Saturday was a turning point day in the new project. It was the first time I came to the end of my writing session and didn’t want to stop. As I mentioned previously, I struggle a lot with beginnings. I tell myself, just get that first 10K written and things will feel better. I even resort to bribing myself with chai and pretty butterfly stickers. And like magic, when I hit 10K this weekend things did feel better.

(I’m going to note mostly for my own future reference that this time around was particularly hard because I was bouncing between two different beginnings for two different stories, and fighting with both of them.)

I know there will be plenty of other days when the writing is more work than joy, but right now I am so very glad to be in one of the joyful spots!

Since most of my brain is currently occupied by my new project and characters, I offer you a miscellany of nifty stuff I’ve accumulated over the last few weeks.

First, this eerie and primal performance by Eivør, a Faroese musician. According to the link, the title of the piece is “Trøllabundin,” which my mind keeps reading as “Trolls, Abundant.”

If you can’t see the video because you’re reading this somewhere else, here’s a direct link.

Second, the many delights of My Modern Metropolis, a site that calls itself a place “where art enthusiasts and trendspotters connect over creative ideas.”

I make no claims to being a trendspotter, but I am enthusiastic about art, and I’ve already bookmarked over a dozen posts on this blog. One of my recent favorites is this one, featuring the pen and ink art of Taiwan-based artist Rola Chang. I especially love the very last one. Her expression! What is she thinking?

And lastly, for those of you who have been enjoying the delights of Downton Abbey, here is a wonderful Downton Abbey Reading List my fellow Betsy-Tacy fan Constance put up on her blog Staircase Wit.

Does anyone know what Trøllabundin actually means?