February 2026

Well, that was suspensefully fast... January felt like a year, and then suddenly February was over after only, like, 3 minutes.

That was a woosh. And by that, I mean this month was four quick breaths from start to finish. I have a quite peculiar relationship with Time -always had. The best way I can describe it is that Time bleeds right through my hands, from the present to the wasteland of the past, even though I will myself to claim it.

I've been like that since I was little, and no matter how hard I've tried to fix it (Gods know I need to reduce the stress and anxiety in my life), I never seem able to catch up to it.

It is rather inconvenient when Time decides to slow down, so painfully that days stretch to the expanse of decades and the sun refuses to set on a regular Monday. Because, let's face it, it is always a Monday. I find it is downright terrifying, however, when it picks up again and blows right past my face between one breath and the next. In the blink of an eye, they say, but to me, that phrase doesn't come close to doing it justice.

What can you possibly accomplish in a single breath? How much work can you get done, how many things can you possibly complete? How many words can you write?

I have always admired those who make time for everything. Envied how their brains seem to grasp the essence of Time, when mine so miserably fails. Not jumping from one point to the next, but rather walking the distance, savouring it, making it into something worth the attention and effort. I envy those blissfully oblivious to its passing. The ease with which the words 'Time flows, there is not much we can do about it.' fly out of their mouth, content and unbothered by the weight of the truth they hold.

I envy both equally. I, myself, feel completely and utterly lost in this sea we call Time.

(in which I share my writing progress)

How much did I write in February? The honest answer is, not much. I finished one chapter in my WIP that I am not particularly fond of (draft 2 is going to be a killer!), and a single Writer's Friday that was published in March.

A pretty underwhelming performance, at least for me.

On the bright side, I did some planning for my WIP! I did say I would tell you more about it last month... I had planned to reveal the premise of this tale, a quick sale's pitch, if you will, and felt very confident, excited even, at the prospect. Somewhere between week 1 and 2, that joy gave its place to anxiety. 'It's too soon', 'nothing is finished yet', 'it could be better'. And it did feel like that voice was more Reason than Self-doubt, so I chose to listen to it. It helped me realise that, although the plot is pretty much set in stone, the world around it needs more work than I've put into it.

And so do the characters, my 4 beautiful girls, whose voices I seem to have lost in the chaos of all the planning and the word counting. So that is my main goal for March.

In the meantime, you can read the latest Writer's Friday below! (It's a little different, a little deeper, and I hope you enjoy it)

Writer's Friday, Week 5

Read Here

(in which I recap what I read, watched, witnessed this month)

Never, in a million years, did I expect I would enjoy a cozy, fun k-drama like Extraordinary Attorney Woo. I am an action-mystery-adventure girly, so curling my toes during a simple kissing scene was not in my bingo card. I loved the representation, the plot, and the effort the writing team put into researching the Korean law structure. I absolutely recommend it! 10/10

The Manipulated is another k-drama off my list. I admit it made its way on the list thanks to Do Kyungsoo, and it was mostly worth the time. I would have liked a little less 'Hollywood style' action (motorcycles do not climb up walls unless you are Bucky freakin Barnes), but overall the performances made it an easy 7/10.

The book of the month was De Profundis by Oscar Wilde. That book was the only one my late uncle ever gifted me, while we were strolling at my favourite local book fair, back in 2016. I did not understand, back then, why instead of the gleaming covers of the fantasy books he knew I liked, he chose this rather undrewhelming one. Had I read it before his passing, I would have pointed out how ironic it was that he gifted this specific nook to his queer, author-aspiring young niece, who happened to have the same hatred brewing in her chest for her father, as Oscar's lover did for his. But I suppose fate has a weird way of connecting us with the people we love and teaching us the lessons they ought to, even if said people now reside on the other side of the border...

Thank you for reading this far, and I hope February was a month of growth for you. Let's see what the next one brings!