A place where you can be human.
I tried a new place that serves boba today. I got milk boba with cappuccino flavor that was non-dairy, made from a powder. I prefer the tapioca pearls so I got those too. I did post a little reel of it on my ig newsfeed. If you watch until the end, you get to see me stab the lid. I know it sounds silly, but stabbing the lid is the funnest part!
Have you tried boba? What’s your favorite flavor?
There was once a goddess named Hecate who could wander both the heavens and the underworld. In order to test those looking to ascend, she disguised herself as a woman in search of work for her family while her husband healed from unseen aliments.
The goddess found a woman who swore by her benevolence and sought ascension. Many in town spoke of her charity and good works.
Hecate was prepared to open the gates of heaven for the woman to come and go for her studies but Hecate wanted to be sure.
When the goddess knocked on the door, the woman’s benevolence immediately showed.
She welcomed the Hecate inside. The woman didn’t know she was welcoming a goddess since Hecate disguised herself in local fabrics and covered her hair.
Hecate asked for only enough to bring home to her family in exchange for work.
The woman obliged but with a cost.
“If I give this to you at the end of your labor, you must tell everyone that you work for me and no one else. You may have no other master.”
The goddess looked at the food and gold gifted to her by the benevolent woman and agreed.
She left and returned to the heavenly realm. She was confused by the woman’s demand and decided to go south to ask Hades what he thought. After she tells him the story he answers.
“I hate to lose Persephone. My heart aches while she’s away. I’ll lose no other. So now if anyone asks of me, they must pledge their loyalty to me and only. I’ll not have my sympathy or gifts go to waste.
“Then it is not a gift. ” Hecate said.
“So be it.” He waved Hecate away.
The goddess left Hades and returned to the woman for work the next day.
The woman gifted her once again with food and gold for her family. This time the woman said,
“I am in charge of the three merchants on the road. You will be placed in charge of them as second in command.”
“Second in command. That is a hasty promotion.”
“Yes. Go home and get your rest you have much work ahead.”
The goddess in disguise left more confused. This time she went to Zeus to ask him what he thought.
“I must warn you that you will not be second in command. She’s misleading you.”
“Misleading me for what? I didn’t ask for that. I only asked for enough to feed my family.” the goddess said.
“Does it matter why. Your job is to protect the unseen realms.”
“We will see.” the goddess says clinging to the faith she has in the woman’s benevolence.
Before Hecate returns to work the next day, she finds a woman on the street serving food to the locals. Hecate gets in line. The people are diverse. Young, old, poor, working. Some joyful. Some conversing about the latest news. Young ladies get in line behind her whispering about the group of young men in the front of the line. Hecate is eager to meet the woman behind this magnetism. Someone who can create a sanctuary in the street for any man or woman, is likely someone who should have access to the heavens.
Hecate feels her fingers wrinkle the fabric of her dress with anticipation. She feels her scalp itch from being covered; something she’s not used to. Finally it’s her turn. The food smells like fresh herbs and bread.
The woman has bowls for those who didn’t bring their own. “Good morning,” she says to Hecate, “bread?” The woman looks Hecate in the eye. “Oh, we haven’t met yet. An extra scoop since it’s your first time.”
“You know everyone who comes?” Hecate asks.
“I do.” A warm smile grows. “Would you like bread?”
“Yes, please.”
“Here you go. Enjoy. The bowls go over on that table when you’re finished. I’m Hestia, it was very nice to be able to welcome you.”
Hecate enjoyed her meal. She was welcomed by the locals who laughed and ate with her. Hecate spent many days with Hestia. Hecate even learned to cook from Hestia. They served the town together for months and Hecate never had to question her benevolence. Hecate eventually opened the gates of heaven for Hestia to come and go.
The End
I’m so excited to take an astronomy class this year. I love school and I’m very excited to learn new things. Some people look at school different from me and that’s ok. We all see the world differently. I am curious to see if it will ruin my love for astrology. What do you think about Astrology and astronomy?
Fear isn’t a deciding factor. Fear isn’t truth. Fear is the lie that keeps you from greatness. It tells you you’re not strong enough or smart enough. The truth is you can learn to carry more weight by incorporating small amounts into your daily disciplines and adding more over time. The truth is you can learn new things even if you learn and complete the projects differently from others.
Buuuut
there is a secret I’m going to share with you that I’ve learned from reading books written by the greats. The secret is that you don’t need to be strong and smart to be successful. You just need to learn to use the resources you have around you.
Greatness looks good on you!
Today is a great day to pick your chin up and remember how far you’ve come all by yourself. Those dark times didn’t hold you down. You took it one day at a time and made it through to the other side. Dark times don’t last. Let them come knowing that they are only there for a season. And when the good times arrive, relish in them! These days; the good and the bad are for you to appreciate.
Characters can make or break our novel. That’s why it’s important to find time to focus on your characters. An underdeveloped character can take away from a well-developed world and can lose your readers’ attention. It can be daunting to think about how much we have to do in our stories, but it doesn’t have to be!
Let’s keep talking.
Some people start with this tip, while some might develop their internal workings and this tip at the same time. Today, I want to talk about creating your character using your senses. How do they look, smell, sound, feel (like a rough beard), and taste? Don’t limit yourself. Can your character taste the salty sweat from working on the ocean? Are their hands soft from not working in a laborious job like their father? And their appearance: tall, short, wide, or slim. Their smell? Sage from a long night of expelling demons?
There’s no limit! This post inspired me.
Yesterday, I shared about how important drive and motivation is for Character Development. Today the important thing to focus on is your character’s relationships. How does your character interact with people pets or aliens? Are they shy aggressive nonchalant? Are their reactions consistent and how does their character arch impact their relationships throughout the story?
Stumped on these questions? My favorite trick to inspire my character’s actions and reactions is to put my character into different situations. If that doesn’t work, I go people watching.
Let your character be who they are. Even if that means you’re character will act outside of themselves in high pressure situations. Everyone reacts differently to the challenges they face.
How would your character react if someone straight up ate their plate of food that they worked really hard to make for themselves.
Character development part 2 is here! Last Character Development post, I talked about how it is important to give your characters flaws. This time I’d like to discuss something new. We all have our own beliefs and values, even if you haven’t taken time to hash the out yet. This should also be reflected in your characters. What drives your character? What keeps your character going even when the tough gets going? Once you know that, you can drag your character around where ever you want them.
What are some motivations you’ve given to your characters?
It’s not always easy but when you can, rise above the negativity. This takes extra effort during high pressure times. It’s very easy to get swayed one way or another especially emotionally. When things get chaotic around you, focus on your values and your disciplines. Let everything else fall to the wayside.
Let’s talk about character development. Some stories are character-driven. Other stories are driven by worlds. I tend to lean heavily into character building and then balance it out with some world building while I edit. It’s more difficult for me to do with a fully written novel. Still worth it!
The first thing I ask myself is, “Does my character have flaws?” This is one of the first things I look for in my characters. I fall into the perfect character trap all the time. My main character never speaks up. It bothers people, but the truth is, she’s scared to take up space to the point of her own demise. That’s what she’ll have to learn. And I hope my readers are eager walk along that journey with her.
What’s your character’s weakness.
Jayne.press