How the hell is it already June? Crazy, right? Almost halfway through 2022.
And did anyone else feel like May was equal parts busy and lackluster? Maybe that’s just me.
I suppose I’ll start this little monthly update by mentioning that I turned 26 on May 17th, so go me, I guess! I’ve accepted that I’m basically at the point now where my birthdays only really matter every five years. So, you know, 30, 35, 40, and so on. Those are the big milestones. Everything else in between is just filler, at least in terms of the actual numbers. I’m still very excited to see what each year holds in store for me; I’ve got a good feeling about 26, truth be told.
Perhaps the other biggest piece of news: I started a new job! As of May 18th, I’ve been working with Marquis Who’s Who in Uniondale, NY. They’re a leading brand in biographical publishing, and I’m truly grateful to have joined their team as an editor and staff writer. As a member of the company’s editorial department, I’m basically in charge of writing press releases for new and returning listees across Marquis’ numerous platforms, which includes books, online articles, and ads printed by various news outlets. So far, I’ve nothing but good things to say about the job and the team I’m working with, and I’m excited to see how things continue to progress.
On account of the new job, though, a lot of other things have sort of fallen to the wayside lately. For example, I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t done much writing since starting, on account of me getting used to a new routine. I’m basically working a proper nine to five now, which is very different from any of my previous jobs, so I’m going through a bit of an adjustment period. That said, I’m eager to get back on the regular grind soon.
In terms of what’s in the works, I’m still chipping away at “Soul Survivor,” much to my own dismay. I thought I’d have finished it at least by the end of last month, but alas, life had other plans. My focus was pulled away from it at the start of May, as I was interviewing with Marquis and Scholastic (yes, that Scholastic) simultaneously. Then, of course, I landed the job with Marquis, and now I’m sort of finding my balance again. I have every intention of capping off the second draft of this short story by the end of June, if not midway through.
On top of that, I’m also still working on the next Blood Sisters story, “Vial.” I’ve written a few chunks of it so far, but nothing concrete, just yet. I’m expecting to have that finished sometime during the latter half of the year.
In other news, over the course of May, I finished reading through two other comics.
Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta’s East of West was beyond exceptional. I’m a sucker for anything Hickman writes, and this is another striking example of what makes his work so enjoyable. For those who are unfamiliar, the story revolves around the four horsemen of the apocalypse in a world where the United States, following an elongated Civil War, have been split into several different nations. The horseman Death is the primary protagonist, as he struggles against a cult that is trying to bring about the end of the world. And honestly, that’s not even the full summary, but it’s as much as I can properly give without spoiling things. The book features impeccable worldbuilding, incredible characters, fantastic artwork, and a mystery that demands you see this thing through to the end. An honest-to-god 10/10 that I can’t recommend enough.
In addition, since I had recently finished Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s The Wicked + The Divine, I figured I’d also check out their run on Young Avengers. It was hit or miss, to be frank. There’s definitely lots of fun banter to enjoy, with a colorful cast of Marvel youngsters, and the overall theme of differing generational ideas is amusing, but it all feels a little too ham-fisted for my liking. The pacing is also way off, an issue I largely attribute to there being too many characters and not enough time to give any of them a proper focus. This is the second Marvel book I’ve read by Gillen that I wasn’t thrilled with, so I’m pretty I’ll be sticking with his independent stuff moving forward.
As of tonight (June 6th), I will start reading The Lord of the Rings, and honestly, I’m a little intimidated. I own one of the special editions that collects the whole story in one massive book, over a thousand pages, and it’s vaguely threatening to behold. I think it might just be my expectations getting the better of me. I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a long time, so I’m eager to dig in.
If I might briefly mention some stuff regarding sports (weird, I know, me talking about sports): to my friends who watch the English Premier League (and European football (soccer) in general), how about the end of that season, huh?! Since falling in as a fairly devout Liverpool FC supporter, I can firmly say that that season may have shaved a year or two off my life. Still not entirely over losing the Champion’s League final, and not to mention how obnoxiously close we were to taking home the Premier League title, too. But alas, that’s just how the game goes sometimes. And hey, that’s what next season is for.
Oh, also, it’s not done yet, but when season four of Stranger Things wraps up after the second volume drops, I’m probably going to review the hell out of it. While I definitely think the show gets overhyped a lot of the time, I’m definitely still a fan, and holy moly has this season been absolutely bonkers. So yeah, be on the lookout for that early in July.
So, with all that said, I think that concludes my little May wrap up. For a large part of the past month, I’ve been wondering if maybe I’ve been regressing in terms of general progress. It’s weird, because on the one hand, I’ve got a great new job that will allow me to better support myself, but on the other hand, I feel like more of my time and energy are getting eaten up other nonsense, and I worry I’m going to fall into another rut. It’s on me to make sure that doesn’t happen, but I’m struggling a bit with figuring out how. I’m sure I can handle it, I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.
But, hey, all good things in time, I suppose (I think that sentiment applies here). Fingers crossed for me, friends, and fingers crossed for all of you too!