Yes when I sometimes click on a FB thing it takes me there and asks me to create an account, which I've not done yet lol.  Maybe I'll have to sign up for it

I refuse to call it X lol I tend to forget all about TikTok until I click on a FB reel from there and go oh yeah, I haven't been there in a while.

Hope your first day back in school goes well   And your writing goes in the direction you want it to go.

Mare, I don't use TikTok but I'll see if I can have a look.  In fact I only use Facebook and Instagram as forgot my Twitter details lol, or X as it's called now.

Just wanted to come in and wish you a great first day of school! Hopefully it’ll be a fun year and a good class!

My TikTok is @egypt18015

I also realized I never answered your question about writing in first person. I enjoy writing in first person too much to give it up. I've only written one in this fandom, but when and if I ever do make the sequel to Tumbledown, which is my first person one, I'd do that one in first as well. I don't know why but I find it easier to first in that point of view. Probably because I'm so dialogue driven and not as into descriptions.

I'm still here. Not quite done. Decided to add more than I thought, so I'll end up finishing it tomorrow since the Mets game is about to start. I'm also in the process of trying to pack and figure out what to carry on and what I won't need right away. We won't have access to our luggage until nighttime so they recommend bringing things you might need throughout the day with you. It's harder than I thought it would be. LOL

my video is uploading now. It's so ghetto because I have no clue how to edit or anything so, it's basically me babbling for 8 minutes.  I think I'm @egypt18015 but if that doesn't work then it's @bitybella. I can't check because it's uploading.

It really did fly by!  I feel like I got nothing done.  I'm hoping to get some writing done today.  I got groceries and cleaned my house yesterday so I can hopefully just relax today.

Wow, one more paragraph!  Hopefully by the time you see this, you'll have finished The Invisible Child.  Congrats!  And good luck getting started on the sequel!

I don't understand the backlash against first person.  I've seen that on Reddit as well, but I thought it was just for fanfic.  Crazy that people are criticizing first person published novels as well.  Given that first person has been trendier than third person for the past couple decades, I'm sure there are plenty of examples of bad novels written in that POV (Twilight comes to mind), but, as you pointed out, there are also plenty of great novels, both new and old.  What's your TikTok, if you don't mind sharing?  I'm not on TikTok much, but I'll give your video a watch!

Does seeing first person get hated on make you more hesitant to write in that POV?  I was already well into writing a first person novel when I first realized a lot of people don't like that POV, and now I'm writing its sequel, but when I finish this series, I will probably go back to third person unless I have a good reason to write in first.

This summer flew by! I Can't believe you're starting this week already. It's good you have some chapters ready to go. Hopefully you'll make your decision soon about whether or not your new story arc will work!

I have about one more paragraph to write of my last chapter of Invisible child and then I'm going to try to start on the sequel before my cruise. I think I'll start updating that one in October. Giving myself a nice head start.

I saw people on twitter claiming that there are very few first-person novels that are any good out there and it literally made my brain hurt so last night I made about an 8-minute video of book recs. I know first person isn't for everyone but to say they are all crap is a bit much! To Kill a Mockingbird? The Book Thief? Makes me think they haven't read very much. Not that anyone is going to watch it. I think I have like 5 followers on TikTok, but still, it'll make me feel better! LOL

I don't understand how people can write fanfics for stuff they've just discovered either.  There are only a handful of fandoms I feel knowledgeable enough to write in, and even then, I would still have to do some research and rewatch/reread for inspiration.  But then, not everyone cares about things like realism, accuracy, canon-compliance, backstory, and plot LOL.  I guess it's easy enough to write a smutty one-shot about any pair of characters without knowing much about them.  (To be fair, I would find this incredibly difficult, but it's probably easier for people who enjoy reading and writing that sort of thing.)

I hope you at least get to go see Kieran on Broadway, Mare!

I'm still in back-to-school mode, just writing enough on my story to keep my streak alive.  Today is my update day, and I still have three finished chapters ready to post, but I always hesitate to post them when I'm not feeling productive.  The next chapter starts a new story arc that I've been planning for a while, but now that I've actually started writing it, I'm not sure if I like it or not.  I feel like I need to get further into it in order to feel more confident about it.  School officially starts Wednesday, so hopefully by next weekend, I'll be able to settle back into my regular writing routine.

I will get around to reading your stories as always loved your writing