I can tell you is that there is nothing bad about doing a puzzle and succeeding. Again I say: dopamine, cousins. Dopamine.

In addition: it's addictive! It's fun! It's amazing! Do more puzzles, I am so serious.

3. Exercise

I can imagine you all booing me right now. I am booing me too. Frankly, I haven't been good about working out at ALL (I do not have a gym membership right now, and I am FEELING the pain of that). But exercise doesn't have to mean cardio or anything like that (unless you like cardio! In which case: yeah, go right ahead, queen!) Go for a walk. Go for a stroll. Do some jumping jacks. If you're like the kid I babysit, do some burpees (he claims they're the best thing ever. I find that suspicious). No matter how you do it, get your body moving. It's so good for you and it'll actually get the creative juices flowing like nothing else can.

4. Music

This can look like listening to music or making music. Personally, I think everyone should have a musical outlet. If you're not a singer, find an instrument. If you don't have a budget, that's okay! Personally, I get my music from playing piano. You can usually find pianos for VERY cheap on Facebook Marketplace, but another option is to get a very cheap ukulele and learn to play four basic chords. That will open literally so many doors. I know that's just another skill thing, but it is SO helpful and cathartic and it'll make you so proud of yourself.

5. Cooking/baking

It is finally starting to cool off (not really, but let a girl dream) and that means fall, which means baking. Baking means all kinds of sweet treats, which is always a wonderful idea. Even if you have tons of dietary limitations (like me), there are awesome, simple recipes all over Pinterest for bakers of every skill level. Alternatively, if you don't have a ton of free time or disposable income: try using the ingredients you already have to make a really creative dinner at least one night a week. If you have kids, they may not love this, but the adults will be either very supportive or very personally opposed. I suggest starting by combining a seafood (any kind works great!) or white chicken meat, honey, and soy sauce with a little garlic and sriracha if you like spice. Tofu also works for this if you are vegetarian.

In conclusion: Not every hobby has to do with story. Sometimes, it's okay to skip the TV or skip the book or close the laptop and do something with your hands. In fact, I sincerely recommend it. I've been doing all of these thing a LOT this summer and going into this fall, and it's been life-changing.

(Also: It is breaking my Instagram reel addiction, which is ALWAYS a good thing).

What's your non-word creative hobby? Let me know in the comments!

1 comments

Big Life Updates: First Half of 2024

by R.F. Gammon - June 17, 2024

Hey guys! It's been a long few months since I've posted to the blog, but I wanted to go ahead and drop a nice juicy life update for anyone who might still be reading my blog. Real life has been huge, but I'm working on trying to reconnect here on the blog. It's been a busy, busy, busy season, so let's dive right into recapping January-June!

The flu!

Let's start with the worst one: having the flu TWICE in one year is a bit much. I haven't had it since I was like...I don't even know. I think it's been something like 7-10 years since I've had the flu, so I certainly wasn't expecting to get it 3 times in 15 months--but here we are. Get your flu shots, kids. Don't be like me and procrastinate and say "I'll get the shot next Saturday." GUESS WHAT YOU WILL HAVE NEXT SATURDAY INSTEAD. [disclaimer:notmedicaladviceandnotsponsoredthisisinfactajoke]

Photos taken minutes before disaster (also known as Faith Has the Flu and Does Not Yet Know It)

Girls' Trip to Baltimore

I've always wanted to travel over a spring break, and finally got the chance! It was a budget trip, but I had SUCH a good time seeing Inner Harbor, going to museums, visiting little coffee shops, and cooking budget frozen dinners in the hotel microwave.

New favorite photo of myself at the Walters' Art Museum

Bonus: me hysterically laughing at Edgar Allen Poe's tombstone

Other Big Life Things

Big Life Things will be announced probably in the year end post, but...big fun life things occurred in March ;)

The Eclipse

We only got about 93% totality where I was, but it was still so fun to go see this. The craziest thing? How much light still comes from 7% of the sun. Even at peak, it was so bright compared to the pictures of the total eclipse and my memories of the 2017 total eclipse.

(Turn around, bright eyes...*disappears in a whoosh of smoke*)

Terrible Photo of Partial Eclipse

Sherlock Holmes: The Stage Production

I was stage manager for our college's show, Sherlock Holmes and the Strange Case of Miss Faulkner, or just Sherlock, as we lovingly called it (the title is just a bit of a mouthful). It was SO fun to put this on, assemble the stage, bring it all together, attach everything...I really did have such a good time putting this show on, and we had the best cast EVER.

This photo was taken seconds before our producer started freaking out because he thought my foot was on the soundboard. Optical illusions aside: I am not actually interested in property damage.

Final College Dance

This was a surreal experience, but it was SO fun. I went with amazing friends and had a wonderful, wonderful time during the five minutes of dancing I participated in. The rest of the time we...hung out with too loud music. Oh well.

Theme was "floral garden party." I went as a Roman Emperor instead

Graduation

My four years of college are OVER! I had the best senior year I could have hoped for, and graduated with highest honors and a fancy piece of paper that says I understand English. Whoohoo.

Literally the only picture from commencement that's just me

Washington State

I have never been to Washington State or the Pacific Northwest, but we finally went and my goodness. I loved everything about it. I even got to visit Forks and make tearful videos about it (being a twilight reader is one of my main personality traits. Personally my favorite character is Bella's truck. #TeamBellaIsSingle) But the coast? The TREES? The glory? It was gorgeous. I sang so many hymns walking around the parks. God's grandeur is never more evident to me than when I'm at a national park. Also many, many, MANY plot bunnies were acquired on the trails.

Mt. St. Helens

Seattle

San Juan ferry line

Mt. Rainier waterfall

Mt. Rainier dome

the Oregon beach

North Cascades (highest alpine peaks in the lower 48)

Surgery

If you've followed me for a while, you will know that I've had chronic health issues for a great many years. I have a diagnosis now--endometriosis--and I had laparoscopic surgery to get rid of the lesions and help my body recover. It'll never be perfect--this is a chronic condition and can be alleviated but not fully removed--but God's been so good in letting me have relief in this way.

Surgery recovery was not the worst I've ever had (that honor goes to wisdom teeth), but still not fun. But now I'm doing SO WELL comparatively!

Anyway, that's been my past six months, in case anyone's been wondering what I've been up to! Let me know the most exciting thing that's happened to YOU so far this year <3