Announcements for Upcoming Newsletters
A preview of what I intend to post in the next few months.
Yes, I realize it’s been a while since I posted anything.
The main reason why is because I’ve been having a lot of issues with my laptop lately. They’ve always popped up at some of the most inconvenient times before, but now it got to the point where I couldn’t even access my laptop’s apps, which meant I could not start up new documents through Microsoft Word. Talk about one of the worst things that can happen to a writer.
But luckily, thanks to some virus protection program which my stepdad set up, I’m able to start new documents again. All my worries about not being able to post again for months have been resolved for now.
However, I’ve also had personal issues getting in the way. In some ways, this should be an amazing time for me. This week, I’ll heading to Hawaii with my family. I’ve been wanting to go there since I was eight, so I’ve been excited about this ever since the trip was arranged in early March. And because I’m now fully vaccinated, I don’t have to worry too much about possibly catching the Coronavirus. I will still have to take the Covid test before our trip, not to mention wear masks even when I’m outside during our trip (Hawaii’s rules, not ours), but if it means I can finally go on a dream vacation, it’s worth it.
But after a period where I wasn’t working for weeks and experiencing anxiety over how I felt like I wasn’t getting the support I needed at home, it’s far from ideal times for me. I think about how depressed my younger sister gets, the increased health struggles my parents have been going through, and the constant criticism I get over the things I can’t do and how I will probably always depend on others, and it’s easy to see why I may feel so down. I mean, I’m 26 years old. Why am I still letting others have so much control over me?
And so, I’ll respond in the best way I can: trying to get more done. I will try doing as much as I can when I’m at work, pitching in with chores when I’m at home, and writing whenever I have spare time. If I can prove to others and myself that I’m not as incompetent as I seem, maybe things can change for the better.
Okay. Now that you have some idea of what’s been up with me recently, let’s get down to business. When it comes to my work on Substack, this is what you can expect in the next few months:
1. It may be a while before I get back to writing about the pandemic again. I experienced a lot this past year, and perhaps simply reflecting on how it was at the beginning might be enough for now.
2. I will start posting book reviews which will fall into two categories. The first will be general book reviews, where I will review any book I’ve read recently, and the second will be anniversary reviews, in which I’ll be reviewing a book whose anniversary falls within this year. These will include novels originally published in 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, and 2011, although I will be putting an emphasis on books published in the 70s and 80s. The former reviews will remain free to read, while the latter ones will start out free and then go behind a paywall after about two months. This is something I’ve really been looking forward to starting, because although I love a lot of the older classics, the books we saw published during the latter half of the 20th century changed literature in ways we didn’t see as much in the earlier part of the century. This is especially true of children’s literature, which went from focusing a lot on fantasy and historical events to more realistic tales of ordinary kids facing challenges that readers were more likely to relate to. Also, genre fiction reached bigger levels of success during these years, particularly science fiction and horror. I already have an idea of some of the books I intend to cover, but if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to let me know through the comments or on social media.
3. I will continue putting out personal reflections and occasional essays on topics of interest. Some topics I might cover are the question of whether books should have ratings, “forbidden” words and how we should approach them in reasonable yet respectful ways, and my personal observations of living with a disability and how things have changed or remained the same for disabled people today.
That’s all I have for announcements. I hope to cover as much as possible and expand on my growth as a writer through these newsletters.
See you all again soon.
Announcements for Upcoming Newsletters
Oh, I hope you had a wonderful time in Hawaii! My friend Debbie has been there and she absolutely loved it. I'm so sorry you're dealing with criticism, especially for something that is just a part of you and out of your control. It's hard to say, but I think sometimes people who haven't knowingly experienced any disabilities or mental health issues, etc., personally, they just don't understand at all; they can't relate to what you're going through. Definitely keep in mind that that is *their* problem.