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What Is A Sweet Romance?
Social media can be a fantastic resource for bookworms and writers alike. Thanks to the rise of BookTok and Bookstagram, it's easier than ever to find your next read. Reviews are important for so many reasons, chief among them being to help prospective readers determine if a book will be a good fit for them. Star rankings are the most common. In recent years, however, another emoji has become a popular metric in book reviews: the chili pepper. 🌶️ Primarily used in reviews fo
2 days ago
My Thoughts On "Alterlife," Milo Winter, And Moving On As A Writer
Disclaimer: this post is not directed towards Milo Winter specifically, nor anyone on or affiliated with his team. via Instagram My coworkers are incredibly supportive of my writing, and that's led to some interesting conversations about craft, the industry, and my own projects. These conversations have more than once been the key to figuring out something I've been getting stuck on and finding inspiration both in terms of fiction and this blog. Several of my coworkers have a
6 days ago
Boundaries To Set As A Writer
Last year, I shared a few tips for setting boundaries as a writer to protect your writing time and peace of mind, especially during the holiday season. Your time for writing and your headspace aren't the only things to safeguard as a writer, though! Boundaries can help your writing in both the short term and the long run. The specific boundaries and where the lines are drawn will vary from one writer to the next, but here are a few I have set (or intend to) for myself... Tim
Jan 25
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About Avril
Avril Marie Aalund is a writer of Regency Era romance.
Based in Connecticut, she spends her time jumping between her WIPs, doting on her cat, playing video games, and having fun at her job as an escape room Game Master.
Unlocking My Writing | 5 Ways Working At An Escape Room Has Made Me A Better Writer
Chances are, if you've seen me on social media or have read posts on this blog, you know I work at an escape room. I've been there for about a year and a half now, and it's been such a wonderful experience. It may not be what I scribbled down on a kindergarten "When I grow up..." project (for the record, my actual answer was zookeeper), but it's a job that feels like it was made for me. In all honesty, it is my dream job. And frankly, I like to think I'm pretty good at it. F
Crystals For Writers
They say that a cluttered desk is a sign of a creative mind, and believe me when I say that my desk is very cluttered. Part of that can be attributed to how small my desk is, but I'll also admit that a good deal of my limited space is taken up by my collection of crystals, which has been steadily growing over the years. Crystals are something I feel like I have always been drawn to but only began exploring more in-depth as an adult. While there is not much scientific proof o
The Brilliant Slow-Burn Of "Speak No Evil"
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SPEAK NO EVIL (2022) . At the time of writing this post, I've not seen the 2024 Blumhouse remake but I hear it's similar to the original Danish version so be wary of potential spoilers for that film, too... That said, we'll be talking about some pretty grisly things in this post as they appear in the film. TW for gore, violence, child abuse, and murder. via IMDB You'll see me describe my historical romance WIPs as "slow-burn-until-it's-NOT." By thi
Cringing Is A Sign Of Growth & Other Reflections After My Coworkers Talked Me Into Letting Them Read My Writing
A quick selfie with THE flash drive before the handoff I'm not one to hide my love of writing. It's the first thing I mention when a new acquaintance asks me what I like to do for fun. Throughout high school, you'd hardly see me without my black three-ring binder that held my first handwritten attempt at a novel and got so beat up that its spine was eventually held together with duct tape. And during slower shifts at my day job, you might catch me scribbling down drafts for u
When A Found Family Falls Apart
It can be such a punch in the gut when a Found Family falls apart.
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Real And Raw Reflections On "The Age Of Scorpius"
January 2026: after the initial publication of this post, the author shared that he is Trans and now goes by Milo. I've updated this post to reflect his preferred pronouns. Everything else remains the same. Disclaimer: this post is not directed towards Milo Winter specifically, nor anyone on or affiliated with his team. via Goodreads The bookish corner of the internet can be a lovely place. Even though it's got its unfavorable areas, it's an asset for writers seeking communit
A Not-So-Tiny "Tiny Bookshop" Review From A Writer, Bookworm, And Gamer
via Steam Like many writers out there, I'm also a gamer. And like a lot of folks, I got really into Animal Crossing during the pandemic lockdown. Checking on my island was a daily ritual and became my favorite way to unwind once I'd started at a new job after being laid off following a furlough. That said, I'm not what you'd call a cozy gamer. My idea of cozy gaming is putting on my comfiest pajama pants, making some cocoa, curling up under a throw blanket, and listening to
Playing Alan Wake As A Writer
One thing that often amuses me as a writer is seeing how writers are portrayed in fiction. I've encountered quite a few fictional characters who are writers and bookworms that you can just tell were written by writers because of how they gush over every bookish thing and make all the references. Aside from them, writer characters typically fall into two zones—the bestselling author living their best life and the struggling artist who is uninspired and just trying to get by.
The Tome App | First Impressions From A Self-Proclaimed Internet Introvert And Writer
via Tome. Art is done in-house by Olivia. I'm what I call an "Internet Introvert." I've written more than once about being in the D.A.R.E. program during the early days of Myspace's existence and how my class's visiting police officer shared countless horror stories that made social media out to be a dangerous, lawless wasteland and how that, combined with personal insecurities, scared me away from using what has become such a valuable tool in the digital landscape. Lately, t
JLab GO POP+ True Wireless Earbuds Review
So many writers, myself included, find that it's easier to concentrate when they have music playing. It can be helpful to lessen any distracting noises of your surroundings or further immerse yourself in your story's setting or the scene you're working on. Music can be such a valuable asset for your writing process, so it's important to set yourself up with the right tech. I've tested out many Bluetooth earbuds over the years, but the most reliable I've owned to date are the
Balancing Writing With A Day Job | My Tips For Making It Work
Unless you've got friends like Harper Lee's who are in a position to pool together a Christmas gift of one year's salary so you can write the book of your heart and dreams, chances are that as a budding writer just starting out on the journey, you've got a day job. And to be honest, even writers who are published may still work a day job or have another form of income apart from their books. Writing is seldom a lucrative business to be in even with advances and royalties (sh
We Need To Talk About Christa | Alternative Endings For Telltale's TWD's Most Underused Character
It's no secret that I love choose-your-own-adventure games. Detroit: Become Human is my favorite game second only to my dearly beloved Red Dead Redemption II , with Until Dawn and The Quarry pretty much tied for third place. Not too long ago, I posted about a character from the Danganronpa games that felt underused from a storytelling perspective, and that got me thinking about another character who got the short end of the stick in the writer's room: Christa from Tellta
The Tiffany Problem | The Tricky Thing About Naming Characters In Historical Fiction
Character names can be tricky things. For some writers, it comes with a pressure on the level of naming children! We might spend hours or even days deliberating and change our characters' names multiple times before finding the perfect one. When choosing character names, there are plenty of things to consider. Because it's on the page, you may feel like it has to not only sound good but look good. You don't want to have too many characters with similar names readers get them
The Danganronpa Character Who Deserved Better
*Ding Dong, Bing Bong* Ahem... Hope's Peak Academy School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make... This post contains MASSIVE spoilers for all of the Danganronpa games. There will also be mention of violence and death. ♡ Please proceed with caution and take care of yourselves! ♡ via Wikipedia Danganronpa is something I might call one of my guilty pleasure games. It's not perfect, and portions of it haven't aged well, but there is plenty I like about its writin
Reviewing THAT Typewriter Keyboard From Five Below
By some keystroke of luck, I got my hands on the popular typewriter keyboard from Five Below. I came across this keyboard in a Yahoo article that popped up in my recommendations and the timing couldn't have been better. I was thinking about replacing the Bluetooth keyboard I'd been using for about six years, as the batteries weren't lasting as long and it would sometimes disconnect from my computer or duplicate keystrokes in abundance; it's not exactly easy to write when yo
The Found Family Trope
With Thanksgiving happening on Thursday if you're in the States, there's a heightened focus on family connections as we gather together and head into the holiday season. But for some, family isn't defined by blood or genetics. Rather, it's the loved ones we choose. That's why Friendsgiving has become such a popular event in recent years! This especially deep and special friendship is celebrated in fiction as the Found Family trope. The exploration of the ways different bonds
The Lady, Or The Tiger? And Ambiguous Endings
The ending of your book is arguably one of the most important things to get right. It's the last moments your reader has with the characters before they part ways. The last impression you get to make. How often have you been disappointed by the conclusion of a story that was going strong until the last chapters? Whether it came out of left field or was simply a letdown that didn't sit right with you, a bad ending has the potential to ruin an otherwise good reading experience.
Barbie And The Hero's Journey
Barbie (2023) was without a doubt the most excited I'd been about a movie in years. As someone who named her pet mice after the protagonists of The Princess and the Pauper and for one Christmas was given not one, not two, but a total of SIX duplicate lavender pegasus figures from various relatives (that were subsequently exchanged for other toys in the Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus line), I was eager to see the nostalgia taken in a mature direction. Barbie for grown-ups,
A Liberty's Kids Retrospective
As an elementary school student in the 2000s, it seemed that every class was divided into two camps when it came to cartoons. You had the Disney Channel kids who were diehard fans of Kim Possible and The Proud Family , and the Nickelodeon kids who were devoted Spongebob Squarepants viewers and fans of anything Butch Hartman was the brain behind. There were a handful of Cartoon Network kids, too, but I don't recall there being as many among my peers. And then there's me: wha
AlphaSmart Neo2 Review | Meet Mavis
Whether it's software or a website, a new gadget, or a different method of doing things, I am always on the lookout for ways to make my writing process smoother. Portability has become a focal point foar me. Between my full-time day job and limited hours to work on my various projects, being able to take my writing on the go makes me feel more efficient even when I'm only able to do thirty-minute sprints on my lunch breaks. Finding the best method has been more of an undertak
This Is Gonna Hurt | Writing Realistic Injuries
Last week, we explored plot armor and how to incorporate it into your writing with a sense of realism. This is something of an offshoot. I originally intended for there to be a section within that initial post discussing injuries in relation to plot armor, but it ultimately made more sense to cover that topic on its own. So here we are. To recap the aforementioned post, plot armor is a layer of protection given to fictional characters, most often the protagonist, in order to
Queens Of The New Broken Scene | My 5SOS Soundcheck Experience
My favorite feeling in the world is held within those few moments after the lights go out at a concert, just before the band takes the...
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