Say It Like You Mean It

WEBVTT
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Hello, fellow writers.
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I'm Lewis.
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That over there is Tolkien, and you have found the Scripturian Society.
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Thought I got a mixed up.
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Oh my god.
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It's been a hot second.
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It's been like several hot seconds.
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That's crazy.
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Welcome back to everyone, including us.
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Yeah, welcome back, Carissa, Catherine, Kat, Kathy.
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Amazing.
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I have no idea what I typically said during our intro.
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I don't remember anymore.
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It's been too long.
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It's a miracle I remembered that one.
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So I'm impressed that you did.
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I would go.
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Yeah.
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Um, if you guys hear the sound of baby cooing, that is my baby, my new baby Callahan.
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He is cooing.
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He's eight weeks old.
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If you hear the sound of my other child, two and a half year old Riley, crying, that's actually probably the sound of Flora, my cat.
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Yeah.
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Right behind me.
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I mistook.
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I was like, hey, is that Riley in the background?
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She's like, no, that is in fact the cat.
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That is the cat.
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It's like, and she does not hang out with me much these days at all since we moved.
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And um I feel like there's something about recording where she's like, ah, this is familiar to me.
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Let me come be in the way.
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Because you're always she's just like trying to get up in my lap right now.
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She never does that.
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There is a baby in her lap, Flora.
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Goodness.
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Yeah, excuse you, Flora.
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She's like, I don't care about the children.
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I don't care about the naked kittens.
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She does uh that might also be why she usually avoids me, is because I always have a child attached to me.
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And Riley is loud and insane.
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So how old is he now?
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Is he three?
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He's not three.
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He is two and a half, but he is the size of a four and a half year old.
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And I know this because he has outgrown the four T clothes.
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And it's he's so gangly and uncoordinated, and his love is so violent.
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He did when I was there, he did lay on my face in the middle of the night.
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So I I thought that was a good step for us, but yeah, it was a strange affection.
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Yeah, he's definitely still like that.
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We're cautiously like, don't jump on your brother's head.
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Just constantly.
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It's like, but what else am I supposed to do?
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Exactly.
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He's like, but I just want to play with my baby brother Callahan.
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Why wouldn't I jump on him or layout?
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What else am I supposed to do?
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Floor's in the background, so we are using a new system, so hopefully this works well.
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This is I was like, why don't we try a whole new thing uh while we're also trying to get back into the swing of recording?
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So hopefully start from early.
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Yeah, exactly.
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We've got this whole this whole cool new thing now.
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I was like, wow, we're really excited.
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That's a lot of cheering.
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Very cool.
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Anyway, so that's fun.
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So I'll be throwing those intermittently just to try to throw off Catherine.
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Um but before we get started with today, what we're gonna talk about writing things, because that's what we do uh here at the Scriptorian Society.
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Which is where you are, is uh you found.
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Yeah, welcome.
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You know, ook, ooh, Callahan welcomes you as well.
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Yes.
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Um I'm like accidentally like like hiding his face from you guys, which I usually do on social media with my children anyways, but this is an accident.
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The Mike is doing extra work.
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Yeah, the Mike is um, yeah, a a paid actor.
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Is that what they say?
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Is that what the kids say?
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I know.
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Dude, Gen Z slang is really kicking my butt lately.
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I'm like, I think I know what you mean, but I'm not totally sure.
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I'm not like a hundred percent sure.
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Yeah, I said uh the other day I I was describing something, and I was like, Yeah, and I clocked this right when the guy came in or whatever.
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And that has been a phrase for a very long time.
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Yeah, yeah.
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But apparently it's popular again.
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And Javi was like, oh my god, are you trying to be hit?
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And I was like, What are you talking about?
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I'm actually going retro.
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I thought I was like a decade behind.
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Yeah, I was like, no, this is just a normal thing to say.
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And he's like, I've never heard you say that.
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And I was like, I think that you never clocked me saying that I clocked because you're so into the TikTok world that now you're noticing it more.
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That's right.
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The trends happen too fast.
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The one that's been getting to me is the he's cooked or she's cooked or whatever.
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I'm like, I get what it means, but I'm like, why?
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Like, why why are we cooked?
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And then um the use of the word diabolical for things that are not truly diabolical.
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That one has thrown me.
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I think cooked is funny.
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The whole diabolical thing gets me because I'm like, that word is this very specific word.
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Yeah.
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Why are we?
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The one I hate, I genuinely hate it, and I hate that I'm even giving it airtime, is the six-seven thing.
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Oh my god.
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I do not comprehend this.
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First of all, slang makes it's supposed to make sense.
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Cooked makes sense, clocked makes sense.
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This doesn't make any sense.
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I don't even know what it's maybe supposed to mean.
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And also, there are genuine situations in which you use six-seven.
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Like if I'm saying I had like six, seven crackers, I don't mean anything weird by that.
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I just mean I had six to seven crackers.
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Like I wasn't counting specifically, we're somewhere in the range of six to seven crackers.
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And then like now people say it, and I'm like, I genuinely don't know if you're trying to be hip or if you're just giving me an accurate number count.
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Yeah.
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Like it's very irritating.
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So funny that you're having a couple of things.
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I don't like it.
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Make it stop.
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I Javi had to ex- I didn't even know six, seven was a thing that existed.
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But then Javi was showing me some video and he was like, I just hate six, seven.
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And I was like, you hate the numbers six and seven?
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I thought it had something to do with that old joke.
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That's why was um why was six afraid of seven?
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And it's because seven, eight, nine.
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I genuinely thought that's what it was.
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I'm like, oh, because seven is is scary.
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It's like what?
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I mean, that makes more sense than what it is, which is I think that there's no to my understanding, there's nothing behind it, which is I know.
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I mean, Javi couldn't tell me, and he's super in with the kids.
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It's one of those if you know, you know, but I don't think the people who know actually know.
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Yeah, I don't think they just all pretend to make the rest of us feel ridiculous.
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I know that's what's happening.
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I can tell.
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If anyone out there can explain the use of six seven in the Gen Z application, could you please reach out to us?
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Yeah.
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I really want to know.
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I'm interested in linguistics.
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I just don't understand.
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I think that's probably also why we find these things either so strange or so frustrating.
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Is because you're like linguistically, there's nothing here.
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What is the etymology of six seven?
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I don't understand people in the future studying our our down the downfall of our civilization would have no idea what this means.
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No, they have no idea.
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It's not fair.
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Like it was uh it was a code of some sort.
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And then the truth is we don't even know nobody actually knew what the code meant.
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It's a secret code that that no one understands.
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That no one understands.
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It's so secret, no one knows it.
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It's so secret.
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It's even a secret from the people who made it up.
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Anyways, um I'm not really a slang person in general, anyway, so I don't even know why I care.
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It's just a lot of the stuff I watch or like TikTok or whatever uses it, and I'm like, this is really aging me out.
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I don't be able to like at least understand it a little bit.
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I've almost never been able to really comfortably use slang.
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It always sounds wrong when I do it.
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Yeah, and I've I've accepted that.
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But like now I can't even like context clues.
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Six seven is one I can't even get with context clues.
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I know.
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So yeah.
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The only one I think it's Gen Z, the only one I use, like, at least in my own head, is the can we be so for real right now?
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I do like that one.
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That's a good one.
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Can we be so for real right now?
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Yeah.
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It's just the right amount of passive aggressive.
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I like it.
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It is.
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It's really to be so for real.
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Can we just be so for real?
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It also just feels like that was something like that should have been like something that came about in the heyday of Lizzie McGuire.
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Yes, it feels old.
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It does feel old.
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To be so for real.
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So can we just be so for real?
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That is it.
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I will see if it comes up.
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There's there's one, there is one that I think is funny that I use sometimes.
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And I can't think of it right now.
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Gently work it into the conversation.
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I'll just work it in and you're gonna be like, I hate it.
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Probably nine times out of ten.
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Anyways, um, Carissa, how has your life been since the last time we recorded?
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Which was a year and a half?
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Yeah, I was like well over a year ago for sure.
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Yeah, my life is basically your whole year and a half.
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I know.
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My life is basically the same, to be really honest.
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Uh to be so for real.
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Yeah.
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I mean, more writing, yeah, to be so for real.
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I did I've done some writing, I'm doing work, I've been working a lot of overtime, so that's nice money, but busy money.
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You've got the right.
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Yeah.
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Um, but yeah, I mean, not not much.
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Um but I like it that way.
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So I mean you're like you know pretty pretty decently content.
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Yeah.
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Ash has a lot of news, but she likes to be busy.
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So do I?
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Do I have a lot of news?
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Well, mine is in some ways the opposite in that I've gotten to write almost nothing and I'm have no money for.
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So Well, it's not like you have kids or anything to spend money on, so no, it's your children and they love to be expensive.
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I mean, they have so much fun being so expensive.
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And the bookshop and editing on the side, and I have another full-time job, and uh, that was fun.
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And then being pregnant for the better part of a year, which is just crazy sometimes when I think about how long you have to be pregnant for.
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I'm like, it is well over.
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It's like the majority of a year.
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Yeah.
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If you include like trying to, it's probably about a year or more.
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Yeah, exactly.
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A year or more.
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And then the recovery is also like three more months minimum for most people.
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And I mean, full recovery is actually more like one to two years, but like the basic recovery they call like the fourth trimester, which is like the three months after birth.
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So anyways, I feel like that's just been zapping my everything and making life feel so much harder for the last year because being pregnant's not fun, and I I kind of think that every woman who says that she loves being pregnant might be lying.
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I don't know if they're all lying intentionally.
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I have no context yet, but I think I would enjoy being pregnant.
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You think so?
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I think I would.
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If you okay, so when you're pregnant, if you enjoy it and you tell me to enjoy it, I'll believe you.
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Yes.
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You might be the only person that I'll believe.
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I will be your your I don't litmus test, that's not the right term.
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I don't know.
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Yeah, bellwether.
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That's bad.
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You'll be my bellwether.
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I'll know if you say it, then I'll suddenly believe that it's possible for women to enjoy pregnancy.
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This one legitimately almost killed me.
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I had my appendix removed whilst pregnant.
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That was crazy.
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Uh I had I got a subcorionic hemorrhage, which is much scarier than it sounds.
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It wasn't that big a deal, but it was freaky.
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Um, it's less scary than it sounds.
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Yeah, it's less scary than I say.
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I thought you said it's much scarier.
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And I was like, hemorrhage already sounds pretty bad.
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I meant much less scary than it sounds.
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Yeah.
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Um, but it was scary to experience.
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Uh and then good lord.
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Uh I got two severe UTIs that required antibiotics whilst I was pregnant, whilst I had the subchorionic hemorrhage.
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Um got hand, foot, and mouth twice, thanks to my son.
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Awesome, super great, super fun.
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Uh see, then then and then my appendix had to come out, and I had to go to the doctor and fight to make them believe I had appendicitis because they did not believe it.
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The I don't know what they thought.
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And so they just I was there for four hours before they finally gave me two Tylenol.
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And I was like, This seems insufficient.
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Yeah.
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I honestly can say I've not been in that much pain since I gave birth the first time.
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I was like, this is an insane level of pain.
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Anyone who's had appendicitis now, when my brother had it and he got his appendix out, I was kind of like, yeah, but you're kind of being a baby about it, aren't you?
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Right.
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When it happens to you and you're like, ah, never mind.
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I was like, oh no, it's real bad.
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It's real painful.
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Sorry, Caleb.
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Um, but anyways, so that was that was for context.
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Like every time I texted Ash for the past year, I was like, hey, how are you?
00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:14.000
She's like, I'm in the hospital.
00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:15.120
Literally.
00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:18.080
Almost every time.
00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.360
I was like, like, are you just like living there now?
00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:23.120
That's what it felt like.
00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:26.879
And to give you guys some context, I'm not a medical person.
00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:29.039
No, she's not a hypochondriac.
00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:31.200
I'm super not a hypochondriac.
00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:37.840
And I'd never even been to the hospital for myself until I have gave birth to my first child.
00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:38.480
Yeah.
00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:39.519
That was it.
00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:40.399
So this is.
00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:42.240
She barely took pain meds in college.
00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.799
Like she'd be like, I'm in so much pain, I'm gonna lay down differently.
00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:46.320
I'm like, oh, there's Advil.
00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:47.759
I don't know why you're doing that.
00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:53.279
You could literally just take some medication for that, some very normal standard medication.
00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:54.399
Almost no side effects.
00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.559
It's true, and I still I still just don't take that much medicine.
00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:03.279
I'm just not medically minded, so I also don't understand a lot of things that doctors say.
00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:09.759
So I usually like have to like run things past like my mom or my sister and be like, what did what does it mean when they said this to me?
00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:12.000
Do I need to ask more questions?
00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:13.679
Like, what should I do here?
00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:14.240
Yeah.
00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:16.000
So it's been super freaky.
00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:19.360
And then after having Cal, he was a C-section baby.
00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:21.279
Woo woo! My first one was not.
00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:22.960
C-sections are way easier.
00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:24.960
I was gonna say that's probably much better.
00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:26.559
So much better.
00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:33.200
Especially if you are prone to tearing, which that's why I got you guys are learning so much about me if you didn't already.
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:34.240
Hi, welcome.
00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:39.120
If this is your first time here, welcome to a medical podcast disguised as a writing podcast.
00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.360
Yeah, exactly, exactly.
00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:46.720
Um, anyways, I tore very badly with my first one, which you all really needed to know.
00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:53.840
And my doctor was like, So, given that situation, I would like to offer you the option of a c-section.
00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:56.399
And I was like, hmm, I'll think about that.
00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:00.480
And then I felt guilty for a while thinking about it because I was like, I don't know.
00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:06.559
There's just it's some weird primal thing where you're like, surely my child will be best off if I give birth naturally, right?
00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.159
And then it's like what?
00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:08.960
Why?
00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:11.120
It makes literally no difference.
00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:13.840
So went with the C-section, it was awesome.
00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:19.440
Immediately got mastitis twice, as I did with my first child as well, so that's cool.
00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.000
Um, went septic, that was cool.
00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:30.480
Didn't know I was septic, was just like, I think I'm actually dying right now, and had to make my husband call the ambulance, which scared the hell out of him.
00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:33.120
They took I so I got to sit inside of an ambulance.
00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:33.759
That was interesting.
00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:38.320
I was like taking notes in case I need to write a scene if someone's in an ambulance.
00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:39.279
True writer.
00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:40.320
Yeah, truly.
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:42.799
I was like, this is valuable experience.
00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:44.240
I hope I don't die.
00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:48.879
Um I hope I live to uh bring this to its fullest use.
00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:50.080
Exactly.
00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:55.679
I'm like, I gotta find now I gotta fight I write a book that has a scene with an ambulance just so I can make this all worth it.
00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:06.480
Left Hobby at home with our two-year-old and newborn when they wheeled me off into the ambulance, and I was like, Well, he's gonna have an absolute panic attack.
00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:09.600
Um, anyways, so that was crazy.
00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:12.000
And they were like, turns out you're just mildly septic.
00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:13.440
And I was like, hmm.
00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:17.120
Mildly fascinating.
00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:19.360
You're just mildly dying, it's fine.
00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:20.720
Yeah, it's good, it's good.
00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:24.399
And it was funny too, because when the paramedics got here, they were like, I don't know, I think you're fine.
00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:25.600
I think you're just anxious.
00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:29.279
And I do know that that's probably true a lot of the time.
00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:32.720
And people usually, I'm sure people usually push back.
00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:35.440
And so I was trying not to be like, you don't know what you're talking about.
00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:40.320
But I was also like, I do have anxiety, and I've had panic attacks.
00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:50.960
So I'm like, I not like I I feel that I would recognize this as an aware person who actually does take medication for those things.
00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:53.759
So I was like, I mean, probably.
00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:56.639
And I said, Oh well, the problem is I can't breathe.
00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:01.840
Um I guess that is kind of a panic attack thing, but yeah, also feel serious.
00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:02.960
Also serious.
00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:05.359
I was like, I guess that would make me anxious.
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:10.160
I literally was like, I'm I probably am anxious on account of Because I can't breathe.
00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:13.680
Yeah, feeling like I'm dying is making me feel anxious as well.
00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:14.480
You're correct.
00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:17.119
And then they were like, Oh, you're a little tachycardic.
00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:18.880
And I was like, what does that mean?
00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:20.400
Um yeah.
00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:21.200
Yeah.
00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:26.160
They were like, Your your heart rate is pretty high when you stand and it's jumping up pretty fast.
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.799
And I was like, that's what I felt like, that's why I'm laying down.
00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:29.759
Correct.
00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:32.640
And they were like, Oh, so we should probably take you to the hospital.
00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:36.079
And I was like, That is why, that is why I That's why you're here.
00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:38.240
I asked my husband to call you guys.
00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:38.960
Yeah.
00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:40.640
Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.
00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:42.160
Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.
00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:46.640
So uh, anyways, that was fun.
00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:56.799
Got home, my older son gave my younger son a cold, which I did not know he had given him, and because the baby was so little, it turned into viral meningitis.
00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:04.000
And I did not know, and I felt like a horrible mother because we were home for over 24 hours with his fever.
00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:06.240
Uh, and they were like, You should have brought him in immediately.
00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:07.839
And I was like, I did not know.
00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:08.640
I'm so sorry.
00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:14.559
Yeah, how do we I feel like most people give it 24 hours to 48 unless it's like really, really extreme.
00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:16.079
But yeah, exactly.
00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:29.039
And it wasn't particularly it's it's weird because there's like fevers aren't as bad for kids, but there's this period when they're babies where if they're ultra new, they don't have the blood brain barrier, so things like a normal cold can turn into meningitis.
00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:30.799
I did not know all of this.
00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:34.960
Um, anyway, so then we were in the pediatric ICU for a week.
00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:37.680
Um and that was that was terrifying.
00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:39.119
Luckily, he's fine.
00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:42.720
Um, the doctors were like, you wouldn't know he's on death's doorstep.
00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:43.759
He looks so great.
00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:45.759
And I'm like, that's horrifying, but thank you.
00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:47.759
Yeah, I'd like to be able to notice that.
00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:54.720
Yeah, and I was like, my children love to eat so much that even death will not keep them from eating.
00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:56.799
He gained weight while we were in there.
00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:57.680
Oh my gosh.
00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:02.160
Well, I mean, he needed the energy.
00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:03.839
Yeah, I mean, I'm super glad.
00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:05.839
They were like, it's amazing he's eating so well.
00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:11.039
And I'm like, yeah, every 45 minutes, which sounds like an exaggeration, but it's not.
00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:17.119
Um, and it's so funny because this one is um Riley is my long bird-boned boy.
00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:21.680
This boy is completely average of height, but he is so dense.
00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:24.480
He is a thick, muscly, chunky boy.
00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:25.599
And I called him Mr.
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:28.079
Chunk once in front of Riley, and now Riley calls him Mr.
00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:28.559
Chunk.
00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:29.519
So nice.
00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:31.440
Gotta be careful what nicknames you give him.
00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.200
Yeah, you got another kit.
00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:35.920
You didn't have that with Riley, really, where someone would pick up on that.
00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:36.640
Exactly.
00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.920
I could just call him whatever.
00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:38.240
Yeah.
00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:39.519
And now it would fade.
00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:40.960
No, it won't.
00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:41.599
Yeah.
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:42.079
Yeah.
00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:43.519
So he's sorry, you're gonna be Mr.
00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:44.160
Chunk forever.
00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:49.359
But the good news is you're way stronger than him, so you're gonna be able to beat him up, like probably like in a few months.
00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:50.400
There you go.
00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:52.160
He's like, okay, whatever.
00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:55.519
Um, he's also way grumpier than Riley was as a baby.
00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:59.039
He sleeps way better, but he's like a very angry baby.
00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:04.319
Not fussy, just like he's just angry and grumpy, and his eyebrows usually just look grumpy.
00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:11.119
And he'll just he'll be nursing and just be like staring at me with the grumpiest face as he literally sucks the life out of me.
00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:12.960
And I'm like, I hate you.
00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:13.839
Exactly.
00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:15.680
I'm like, oh, I'm so sorry.
00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:17.920
Is my milk not good enough for you?
00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:21.599
Like isn't me caring for your every need not enough?
00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:23.039
Yeah, I'm like, sorry, bud.
00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:25.519
Life's not getting any easier than it is right now.
00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:27.519
This is the best it will ever be.
00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.839
So sorry, you're so discontent.
00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:30.799
Come on.
00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:33.920
Oh my goodness, so funny.
00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:41.519
Children are funny, and um Riley heard uh Javi say the phrase jack and around, and now he says jack and round.
00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:44.000
He goes, Deckin' wound, deck and wound.
00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:45.200
So that's pretty funny.
00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:48.000
Because I was like, we gotta go, y'all gotta stop jacking around.
00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:50.160
And he was like, deck and wound.
00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:51.359
Oh my gosh.
00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:58.880
Kids with their bad pronunciations, it's so cute, and he he had the R sound down because his name is Riley.
00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:04.319
So he was like, Riley, and now I don't know how we've lost the R and the L.
00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:08.480
But he had a Rolo yesterday, the candy, and he was like, Whoa whoa.
00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:10.079
I like woo woo.
00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:13.119
And I was like, I'm so glad you like rollos.
00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:14.400
And we have regressed.
00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:16.160
What's happening?
00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:17.359
It's so weird.
00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:19.599
I was like, Can you say red in Italian?
00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:20.880
We've been over this with him a lot.
00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:25.920
He knows that it's rosso, but he didn't even say rosso, he said who so.
00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:28.880
And I'm like okay.
00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:30.480
He's just messing with you.
00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:31.920
Yeah, I feel like he is.
00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:34.319
He is a little troll, major stinker.
00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:38.000
Anyway, so that's that's been my life update.
00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:43.359
Which is really like n it feels like nothing that significant.
00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:45.119
It's like a lot of dramatic things, but it didn't really.
00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:49.279
That's that's significant.
00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:54.079
Everything else was just like normal things were just gonna be dramatic about getting there.
00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:54.720
Yeah.
00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:59.759
So you know, okay, your whole medical spiel reminded me of my medical spiel's.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:02.400
But saying you guys have actually had a very medical year.
00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:03.039
Yes.
00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:10.559
Well, okay, so working backwards, my parents and I all had like a medical thing go on early this year.
00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:12.480
So we had like medical January.
00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:16.559
So at the end of the month, my dad had to get like a skin cancer patch removed.
00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:18.640
My mom, what did my mom have?
00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:20.720
Was that a dental thing?
00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:21.279
Yes.
00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.240
It was some kind of very intense dental thing.
00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:26.880
She like couldn't eat like solid food for a while and stuff.
00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:29.039
She's getting her wisdom teeth out later this year now.
00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:32.480
So I know I'm confused about what's she has a lot of dental problems.
00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:37.440
And then I had to have my pacemaker replacement surgery.
00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:46.000
And the story behind that is that last May I had like my normal checkup and they were like, Cool, you look like you have like 16 months left.
00:22:46.160 --> 00:22:46.960
Everything's cool.
00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:48.000
It's like awesome.
00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:49.440
I'll think about this in a year.
00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:55.519
And then in July, they called me and were like, Hey, um, can you come in this week?
00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:57.519
I was like, like this week.
00:22:57.680 --> 00:22:58.720
I have an appointment next month.
00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:01.200
They're like, no, we need you in like as soon as possible.
00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:02.319
I was like, okay.
00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:13.680
So I went in and they're like, well, it looks like the the because the model I had, other people who had that model were noticing that as it got to the end of its battery life, it would very rapidly lose battery.
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.279
And I'm dependent, so like I can't go down to zero.
00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:20.240
Like they usually don't let me go down like even to six months.
00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:24.799
And so they're like, Really, your range is two to thirty-two months.
00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:29.279
And I was like, hmm, that is an extraordinarily unhelpful range.
00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:31.920
Six, seven, six, seven.
00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:37.920
And and the yeah, and the the like system was just averaging it to 16.
00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:42.559
I was like, okay, they need to not do that because two to thirty-two months is very different.
00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:44.640
Yeah, let's play on two months.
00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:45.519
That's what I'm saying.
00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:46.640
Let's air with that.
00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:47.200
Yeah.
00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:48.000
Oh my god.
00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:48.880
I didn't know that.
00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:51.680
I knew you needed a replacement, but I didn't know that that was why.
00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:53.279
It was kind of terrifying.
00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:57.839
And so then I had to book my appointment with my surgeon, and he was really nonchalant.
00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:59.119
He's like, Okay, I'll see you in a month.
00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:03.759
I'm like, does that mean that you don't think it has two months you think it has more than two months?
00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:07.359
Or you're gonna like tell me the surgery needs to happen the day after I meet you?
00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:08.400
Like, I didn't know.
00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:13.920
So I went and saw him, and he was like, Okay, let's plan it for December or January.
00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:16.480
I was like, Okay, so you don't think it's two months.
00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:17.759
You think it's more than two months?
00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:23.440
He's like, Yeah, it's probably not the low end of the range, it's probably more middle, and then we'll just air with, you know, what was it at that point?
00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:25.039
Probably five months.
00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:27.440
So then I had to go in bed.
00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:30.319
Take it out now, replace it right now, today.
00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:38.000
He I I don't know if it's like an insurance thing or something, but like you do have to get to a certain battery amount before they'll replace it.
00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:41.359
Um, because when I was 18, that was the last time I had it done.
00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:48.160
I had the pacemaker tech like manipulate it so it would use battery power faster so that I could time it the way I wanted it to.
00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:50.079
But I don't know if it's because I'm an adult.
00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:51.759
They're usually pretty careful because I'm dependent.
00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:53.759
Like if it goes out, I am dead.
00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:57.599
But um, they're I don't know, it was just very strange.
00:24:57.759 --> 00:24:59.680
So then I scheduled it for January.
00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:03.599
It's January 7th, and I remember that because it's just seared in my brain.
00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:04.880
I don't know if I told you this part.
00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:06.559
I think I did, I'm not sure.
00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:11.039
So I went in for the surgery, and I get really nervous because like I've had surgery since I was two.
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:16.559
I just like my worst fear is like I'll wake up in the middle, or like, you know, something will happen.
00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:22.079
So I go in for the surgery and they're taking me back to the OR, and they're asking me all these normal questions.
00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:23.519
They're like, Do you have any kidney problems?
00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:24.160
Are you pregnant?
00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:25.279
Like, all this kind of stuff.
00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:26.559
Like, no, everything's fine.
00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:29.440
They're like, Do you have any redheads in the family?
00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:31.759
I was like, What?
00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:35.759
I thought they were just kind of messing with me, like throwing in a silly question for fun.
00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:40.400
They're like, Well, redheads can react differently to anesthesia, so we like to know.
00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:43.759
So I was like, Oh well, yeah, my dad's dad was a redhead.
00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:48.400
So, like, my dad definitely has the gene, and there's about a 50-50 chance I have the gene.
00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:48.799
Yeah.
00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:52.000
So I was like, okay, they told me this like right before they were gonna put me under.
00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:54.160
So they were like, okay, we'll keep an eye on you.
00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:56.240
You're like, well, that's my worst nightmare.
00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:56.480
Yeah.
00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:57.519
Thank you for that.
00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:00.319
They asked me that before my appendectomy.
00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:04.079
Because I was like, no, I'm I'm not a natural redhead, if that's why you're asking.
00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:10.960
And I'm not redheaded, but like I've been dying, you can't really see it in this lighting, but I've kind of been dying my hair a little, like bleaching it a little more.
00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:12.720
You can see it's more of a strawberry blonde.
00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:18.160
So I'm like, I think I'm probably like I'm carrying the gene, but it's not like demonstrating.
00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:25.200
Well, long story short, I did wake up in the middle of surgery and I could feel them operating on me.
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:26.880
It was horrible.
00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:37.200
I literally like they put me under, and then I kind of like was dazed and I was like, why do I feel like something's tugging at me?
00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:38.319
I'm like, that's weird.
00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:43.119
And then like the awareness just came over me because it's like it's really painful.
00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:50.400
So I was like, um, I feel like I'm still being operated on, but like anesthesia paralyzes you, so I couldn't move.
00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:52.559
Yeah, so I couldn't tell anyone I was awake.
00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:55.200
And I tried, like, I was trying to talk.
00:26:55.279 --> 00:27:00.000
I was like, like, hello, like something, like, are you guys watching me?
00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:04.160
And um, they like didn't notice for a really long time.
00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:08.480
So I don't know what the time frame is because it's hard to tell when you're that like I couldn't open my eyes.
00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:15.680
I don't know what the time frame was, but I literally just sat there and laid there, I guess, and was like, I'm just gonna have to find a way to get through it.
00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:20.079
Like I was praying, I was like, please, I don't know how to do this.
00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:21.279
This is horrible.
00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:28.160
And then I basically was in so much pain, I started to cry, and they noticed me crying.
00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:32.240
They could see the tears dripping out of my eyes, so they knew I was awake.
00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:33.519
Oh my god.
00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:34.799
And they put me back under.
00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:36.559
So apparently, this is what I think happened.
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:37.599
They felt really bad too.
00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:42.319
Like, I was it was supposed to be a 20-minute surgery with a one-hour recovery.
00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:50.160
Turned into like a 40-minute surgery with like a three-hour recovery because they had to give me like I don't know what the dose was, but it was probably close to double.
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:52.960
So it took me a really long time to wake up and they felt so bad.
00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:55.039
And my parents were just like, it's fine.
00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:59.920
Like, I wasn't awake to say anything because like they can't really do anything, it's you know, whatever.
00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:06.160
But um, yeah, so I was like, I guess I definitely have the redhead gene.
00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:11.839
Yeah, and um, now I know that for for the future, but it was deeply horrifying.
00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:14.160
Yeah, it was kind of a redheaded baby at some point.
00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:28.480
I know I did think about that, but anyway, I think the reason it happened is apparently when you put a pacemaker in, they have like a little antibacterial, anti-anti-something little sack that it's put in so your body doesn't reject it as a foreign object.
00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:30.079
It's supposed to dissolve.
00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:34.720
And apparently the one I got when I was 18, which was 12 years ago, did not dissolve.
00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:39.839
So it had embedded in the muscle, and that's I think that's what they were doing when I woke up.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:46.480
I don't think they were planning for it to like last that long or for it to be that painful because I had to like tug it out of the muscle and everything.
00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:47.759
So I think that's why I woke up.
00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:52.000
I don't know if it would actually be that bad under normal circumstances, but yeah.
00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:53.359
This is so horrifying.
00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:56.160
I can't really lead with all of my medical experience.
00:28:56.400 --> 00:28:57.039
I forgot about it.
00:28:58.400 --> 00:29:01.680
I try not to think about it, so I kind of forgot.
00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:06.480
Um, but then even before that, so back it was after I visited you.
00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:13.839
So I don't think I've we've done a podcast since then, but I vi I visited Ash in May of 24, 25.
00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:14.880
I would say 20.
00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:16.079
Was it 24?
00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:16.799
I think so.
00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:17.440
It wasn't last year.
00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:19.440
Wait, no, it was last year.
00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:20.960
Because my cousin's wedding was 24.
00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:22.160
I think it was 25.
00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:25.519
It was the first writing retreat, whenever that was.
00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:26.799
Uh yes, okay.
00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:27.200
Yeah.
00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:28.480
So 25, yes.
00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:29.920
I completely forgot about the retreat.
00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:34.000
So yes, I visited Ash, and then it was my first time flying by myself.
00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:35.440
I flew when I was 12 once.
00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:40.480
And then I flew by myself, and I was very proud of myself for that because I was really anxious.
00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:41.039
Anyway.
00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:42.319
I was also very proud of you.
00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:42.799
I know.
00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:45.519
It was so much fun, but I got the flu afterwards.
00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:50.640
I think because, like, you know, you're very suddenly in a different city and like you're on the plane and everything.
00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:52.559
So I had the flu and I recovered from the flu.
00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:55.920
I had laryngitis for a while, so I didn't have to talk to anyone, which was kind of cool.
00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:59.200
And then I thought I was relapsing.
00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:06.720
So I usually take like a ton of vitamin C to just like you know push through illnesses or like you know, nip them in the bud.
00:30:06.880 --> 00:30:16.720
But all I had was vitamin C plus zinc, so I took a bunch of those, and I did not know that you can get something called zinc poisoning, and it can kill you.
00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:26.160
So I I to I looked at, I don't remember what the exact numbers are, but there's some kind of dose that is like it starts the lethal range.
00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:31.839
I took like 10 less, and I was in so much pain.
00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:35.599
Like, I actually think it was worse than the surgery.
00:30:36.079 --> 00:30:41.920
Like, I felt like basically there were live coals inside of me slowly burning out through the rest of my body.
00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:43.279
It was so horrible.
00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:45.599
And I felt so dumb because I had done it.
00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:46.799
It was like my own fault.
00:30:46.880 --> 00:30:50.079
It wasn't even like, you know, something that happened to me.
00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:51.119
I know.
00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:56.400
Apparently that I know, and I started to tell people afterwards, I was like, yeah, I had zinc poison.
00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:57.440
They're like, what?
00:30:57.599 --> 00:30:58.559
You took that much zinc?
00:30:58.640 --> 00:30:59.920
And like, why did no one tell me this?
00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:02.079
Why did no one inform me that this was a serious issue?
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:05.039
No that you can't take that much zinc?
00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:06.240
I know, I didn't know.
00:31:06.400 --> 00:31:10.799
So I it was kind of weird, like it it kicked in in like 15 minutes.
00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:16.000
So I was eating something because you're supposed to take zinc not on an empty and not on an empty stomach.
00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:19.759
So I I was eating, but then I got so sick to my stomach, I was like, okay, I'll lay down.
00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:23.279
I had a headache, and I started to feel really bad, and I was like, I'm gonna look this up.
00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:24.480
Maybe there's something to this.
00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:28.160
And I saw that you could die of it, and I was like, I feel like I'm dying.
00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:36.160
I went to the bathroom to try to throw up, couldn't get anything up, but I also like collapsed to the ground and just stayed there for like hours.
00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:38.079
And I had this instinct.
00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:41.279
No, well, I I don't know.
00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:45.519
I'm I'm sort of like you, but the opposite of you were like, I don't want to go to the hospital.
00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:48.000
So like I only go when I absolutely have to.
00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:52.720
So I was literally like, I think I can handle this, everything will be fine, I'll just like get through it.
00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:55.440
And the internet told me it should last five to ten hours.
00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:59.680
So I was like, let's just pull for five hours and hope that we get through it that fast.
00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:03.200
But I was like crazy, I was like, maybe I should drink milk or something.
00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:09.279
I did a bunch of research after the fact that would have in fact helped, but I didn't do it because I couldn't get off the ground.
00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:16.319
And the advice like poison control advice, they're like, you should call poison control and you should take something to throw it up.
00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:22.880
But I was like, I just didn't know that, so I just laid there in like really, really extreme pain.
00:32:23.119 --> 00:32:28.240
And I've never been through childbirth, I don't know how it ranks, but I think it's up there.
00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:30.319
And it was horrible.
00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:32.640
Why didn't you call someone?
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:39.279
Well, okay, my parents were there, but I think they just thought I was being a baby.
00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:43.039
Like I think they were just like, okay, you'll be fine, because I'd had I just had the flu.
00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:45.839
So I think they were like, oh, she's still recovering.
00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:47.839
And my mom was worried.
00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:50.640
Like, she was like, you know, do you want me to take you somewhere?
00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:52.480
And I was like, no, I think I'm fine.
00:32:52.640 --> 00:33:02.400
But then, you know, she'd leave me alone for an hour, and I'm like, I'm going through all sorts of like I was considering like appealing to like spiritual thing, like, I don't know.
00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:05.039
It was very cra I was like, maybe I should appeal to a demon.
00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:06.480
And I was like, no, we can't do that.
00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:07.359
That's wrong.
00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:08.720
Yeah, maybe not that.
00:33:08.799 --> 00:33:10.160
But yeah, we'll not do that.
00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:12.559
But it almost felt a little bit like a test.
00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:15.680
Consider that then going to the hospital.
00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:16.319
Yeah.
00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:18.480
They would have given you a glass of milk.
00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:21.759
I couldn't speak.
00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:22.880
But okay.
00:33:23.119 --> 00:33:23.759
I don't know.
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:24.799
It was terrible.
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:25.599
But anyway.
00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:26.720
That's awful.
00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:32.160
So now I have waking up during surgery, zinc poisoning, and then when I was 12, I had pneumonia.
00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:34.079
Those are the worst pain I've ever been in.
00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:37.200
So now I have a ranking system.
00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.680
So my god.
00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:47.680
Yeah, I mean, I don't go to the hospital as often as Ash, but oh boy, when when I get sick or unwell, it is extreme.
00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:56.240
I wonder, it sounds like the level of pain that you're describing with the zinc poisoning sounds a lot like the appendicitis, which felt a lot like childbirth.
00:33:56.480 --> 00:34:04.319
It was it was pr it's probably similar because it's I mean it's it's not the same organ, but it's in kind of like the same region where it can feel like it's spreading to other places.
00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:05.200
Yeah.
00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:05.759
Yeah.
00:34:06.319 --> 00:34:13.119
And I mean appendicitis is basically like it's it's not exactly like this, but it's kind of like an organ is rotting inside of you.
00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:14.639
That's exactly what it is.
00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:16.320
Yeah, so that would be painful.
00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:17.199
That makes sense.
00:34:17.440 --> 00:34:17.679
Yeah.
00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:19.039
My mom for that one too.
00:34:19.119 --> 00:34:23.840
I did just call my mom and I was like, maybe take me to urgent care because I my my stomach hurt so bad.
00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:25.760
Because at first I didn't know it was appendicitis.
00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:26.079
Yeah.
00:34:26.239 --> 00:34:28.800
Well, at first I was like, I just need you to come over and take me to the doctor.
00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:29.760
I don't know what's going on.
00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:34.559
And she was like, and I didn't well, first she called and she was like, Are you okay?
00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:35.920
Because I didn't sound good.
00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:38.639
And I was like, uh, no, I've been awake since 2 a.m.
00:34:38.800 --> 00:34:39.840
because my stomach hurts.
00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:41.440
And she was like, That's not normal.
00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:42.400
Should you go to the doctor?
00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:43.280
And I was like, no.
00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:48.480
And then like an hour later, she was like, I'm gonna call you back and see how you're doing.
00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:51.679
And an hour later, I was on the ground because my stomach hurt so bad and I couldn't get up.
00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:55.360
And I was like, Yeah, you might need to help.
00:34:55.679 --> 00:34:57.039
I actually might need help, yes.
00:34:57.440 --> 00:35:09.039
And then but then because I was like 16 weeks pregnant, 16 or 17 weeks pregnant, I was like, actually, we're gonna have to go to the ER and they're gonna send me to get the maternity ward because they won't work on you in the ER when you're pregnant.
00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:13.360
And that's that's probably why they were like they thought it was a pregnancy thing.
00:35:14.480 --> 00:35:15.360
Yeah, exactly.
00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:21.440
And as soon as the pain started to like move towards my side, I was like, I don't think that's the baby.
00:35:21.920 --> 00:35:23.360
Pretty sure it's appendicitis.
00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:23.920
Yeah.
00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:28.719
And then I Javi and I are both so helpless with medical things.
00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:34.400
My I called my sister to come in, and within 15 minutes of her being there, I had fentanyl.
00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:36.880
Thank God, because I was dying.
00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:38.639
So I don't know what she said.
00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:45.199
And she got a doctor to come in who was actually the doctor who coincidentally had delivered Riley.
00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:47.119
Uh and she's she's so scary.
00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:47.920
She's terrifying.
00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:50.480
I know she's great, she's the scariest person.
00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:53.679
And so she like immediately was like, get this girl some fentanyl.
00:35:53.920 --> 00:35:55.760
Her appendix is, you know, blah blah blah.
00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:57.679
And I was like, thank you.
00:35:58.960 --> 00:35:59.760
You're amazing.
00:36:00.320 --> 00:36:04.239
Uh except that I couldn't say that because I was like, I can't move, I'm in so much pain.
00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:04.559
Yeah.
00:36:04.960 --> 00:36:05.519
It's crazy.
00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:09.599
You're just glad you don't have to fight for it because you're like, I'm not in a condition to do that.
00:36:10.239 --> 00:36:16.880
And then they they finally wheeled me down to do the scan, and they were like, Whoa, that's a very inflamed appendix.
00:36:16.960 --> 00:36:19.199
And I was like, Well, I've only been telling you.
00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:22.320
At that point, I think I had been in the hospital for like eight hours.
00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:25.199
So I'm like, it was probably less inflamed eight hours ago.
00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:25.760
Right.
00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:28.000
But uh, yeah, no, of course it's getting worse.
00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:39.760
And they were like, also, we waited so long that the surgeon has already gone home, and we did give you saltine crackers, so you have to wait eight hours eight more hours before we can take out your appendix, and also the surgeon's not here.
00:36:40.159 --> 00:36:48.400
So I was like, So because you guys didn't listen to me, I have to be in this level of pain for at least eight more hours.
00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:49.920
This seems like your fault.
00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:51.679
You should have to make up for this somehow.
00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:52.719
Yeah, exactly.
00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:55.119
I was like, I was telling you this whole time.
00:36:55.199 --> 00:36:56.559
I knew it was wrong.
00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:58.639
I was like, this is crazy.
00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:03.280
Anyways, um so it's been it's just been medical stuff, that's all.
00:37:03.360 --> 00:37:05.199
We've just had a new medical time, you and I.
00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:08.559
We are alive, which is an achievement.
00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:10.639
So this is good, honestly.
00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:13.760
So now we don't even have to be like, sorry, we disappeared with no warning, you guys.
00:37:14.159 --> 00:37:16.000
I feel that we've had some very valid.
00:37:17.360 --> 00:37:18.960
We were actually dying.
00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:20.400
Actually dying.
00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:21.920
Yeah, crazy.
00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:23.280
So yeah.
00:37:23.519 --> 00:37:26.000
Um I don't know what the takeaway is.
00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:27.199
Don't take zinc.
00:37:27.440 --> 00:37:31.599
Tell the doctors you need your appendix out before the surgeon leaves.
00:37:32.320 --> 00:37:32.719
Yeah.
00:37:33.199 --> 00:37:35.199
I don't know how you prevent the stuff that happened to you.
00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:36.239
Yeah, mine's not.
00:37:36.400 --> 00:37:37.360
You just got unlucky.
00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:39.679
I do, I've always been very unlucky.
00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:42.719
Uh let your surgeons know if you have a redhead in the family.
00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:43.840
Yeah, absolutely.
00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:45.360
Although something I didn't know.
00:37:45.679 --> 00:37:45.920
Yeah.
00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:49.599
Sorry if you guys can hear my child angry snorting into the microphone.
00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:52.480
My baby's an angry snorter.
00:37:53.519 --> 00:37:55.440
I am an angry snorter, you guys.
00:37:56.079 --> 00:37:57.039
Oh my goodness.
00:37:57.440 --> 00:38:04.079
Well, today we were gonna talk about dialogue because if you guys did not know, I own a bookstore in Hotto, Texas, and it's awesome.
00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:13.599
And it's called the Story Emporium and Bookshop, and once a month we do a writing workshop, and it's this weekend, and uh, we're gonna talk about dialogue.
00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:17.920
So I was like, we could we could just do that here, which we've done before, but it is one of my favorite topics.
00:38:18.320 --> 00:38:21.920
And I've done minimal preparation because that is my tradition.
00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:26.159
That is my scripture society model, it's our business model.
00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:31.119
Ash does very little preparation and leans on Catherine, who was like, I have some notes here.
00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:32.559
I had a sticky note of notes.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:34.320
She's got a sticky note of notes.
00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:35.360
It's amazing.
00:38:36.159 --> 00:38:36.880
Amazing.
00:38:37.679 --> 00:38:39.679
Anyways, so we're gonna talk dialogue.
00:38:39.840 --> 00:38:47.440
Um, if you guys are still here, if you're gonna believe during our they're like, we know so much about y'all's medical history.
00:38:48.719 --> 00:38:50.000
I think you can learn a lot.
00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:52.400
You can write these conditions better now.
00:38:52.480 --> 00:39:00.079
I I will say, I'm almost definitely gonna write some kind of a book where someone gets poisoned by zinc, and that's like the murder weapon.
00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:00.800
I'm just saying.
00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:01.679
Ooh, that's smart.
00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:02.239
You learn.
00:39:02.559 --> 00:39:06.400
I just read, um, I just finished an audiobook this morning, last night.
00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:12.559
I've been listening to a crazy amount of audiobooks, that um somebody died of iron poisoning, and that was crazy.
00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:13.360
I love it.
00:39:13.599 --> 00:39:14.639
I mean, not the death.
00:39:14.800 --> 00:39:17.119
Well, I kind of love the death, but the fictional death.
00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:19.599
Not the real people death.
00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:22.960
Yeah, but I'm gonna use my ambulance experience to inform my book.
00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:28.880
Um, a lot of my pregnancy experience um a lot of like the postpartum like depression and stuff.
00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:32.639
I'm definitely gonna weave it in into my book right now.
00:39:32.800 --> 00:39:45.119
So yeah, the book you have, I don't know if you started reading it, but the one that I sent you, I did sort of infuse a little bit of the the like waking up and surgery stuff into that series.
00:39:45.360 --> 00:39:46.960
So that's exciting.
00:39:47.199 --> 00:39:48.559
Oh my gosh, so scary.
00:39:48.800 --> 00:39:49.920
I can't wait to read it.
00:39:50.320 --> 00:39:51.920
It's not as intense as I made that sound.
00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:58.559
It's more just like I feel like my descriptions are really solid when it comes to like yeah, like paralysis.
00:39:58.960 --> 00:40:00.559
Like I understand it now.
00:40:01.039 --> 00:40:01.840
It's crazy.
00:40:02.400 --> 00:40:07.199
I did have oh, I cannot, I cannot relate to the pain because I did not experience pain.
00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:16.880
Uh I learned when they do a C-section, they don't um they numb you to the pain, but you can't move and you can still completely feel sensation.
00:40:17.440 --> 00:40:18.480
So that was freaky.
00:40:18.719 --> 00:40:23.519
Because it was it feels like you're being tugged really hard when they're like cutting through you.
00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:27.039
And then when they tried to pull the baby, I don't know how they pulled the baby out.
00:40:27.119 --> 00:40:32.000
I felt like they tried to shove the baby up my throat first and I couldn't breathe, and then pulled the baby out.
00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:34.800
And then the baby sneezed immediately, which was crazy.
00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:37.280
It was like your first breath and you sneezed.
00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:38.639
Welcome to the buddy.
00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:41.280
He's like, I'm allergic to reality.
00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:43.440
So that was funny.
00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:45.599
Um, but yeah, that was freaky.
00:40:45.840 --> 00:40:49.519
They were like, You're gonna be able to feel everything, but it just won't hurt.
00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:50.400
That's crazy.
00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:51.440
It didn't hurt.
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:53.119
I did not like it, it was freaky.
00:40:53.199 --> 00:41:02.400
Obviously, I'm glad that I didn't have the pain, but oh my god, that was that is it's weird when stuff is supposed to hurt and it doesn't, but you can still feel it in some way.
00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:03.119
Yeah, that's weird.
00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:04.320
That's so freaky.
00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:05.599
That's so freaky.
00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:06.960
Crazy.
00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:09.280
Anyways, I'm I'm sorry, I'm going back to medical things.
00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:12.079
I'm scarred, I'm still processing.
00:41:12.639 --> 00:41:14.000
This is just a therapy session.
00:41:14.159 --> 00:41:17.280
This is a medical therapy session because a writing podcast.
00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:18.800
Yeah, exactly.
00:41:19.119 --> 00:41:19.840
Exactly.
00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:24.480
So, dialogue, which we have been treating you guys to copious amounts of.
00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:25.840
You're welcome.
00:41:26.800 --> 00:41:27.039
Welcome.
00:41:27.440 --> 00:41:34.159
Um, all right, so like, do you want to start like with a certain idea or topic?
00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:34.880
Like, I don't know.
00:41:35.840 --> 00:41:36.719
What do you have on your notes?
00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:38.320
Do you have anything that you want to start with?
00:41:38.800 --> 00:41:41.599
I've got a bunch of random ideas that aren't very well connected.
00:41:42.159 --> 00:41:42.880
Okay, cool.
00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:49.199
Um I mean, mine are just kind of like general uh not hints, not clues.
00:41:49.360 --> 00:41:50.159
What's the word?
00:41:50.719 --> 00:41:52.159
Tips, general tips.
00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:53.920
General tips and tricks.
00:41:54.159 --> 00:41:55.920
I have pet peeves because I like to be negative.
00:41:56.239 --> 00:41:57.840
Okay, a lot of them are kind of pet peeves.
00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:04.000
That's also this is really just a writer's pet peeves um podcast.
00:42:05.119 --> 00:42:07.039
I do feel like a lot of our episodes end up that way.
00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:12.480
Well, I guess we could really quickly describe what dialogue is in case someone's like, what wait, which what is the dialogue?
00:42:12.800 --> 00:42:16.480
That took me a minute for some reason when I was like in middle school to understand dialogue.
00:42:16.800 --> 00:42:17.039
Interesting.
00:42:17.280 --> 00:42:19.360
It's what's in quotation marks, it's speech.
00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:20.159
Yep.
00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:28.079
You can do like indirect dialogue, which is where you write something like so-and-so told them what had happened.
00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:36.559
Like, if you have like all these events that happen in the first half of the book and then a new character comes in and they need to be brought up to speed, you don't have to like actually explain it.
00:42:36.719 --> 00:42:40.400
I did this when I first started writing, where I was like, I'm just gonna rehash everything in dialogue.
00:42:40.480 --> 00:42:41.199
That'll be fun.
00:42:41.360 --> 00:42:44.400
Everyone wants to just like recap in the middle of the book.
00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:46.159
And uh you don't have to do that.
00:42:46.239 --> 00:42:48.320
You could just be like, you know, internal dialogue, yeah.
00:42:48.480 --> 00:42:54.639
So and so call her up and explained what had happened or told them about the thing that went down or whatever.
00:42:54.880 --> 00:43:10.480
And you can do it in small ways too, where it's like in the middle of a conversation, you can say like someone disagreed or someone, you know, yeah uh uh started yelling or something, if it's not like super important what the exact words are.
00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:23.760
Um, which I do think would be a fun way for people to mix it up because sometimes dialogue can get uh like bunched up if you have like way too much dialogue in a row, especially if it's only two characters talking.
00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:25.760
Yeah, I think that's one of my pet peeves.
00:43:26.000 --> 00:43:30.559
Yeah, so you can break it up with indirect dialogue, but you can also break it up with like actions.
00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:37.920
So, like, you know, in quotation marks, so-and-so said, as they walked to the other side of the room or something like that.
00:43:38.079 --> 00:43:38.320
Yep.
00:43:38.559 --> 00:43:50.719
Because it you don't I think it's called um White Room Syndrome, which is uh where you basically start talking about what characters are saying and and whatever, but there's no context of like the setting.
00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:52.800
Like people don't know where to set this conversation.
00:43:52.880 --> 00:43:53.840
Like, is it outside?
00:43:53.920 --> 00:43:54.639
Is it in a room?
00:43:54.800 --> 00:43:55.599
Is the room blue?
00:43:55.760 --> 00:43:57.360
Is you know how many people are in the room?
00:43:57.519 --> 00:44:01.440
So you want to give good descriptions, but you can also like inter interspersed them through the dialogue.
00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:03.679
So like you don't have to info dump.
00:44:03.840 --> 00:44:06.719
Here are the exact, you know, specifications of the room.
00:44:06.880 --> 00:44:19.840
You could say, you know, start with the dialogue and then say, you know, she walked to the the rounded corner of the room or where there was a couch or um you know a lot of my characters tend to pace angrily so that I use that a lot for like settings.
00:44:20.239 --> 00:44:21.599
Characters do pace angrily.
00:44:21.679 --> 00:44:21.840
Yeah.
00:44:22.079 --> 00:44:23.119
I don't know why.
00:44:23.360 --> 00:44:25.360
I don't really pace angrily so I don't know why.
00:44:25.440 --> 00:44:30.000
I can I think it just gives me like you kind of use the whole space of the fictional setting.
00:44:30.079 --> 00:44:30.639
You know what I mean?
00:44:30.800 --> 00:44:32.079
So that's true that's something I do.
00:44:32.960 --> 00:44:34.400
Yeah I definitely use action.
00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:46.159
So there's there's dialogue indirect dialogue and then there's internal dialogue which is like the character's thoughts in italics which I love and I use a lot of that and also a lot of action.
00:44:46.400 --> 00:44:50.800
And you can use like even if you're like but they're not really doing anything they're just like sitting talking.
00:44:50.960 --> 00:44:58.639
It can even just be like some action that like gives the reader more information about the dialogue.
00:44:59.039 --> 00:45:05.519
Like maybe a character says something and they're while they're talking they're nervously picking the wrapper off of a water bottle.
00:45:05.920 --> 00:45:13.599
So that tells you more about likely not only how the character is feeling but possibly how they sound while they're speaking about whatever it is that's making them nervous.
00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:21.760
So the action should support the dialogue and tell you something new about the dialogue and also helps to build the setting.
00:45:22.000 --> 00:45:23.679
So all those things.
00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:24.559
Yeah.
00:45:24.880 --> 00:45:34.320
And I think the one of the rules I sort of follow is like if someone is saying so like you could describe their action as like they're smiling while they say it, right?
00:45:34.480 --> 00:45:37.119
But you don't necessarily need to do that if it's obvious that they're smiling.
00:45:37.199 --> 00:45:47.920
Like if it's a good interaction that's going down you you know maybe it's like a I don't know romantic scene or like a reun uh reuniting with a family member that they've been excited to see and it's going well.
00:45:48.079 --> 00:45:50.639
You don't have to say they're smiling because that's obvious.
00:45:50.880 --> 00:46:06.559
But if there's something like vaguely threatening going on or it's not obvious that there's they would be smiling saying that can add depth to the dialogue because it gives you some context for oh there's some tension here or maybe they're lying or um you know any of that kind of stuff.
00:46:06.639 --> 00:46:13.679
It can be fun to like look up signs of lying and then build it into the descriptions because you can kind of subtly hint that that's what's happening.
00:46:14.000 --> 00:46:15.039
Yes, exactly.
00:46:15.199 --> 00:46:15.519
I love it.
00:46:15.760 --> 00:46:18.559
Ruby um get off the bed please thank you.
00:46:18.800 --> 00:46:32.480
Sorry if you guys are watching the video you saw that my dog launch herself onto the bed um which she knows she's not allowed on but um this this too with um smiled is one of them and then another one of my pet peeves is laughed.
00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:39.039
Yeah which is it seems like it should be something that you have to write because it's not just an expression and it's a sound.
00:46:39.440 --> 00:46:49.039
But like if something's funny enough that the reader's amused you don't usually need to write the it's like you're overcompensating.
00:46:49.199 --> 00:46:54.559
Don't overcompensate yeah it feels it's a lot like an exclamation point.
00:46:54.960 --> 00:47:01.599
We want to use those very very sparingly otherwise it feels like that's too much which is another dialogue tip.
00:47:01.679 --> 00:47:24.719
Like limit the exclamations I actually think that if you want to express that someone's like yelling or shouting rather than exclamation points maybe capitalize do all caps for a word or italics either of those are better than an exclamation point most of the time for it but he yelled would be better or he shouted yes exactly is better than the exclamation point.
00:47:25.199 --> 00:47:52.239
Not that there isn't occasionally a use for it and there might be occasionally a time where you say like he or she smiled or he or she laughed but mostly mostly I would say don't don't it's almost never necessary and whenever I'm editing a manuscript and it it's got a lot of he laughed she laughed they laughed I'm like delete delete delete delete delete delete delete yeah I do think that I do tend to do that especially on like first draft because you're like you're trying to picture it in your head.
00:47:52.400 --> 00:48:01.280
You're like oh they're smiling but then a lot of times during editing process you you can just take it out you're like eh they're pleasantly happy it's pretty clear that they're probably smiling.
00:48:01.440 --> 00:48:04.239
They probably don't look miserable while they're having this pleasant conversation.
00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:24.079
Exactly yeah yeah in um so one of my books uh there's basically someone pulls kind of a cruel prank on everyone and most of the people are upset but one of the characters thinks it's funny so he laughs and that I feel like is a good use of it because he's different than all of something about that character.
00:48:24.480 --> 00:48:38.559
Exactly he's like he's gonna find things funnier rather than take them too seriously etc but if everyone thought it was funny I mean I guess you could say they were laughing but you don't need to overdo it it can just be a statement here or there.
00:48:38.960 --> 00:48:40.320
So yeah.
00:48:40.800 --> 00:48:49.760
I feel like that's true of a lot of things is like if it doesn't tell you something new about a character or characters then you don't need to include it.
00:48:50.159 --> 00:49:15.199
Even if it's just like a temporary state of being like if they're anxious right now it doesn't have to be like they're always anxious um as a character hint but like if they're anxious right now especially if it's strange for them to be anxious or if they're more anxious than everyone else um yeah yeah like if you can't tell immediately from the dialogue like if it's a neutral line of dialogue like she like someone's like hey I haven't seen you in a while that could be said in a lot of ways.
00:49:15.280 --> 00:49:22.480
It'd be like hey I haven't seen you in a while it could be like hey I haven't seen you in a while you're like there's a lot of different ways that you that you can say that.
00:49:22.639 --> 00:49:29.920
So in that in that case you might add something about she said anxiously or which is probably not what I would do but you could do it would be applicable.
00:49:30.000 --> 00:49:35.039
I would probably do some sort of action that you would only do if you were anxious.
00:49:35.199 --> 00:49:35.519
Right.
00:49:36.559 --> 00:49:42.400
But that would be appropriate to anyways that would be an appropriate time to add more information.
00:49:42.639 --> 00:49:42.880
Yeah.
00:49:43.039 --> 00:49:59.280
And I think it's about mixing it up too like you don't want to have some kind of dialogue tag attached to every piece of dialogue but you also don't want it to be only dialogue where again White Room syndrome starts to kick in where no one knows where anyone's standing or how anyone feels you want to make it clear but not overdo it.
00:49:59.599 --> 00:50:01.599
Which I think is a practice makes perfect thing.
00:50:01.920 --> 00:50:03.360
You kind of just got to test it.
00:50:03.679 --> 00:50:38.559
That's exactly what I was gonna say it's definitely practice makes perfect it's d I think it's because there's not a specific a lot of things can be somewhat formulaic I feel like this is maybe the least formulaic part of writing fiction is when it comes to the dialogue and the balance of speech tags or action the internal dialogue the external dialogue the describing the setting like it's you want and balance you want a mix of all of them but the mix can be different ratios given the scene given the writer given the voice given the story so it can be it can all be really really different.
00:50:38.800 --> 00:50:43.599
But I do think that maybe this is the most valuable reason to hire a copy editor when you're a fiction writer.
00:50:44.239 --> 00:50:50.800
I mean they will definitely help smooth out the pros like the narration and that's fantastic and super helpful.
00:50:51.360 --> 00:51:00.480
But maybe at least for me when I'm copy editing I always find that I have the most edits to make for flow in the portions that where there's a lot of dialogue.
00:51:00.960 --> 00:51:04.800
Like that's where I'm like we're doing the most work with the red pen here.
00:51:05.199 --> 00:51:07.440
Not because it's di the bad the dialogue is bad.
00:51:07.519 --> 00:51:27.039
It's almost always either tweaking just a word or two here in dialogue but it's usually just including more action or a speech tag or just changing it up so that it's not all speech tags or it's not all action or it's most like usually it's not line after line after line of dialogue and then a paragraph of action.
00:51:27.360 --> 00:51:30.559
Because that's just not well and I think people flow naturally.
00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:31.119
Yeah.
00:51:31.280 --> 00:51:44.960
I think people tend to go with their strength right so you might think like oh I have really good dialogue so I don't need the action or I'm really creative with word choice with the the taglines or anything so I don't need to have you know excessive dialogue.
00:51:45.039 --> 00:51:48.239
It's like okay but you need to get a good variety going.
00:51:48.320 --> 00:51:55.039
And I do think like you can be heavier in one or the other like I tend to be kind of heavy on internal dialogue and like that's okay.
00:51:55.280 --> 00:52:09.360
But you can't only yeah you just can't have only internal dialogue where like no one's ever talking to each other or um only people definitely do lean into their strengths which is good but you you can't forego right all the other parts.
00:52:09.599 --> 00:52:14.800
You gotta just put extra effort into the stuff it doesn't come as naturally but yeah.
00:52:15.360 --> 00:52:32.880
Um speaking of slang which we did earlier I I really get annoyed this is a pet peeve of mine when there's too much slang in dialogue and like fillers as well so like the word um or uh yes like what I'm doing right now or like or something.
00:52:33.039 --> 00:52:38.159
It's you don't have to make your characters talk exactly the way that people speak.
00:52:38.320 --> 00:52:39.360
And movies do this too.
00:52:39.519 --> 00:53:02.400
Sometimes movie movies can have like more filler and everything because it's supposed to come a little more naturally but um you edit out a lot of the filler and the hedging and even a lot of the slang because slang uh dates it because like we were talking about with Gen Z like it just it changes and now something that was really popular when you wrote it is outdated by the time it gets published or a couple years later.
00:53:02.639 --> 00:53:12.639
And filler bumps your word count in a way you don't need which is really irritating when you're trying to cut word count and it gives you it makes you seem like you don't know what you're doing.
00:53:12.800 --> 00:53:37.519
Like you're unsure of what the characters are saying or doing characters need to be a little more confident I think even if they're insecure um maybe if you have one character who's very you know tentative very kind of you know like wants to be in the background maybe they use that kind of stuff as like a character quirk but in general characters shouldn't be doing that because you can edit that out care readers are kind of adding that in their own imagination.
00:53:37.840 --> 00:53:44.320
So if if it's being added on the reader side you don't need to include it in the the text I think.
00:53:44.639 --> 00:54:03.760
And things like um uh like stammering like doing like the I I I before you say a sentence or whatever is all of that is only in there to denote discomfort typically of some kind which I think is almost always better expressed by action or by a speech tag.
00:54:04.079 --> 00:55:22.719
So if you include the action you can just say he stammered or she stammered instead of writing out the uh um or that they stammered like with the in the actual word but then your readers will picture it you don't have to write um or uh it doesn't read well because also um and uh yeah it feels stilted and there's actually like so many different sounds that people make when they're hedging we write um and uh but I think the part of the reason it does not feel authentic to read most of the time is that there's all kinds of sounds that are not just um and uh and phonetically um and u h are just not they're not gonna grasp it all right they don't flow very well hedges the same way they don't flow well yeah it feels it feels very false it feels yeah well I think about like when I'm listen I I don't really like um captions when I'm watching something but occasionally they're there when the caption is wrong or it it like someone says uh or um or like one of the many different sounds you can make it always turns it into um or uh or something like that and I'm like watching the video I'm like that's not what they said though like that's not the sound they made so it's and it's hard to like get those sounds down and I don't think you need to necessarily try to do that.
00:55:22.880 --> 00:55:26.000
Um I think maybe if you're going for emphasis, right?
00:55:26.079 --> 00:55:50.880
Like if a very confident character is now suddenly stammering maybe you do put that in the dialogue to really emphasize that they're uncomfortable or if you're trying to be really subtle about it and you don't want to say that they're uncomfortable or if you're you know the point of view character is not going to notice is not going to like make connections or whatever like maybe first person it's a little more useful because maybe the point of view character just doesn't notice that people are uncomfortable but they hear the stammer.
00:55:51.039 --> 00:55:55.679
There are yeah reasons you could do it but definitely I think people are heavy with it.
00:55:55.840 --> 00:56:04.079
Because again when I first started writing I was really heavy with the the in-dialogue stammering it's like everyone's stammering all the time there are ellipsies everywhere.
00:56:04.320 --> 00:56:09.360
You know everyone's stutter yeah everyone's pausing all the time and that is how normal people talk.
00:56:09.440 --> 00:56:29.679
I mean like if we had a transcript for this podcast clearly I would I would be stammering I would be yeah um like that but it it doesn't necessarily need to be a transcript in the book it just needs to be clear and and propel the plot and illustrate the characters and all that kind of stuff.
00:56:29.840 --> 00:56:43.360
So it's it I think it can feel unnatural if you're just starting because you're thinking that people talk like this but it needs to just it needs to be about the plot and the characters not necessarily about making it feel like a closed caption.
00:56:44.000 --> 00:56:44.880
Yeah I agree.
00:56:45.039 --> 00:56:58.239
I think also when you're writing you typically when you write something like uh or um you're writing it with the intention to like express that a character is feeling nervous or uncertain or shy or whatever.
00:56:58.559 --> 00:57:06.239
And so it's already intentional and when you when you're just speaking in real life and you say uh or um it's never intentional and it just happens.
00:57:06.559 --> 00:57:22.960
So it already feels kind of weird because we all know that it's been there intentionally and then the other part is it's I I always almost see it at the I almost always see it at the beginning of the sentence uh or um and that's not that's just not typically where it lands.
00:57:23.199 --> 00:57:30.079
Usually that's in the middle of a sentence like you start a sentence and you lose your train of thought you're like you're talking too fast or too slow and you need a bit to fill the space.
00:57:30.320 --> 00:57:50.639
Yeah yeah exactly so it's not it there it's a filler it's not usually something that you start out with it makes it like like gosh like when makes it more you sound more uncertain by like a thousand percent which most people are not so that's another one where like there might be a use case for it but mostly there isn't.
00:57:51.280 --> 00:57:58.639
It's I think we've said this many times before the I think one of the keys to being a good writer is knowing the rules so that you know when to break them.
00:57:58.960 --> 00:58:01.039
So it's not that there's never a time for it.
00:58:01.199 --> 00:58:12.000
It's that you need to know that that's generally not what you're trying to do so that when it is necessary you can tell um but yeah yeah totally agree.
00:58:12.079 --> 00:58:16.159
I love that that really is our catchphrase know the rules so that you know when to break them.
00:58:16.400 --> 00:58:21.599
Yeah it it gets it captures both of our personalities because I'm a rule follower and you're a rule breaker.
00:58:21.840 --> 00:58:22.320
Yep.
00:58:22.559 --> 00:58:24.079
Unless they're playing DD.
00:58:24.320 --> 00:58:24.719
That's true.
00:58:24.960 --> 00:58:26.559
And you are absolutely a rule breaker.
00:58:26.800 --> 00:58:31.119
I know I I still tell people all the time about playing DD with you.
00:58:31.440 --> 00:58:35.760
I'm like yeah they were trying to give us something for free and she was like I'm gonna steal it anyway.
00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:44.960
And I'm like you're gonna you're gonna cause a big problem if we look if I roll a 20 it won't be a problem I love it.
00:58:45.519 --> 00:59:08.719
So funny Okay let's see um okay so I think I think we talked about this before but how do you feel about verbs other than said give me an example I mean so like like he yelled or he replied or he murmured chuckled that kind of thing muttered um I do like them.
00:59:09.199 --> 00:59:15.119
I think if every speech tag is a word other than said it feels unnatural like you're trying too hard.
00:59:16.239 --> 00:59:26.559
He said she said they said is kind of something that for the most part I feel like your eyes sort of skip over as a reader which is good because sometimes it's the least important part.
00:59:27.039 --> 00:59:37.679
So only if there's a reason that the reader needs to know that something was muttered or shouted should you include he muttered or she shouted as the speech tag.
00:59:38.159 --> 00:59:53.679
If it doesn't really matter how the words were said you can use a speech you can just use he said she said or if you've included action that denotes the way that they said it then you also don't need to include he said or she said.
00:59:53.920 --> 01:00:13.280
And my most favorite thing sometimes you don't need a speech tag at all if it's just clear who's speaking you don't actually have to be like David said he said you know Charlotte said like you can just simply Charlotte cross the room hey what's up David you're like yeah that's definitely not David talking to himself.
01:00:13.840 --> 01:00:14.079
Yeah.
01:00:14.480 --> 01:00:26.800
I think a lot of times like even the said or even the you know walked across the room or whatever a lot of time it's just the name that's attached to it that readers like key in on like they're just looking for who's saying it.
01:00:26.960 --> 01:00:37.840
And so when you have like you know so and so said they're like like you said they the word said is there and they're reading it but it they're kind of forgetting at the moment it's gone because they just know who's speaking now.
01:00:38.079 --> 01:00:55.599
So if it's not important I think especially when it comes to like back and forth like arguing between two people the the least amount of action and the least amount of of dialogue tags is the best because you know who's speaking and people can keep track of it and it makes things go faster.
01:00:55.760 --> 01:00:58.559
Like it takes it makes it takes less scene more realistic.
01:00:58.800 --> 01:00:59.039
Yes.
01:00:59.280 --> 01:01:02.079
Because the pace of an argument that's also a really good point.
01:01:02.239 --> 01:01:08.880
Like if characters are arguing or they're excited there should be a lot less action or speech tags in the separate words.
01:01:09.039 --> 01:01:10.559
Yeah because it's happening faster.
01:01:10.719 --> 01:01:14.239
So the dialogue should you should be reading it faster there should be less in between it.
01:01:14.480 --> 01:01:22.400
If it's a slower conversation or a difficult conversation then there should be a lot more action and a lot more description about the setting.
01:01:22.639 --> 01:01:22.880
Right.
01:01:23.039 --> 01:01:25.760
And you can use more more speech tags and all that stuff.
01:01:26.079 --> 01:01:26.320
Yeah.
01:01:26.480 --> 01:01:35.440
And I think if there's three or more you need to maybe be denoting who's talking but again said is going to be good because it's it's ba you're basically blind to it but you now know who's speaking.
01:01:35.599 --> 01:01:48.000
So unless you're doing something like everyone is exclaiming like if you have a group of characters and they're all reacting to something with sort of just like exclamations this is one where that's just like a very unique situation but it does come up a lot.
01:01:48.480 --> 01:02:01.119
And that's where you don't necessarily have to be like he gasped she said wow you know like they can just be like wow oh my gosh did you see that it doesn't matter who's saying it because everyone's equally surprised.
01:02:01.519 --> 01:02:06.079
We're all flabbergasted so yeah everyone is in shock.
01:02:06.400 --> 01:02:50.159
I do like those because again it moves things really quickly it's very fast paced and it's oh yeah it does give like having maybe three or four just um quick succession exclamations of surprise without any names attached to them sometimes does a better job of indicating like the shock or the surprise than having it say she was surprised or they jumped or anything else like that because it's just exactly it's quickly moving it's um especially because you feel like as a reader you're you're um getting through a lot of paragraphs at once and so it feels like even though the sentence they screamed in surprise is objectively shorter it's it feels longer because it's like a longer paragraph or fewer paragraphs to work with.
01:02:50.320 --> 01:03:10.880
Yeah exactly same for like action scenes or like battles if you want if you want the pacing in an action scene or in a battle to be swift which you I would say sometimes with like a battle scene maybe you slow it down here and there but for the most part I think with battles and action you want it to feel fast and that's what makes it feel more realistic to people.
01:03:11.119 --> 01:03:42.960
And that's another one where you can you just want to move if there's dialogue you want to move from the dialogue to dialogue to dialogue swiftly I would say actually too with the action you want to move from action to action you know like swords clanged blood ran you know yeah not like the flowery you know several ideas in the same sentence like for me I I you always use the semicolons but I don't use semicolons in battle sequences because you want the sentences to feel like they're their own thing and happening fast not like it's all one thought.
01:03:43.360 --> 01:03:47.360
So I love a run-on sentence with a bunch of M-dashes in there.
01:03:47.840 --> 01:03:49.440
M-dashes are not for AI.
01:03:49.679 --> 01:03:57.679
I hate that everyone thinks that now it's making me sick I always feel like defending you when people say it they're like it uses so many M-dashes I'm like you know who else uses M-dashes?
01:03:58.000 --> 01:04:00.480
Ash and other creative writers.
01:04:00.800 --> 01:04:04.960
Yeah so how dare you you know who else uses too many M dashes it's me.
01:04:05.119 --> 01:04:06.159
Yeah it's super me.
01:04:06.320 --> 01:04:12.719
But I love a run on sentence with a bunch of M-dashes but that's not useful for battles or action for ha for fast-paced things.
01:04:12.800 --> 01:04:14.320
You just want short sentences.
01:04:14.800 --> 01:04:23.760
Um yeah so yeah if like there's you know so to speak a verbal battle going on the the lack of dialogue tag can often be useful.
01:04:24.079 --> 01:04:24.559
Oh yeah.
01:04:24.719 --> 01:04:34.559
So yep yeah all right this is my biggest pet peeve and I've noticed it a lot lately in books I've been reading which it's not necessarily incorrect.
01:04:34.639 --> 01:04:38.320
I just want to like give a PSA that this annoys me and I want people to stop.
01:04:38.639 --> 01:04:52.320
Um it's um so like when you're writing dialogue for a character the general idea is that um you change the paragraph you make a new paragraph when a new character starts speaking right that's I think that everyone maybe you don't know that but it's kind of a general rule.
01:04:52.480 --> 01:04:54.960
You change paragraph when a new character starts to speak.
01:04:55.199 --> 01:05:02.639
But I really really hate it when two paragraphs like in succession like next to each other are the same character talking.
01:05:02.880 --> 01:05:04.320
I don't understand why people do this.
01:05:04.559 --> 01:05:11.280
They do like you know like the initial statement and then an action and then the next paragraph is the same character talking and I feel like this is really confusing.
01:05:11.599 --> 01:05:16.320
It's so confusing it's a new paragraph why we change paragraphs I don't know who's talking now.
01:05:16.639 --> 01:05:25.119
So I don't like this at all and I don't know why it's happen I don't know if it's a mistake or if I just am uniquely paying attention to it.
01:05:25.360 --> 01:05:26.239
I don't know.
01:05:26.559 --> 01:05:29.360
Yeah no it's got to me it feels like a mistake.
01:05:29.599 --> 01:05:33.039
To me it doesn't really feel like a choice because it it does nothing.
01:05:33.199 --> 01:05:38.639
It's not even like where it does something unintentional that is not really what you want for the scene.
01:05:38.719 --> 01:05:43.440
It it actually does nothing but be kind of visually jarring.
01:05:43.599 --> 01:05:43.920
Yeah.
01:05:44.079 --> 01:05:46.719
And make it hard to know what's going on.
01:05:47.119 --> 01:05:58.960
And you can do I've done this occasionally like if a character's giving a really long speech or maybe they're telling a long story, you can um you basically don't end the quotation at the end of the paragraph and you go to the next one and you start with a quotation and you keep them going.
01:05:59.039 --> 01:06:03.840
That's fine because you're You basically they're now speaking in multiple paragraphs, which is fine.
01:06:04.000 --> 01:06:04.239
Yeah.
01:06:04.400 --> 01:06:13.119
But it's when the quotation has ended, and then the next paragraph is like an action, or it the previous paragraph ended with an action and now it's the quotes again.
01:06:13.280 --> 01:06:14.559
And like that doesn't make any sense.
01:06:14.639 --> 01:06:17.760
Or if it's only like two sentences, like just combine them into the same paragraph.
01:06:17.920 --> 01:06:19.119
This isn't a a monologue.
01:06:19.679 --> 01:06:20.159
Exactly.
01:06:20.400 --> 01:06:28.639
If it's like a sentence and then it's like a couple paragraphs of action and then the person speaks again, obviously then you probably drop it to the next line.
01:06:28.800 --> 01:06:38.480
But yeah, if it's like a sentence and then like a line or two of action and then the characters continue speaking, they're continuing to speak.
01:06:38.719 --> 01:06:39.840
It doesn't need a new line.
01:06:39.920 --> 01:06:40.559
That's confusing.
01:06:40.719 --> 01:06:44.079
I'm gonna assume that someone else, I'm gonna assume there's a ghost talking now.
01:06:44.239 --> 01:06:44.480
I know.
01:06:44.880 --> 01:06:45.599
Like, who's this?
01:06:45.679 --> 01:06:46.480
Where'd they come from?
01:06:46.639 --> 01:06:47.119
I know.
01:06:47.280 --> 01:06:48.000
Why, why?
01:06:48.239 --> 01:06:48.880
I don't like it.
01:06:49.360 --> 01:06:50.639
It genuinely confuses me.
01:06:50.719 --> 01:06:54.079
So I've been kind of a stickler for that when I'm looking through my books now.
01:06:54.159 --> 01:06:58.159
I'm like, I've accidentally done it a few times, but I'm like, this is clearly a mistake.
01:06:58.320 --> 01:06:59.360
Like I need to change it.
01:06:59.519 --> 01:07:01.039
Not this was on purpose.
01:07:01.280 --> 01:07:01.440
Yeah.
01:07:01.599 --> 01:07:03.920
So you're like, I was doing something artistic here.
01:07:04.159 --> 01:07:04.400
Yeah.
01:07:04.639 --> 01:07:08.159
No, I was it was definitely an error, but yeah.
01:07:09.039 --> 01:07:12.320
Um those I think are all my points.
01:07:12.480 --> 01:07:13.760
Those are mostly pet peeves.
01:07:13.840 --> 01:07:14.480
Were they mostly pet peeves?
01:07:14.880 --> 01:07:16.800
We really do function in pet peeves.
01:07:17.760 --> 01:07:18.400
That's funny.
01:07:18.480 --> 01:07:18.639
Yeah.
01:07:18.800 --> 01:07:19.440
Yeah, mine are all.
01:07:19.519 --> 01:07:21.440
I think mine are probably also all pet peeves.
01:07:21.599 --> 01:07:22.000
Yeah.
01:07:22.400 --> 01:07:23.519
I do love dialogue.
01:07:23.599 --> 01:07:27.760
I mean, I feel like the last time that we did an episode where we talked about dialogue.
01:07:27.840 --> 01:07:37.920
So if you guys were like, this episode is full of nonsense and in and not applicable to me, we do have another episode on dialogue, at least one uh somewhere in our two.
01:07:38.719 --> 01:07:38.960
Yeah.
01:07:39.280 --> 01:07:46.320
And I remember saying something like, if you can't picture someone you know saying a sentence, then don't write the sentence that way.
01:07:46.880 --> 01:07:49.760
And I remember when I said that I thought that that was really clear advice.
01:07:50.159 --> 01:07:52.320
And now I'm like, that doesn't really feel very clear.
01:07:52.480 --> 01:08:00.320
Because probably if somebody is struggling to write dialogue, that feels like someone who probably has a hard time imagining.
01:08:00.719 --> 01:08:02.719
You're telling them what not to do, not what to do.
01:08:03.599 --> 01:08:04.960
Yeah, exactly.
01:08:05.199 --> 01:08:15.760
So that's uh if you struggle with dialogue, um, just as if you struggle with like the narrate the narration part, then um hire a copy editor.
01:08:16.000 --> 01:08:16.319
That's it.
01:08:16.640 --> 01:08:19.279
I also think I mean, yes, they're invaluable.
01:08:19.359 --> 01:08:26.399
They definitely are good, but I also think you could just like watch the closed captions on a video where people are talking a lot.
01:08:26.560 --> 01:08:33.600
Like, not where like someone's talking into a camera, but just like a scene from a movie or a TV show or whatever.
01:08:33.680 --> 01:08:39.760
Look at the closed captions because I know you think, well, I'm watching it, I'm getting the dialogue, but sometimes seeing it on the screen can be really helpful.
01:08:40.720 --> 01:08:50.319
Yeah, like seeing something written is different than hearing it said, and you can see like, does that sound or does that feel awkward when I read it, as opposed to when I hear it?
01:08:50.560 --> 01:08:53.199
And you just have to understand the medium, like it's writing.
01:08:53.279 --> 01:09:02.319
It's allowed to sound awkward if it were, you know, perfectly spoken out loud, but it needs to feel right on the page, so you have to kind of bridge that gap.
01:09:02.479 --> 01:09:09.359
So, like if you're a TV buff or whatever, you maybe you watch YouTube or I watch a lot of police chases and police encounters, those are fun.
01:09:09.600 --> 01:09:16.319
So sometimes you put like the closed captions on, you can see the the dialogue going back and forth, and reading it, I think, can help.
01:09:16.640 --> 01:09:16.960
I agree.
01:09:17.119 --> 01:09:18.720
Reading dialogue makes a big difference.
01:09:18.960 --> 01:09:21.119
That's also another that would be like on that line.
01:09:21.199 --> 01:09:25.119
Another tip would be um read more books with more dialogue.
01:09:25.279 --> 01:09:34.800
Not every author uses a ton of dialogue, but you could just Google authors who use a lot of dialogue and then or authors with great dialogue and then read them.
01:09:34.880 --> 01:09:49.760
And I would say I've been really into audiobooks lately, but to Catherine's point, the seeing it written out will probably make a really big difference if your goal is to improve your dialogue, which is kind of like an always tip if you're struggling with something when you're writing.
01:09:50.560 --> 01:09:55.359
Like go read a bunch of stuff, like go read someone who's really good at that thing.
01:09:55.680 --> 01:10:02.640
And the more you read, the more you absorb it, and the more you sort of absorb the approach, if that makes sense.
01:10:03.359 --> 01:10:07.279
Um so yeah, that's yeah, I totally agree.
01:10:07.439 --> 01:10:09.680
But I would say audiobooks are not gonna be helpful.
01:10:09.920 --> 01:10:10.079
Right.
01:10:10.720 --> 01:10:13.680
I you know, I Audible got me a couple months ago.
01:10:13.840 --> 01:10:24.319
I now have an Audible subscription, and I'm really not an audiobook person, but I listen to it in the car now because now I have a car that will connect to my phone and allow me to read in the car essentially.
01:10:24.560 --> 01:10:31.600
But um I'm I'm not a huge audiobook fan, but like audiobooks are fine, but you do also have to physically read.
01:10:31.680 --> 01:10:33.600
It's kind of like it makes a big difference.
01:10:33.840 --> 01:10:36.399
Watching the I oh sorry.
01:10:37.359 --> 01:10:41.680
Oh, well, I was gonna say, like, watching someone swimming is not gonna make you good at the backstroke.
01:10:41.760 --> 01:10:42.239
You know what I mean?
01:10:42.319 --> 01:10:44.239
Like you have to actually get in the pool and do it.
01:10:44.319 --> 01:10:46.000
There's nothing wrong with watching people swimming.
01:10:46.079 --> 01:10:49.920
It's okay if you enjoy watching that, but yeah, like you have to actually do it.
01:10:50.079 --> 01:10:51.600
So, like writing is sort of like that.
01:10:51.760 --> 01:10:59.680
Like, nothing wrong with doing audiobooks, but like at some point you have to actually be looking at the physical copy so that you can learn the skill set.
01:11:00.000 --> 01:11:00.640
Yeah, yeah.
01:11:00.800 --> 01:11:12.800
And audiobooks might be good if you're like for learning purposes, if you're listening to audiobooks, you might be learning things about like structure, story pacing, character development, like the more big picture developmental stuff.
01:11:13.119 --> 01:11:19.920
But for the actual on-the-page writing, yeah, you probably want to be reading the written word.
01:11:20.239 --> 01:11:24.079
That's just it's gonna be you're gonna it's gonna be hard to get anything out of it otherwise.
01:11:24.720 --> 01:11:40.399
Um I have found that because I listen to audiobooks like crazy, which by the way, if anyone's looking for a way to support my independent bookstore or any of your local independent bookstores, um, LibreOffm is an audiobook provider that you can now sign up um through a bookstore.
01:11:41.039 --> 01:11:44.000
Um so not every bookstore has it, but we do.
01:11:44.239 --> 01:11:50.479
So if you ever get tired of Audible and you want to switch over to our LibreOFM, it's cool because then we get the money sort of Amazon.
01:11:50.880 --> 01:11:53.520
Not that I'm anti-Amazon, it's very useful for things.
01:11:53.760 --> 01:11:59.039
But um yeah, anyways, so I work on the because uh support your local bookstore, please.
01:11:59.119 --> 01:12:00.239
We're dying.
01:12:00.479 --> 01:12:07.920
Um the um god, I'm so good at distracting myself when I think I'm so funny.
01:12:08.159 --> 01:12:08.720
I did it too.
01:12:12.000 --> 01:12:13.039
Oh my goodness.
01:12:13.199 --> 01:12:22.640
Uh so as a bookseller, I get um free access to a bunch of advanced listening copies or ALCs on um yeah, on LibreFM, and it's fantastic.
01:12:22.800 --> 01:12:30.479
So I've been listening to audiobooks like crazy, but I have found that for things like fantasy, I cannot listen to audiobooks.
01:12:31.199 --> 01:12:34.159
There's too much that I'm missing that I need to read.
01:12:34.479 --> 01:12:34.800
Yeah.
01:12:35.199 --> 01:12:43.199
I'm like this the setting and the world building is so important in fantasy, I can't I can't follow it the same on an audiobook.
01:12:43.439 --> 01:12:44.640
Whereas thrillers I can.
01:12:44.960 --> 01:12:45.760
That's what I was gonna say.
01:12:46.079 --> 01:12:47.680
The appeal of thrillers is like beats.
01:12:47.760 --> 01:12:48.000
Yes.
01:12:48.159 --> 01:12:53.680
You just gotta get the beats of the story, and you're usually uh it's enough to for it to be entertaining.
01:12:53.920 --> 01:12:58.399
But if you read a fantasy and you're missing all the world building, it's usually doesn't make sense.
01:12:58.640 --> 01:12:59.119
Yep.
01:12:59.359 --> 01:13:04.000
Especially because there's like terminology often being used that like doesn't exist outside the book.
01:13:04.079 --> 01:13:05.359
So you're like, wait, what did they just say?
01:13:05.520 --> 01:13:10.720
Whereas in like a thriller or a contemporary or romance or whatever, it's probably terms you know about.
01:13:12.159 --> 01:13:12.479
Yeah.
01:13:12.720 --> 01:13:18.880
I would say my exception to this, if someone's like, but I really want to listen to fantasy audiobook, The Night in the Moth by Rachel Gillig.
01:13:19.359 --> 01:13:23.119
That was actually that audiobook I found a lot easier to follow than typical.
01:13:23.439 --> 01:13:29.439
I do we should do an episode on audiobooks because I feel like there are certain stories that just translate really well and some stories that don't.
01:13:29.680 --> 01:13:30.640
And I've been studying it.
01:13:30.800 --> 01:13:37.119
I'm like, okay, if I want to be accessible on Audible and on the written page, what are some tactics to follow there?
01:13:37.359 --> 01:13:40.000
Because Audible topic.
01:13:40.239 --> 01:13:42.720
Yeah, audiobooks are are a thing, whether I like it or not.
01:13:42.800 --> 01:13:46.960
They're not my favorite, but I am trying to learn it because I want to appeal to everyone who I can.
01:13:47.199 --> 01:13:47.760
It's true.
01:13:47.920 --> 01:13:52.960
So it's true, and I would say as a format, it's just as important as having paperback and hardcover nowadays.
01:13:53.600 --> 01:13:55.680
So that's such a good topic.
01:13:55.920 --> 01:13:58.319
Next topic will be uh come come back.
01:14:05.439 --> 01:14:06.000
Yeah.
01:14:07.680 --> 01:14:08.159
Awesome.
01:14:08.319 --> 01:14:08.720
Yeah.
01:14:09.119 --> 01:14:09.680
That was good.
01:14:09.760 --> 01:14:10.800
That'll be the tagline.
01:14:11.840 --> 01:14:13.600
The page and writing for the page and the page.
01:14:14.479 --> 01:14:18.720
The page in the ear does have a certain fantasy young adult title vibe to it.
01:14:18.880 --> 01:14:20.720
Like you could see that on a shelf.
01:14:21.039 --> 01:14:22.800
It's because it's a noun and a noun.
01:14:22.880 --> 01:14:23.199
Yeah.
01:14:23.279 --> 01:14:24.960
We love a noun and a noun.
01:14:25.359 --> 01:14:26.239
So true.
01:14:28.319 --> 01:14:29.520
I'll never not love it.
01:14:29.680 --> 01:14:32.800
Well, is there anything else that you wanted to say about uh dialogue?
01:14:33.119 --> 01:14:34.640
Um I don't think so.
01:14:34.720 --> 01:14:39.119
I think this was a good like first topic to get back into things because we talked about it before.
01:14:39.279 --> 01:14:41.359
So there is more on it if we miss some stuff.
01:14:41.439 --> 01:14:43.359
You guys can go back and listen to that episode.
01:14:43.600 --> 01:14:46.720
Um but kind of gets us back in the groove of things.
01:14:46.800 --> 01:14:48.560
So I think that was all I had to say.
01:14:48.960 --> 01:14:49.600
Sweet.
01:14:49.840 --> 01:14:52.960
I think I said everything I had to say too, and I didn't I didn't take notes.
01:14:53.199 --> 01:14:54.000
This was so fun.
01:14:54.159 --> 01:14:55.279
I'm so glad that we came back.
01:14:55.520 --> 01:14:58.640
Carissa texted me and she was like, So recording this week.
01:14:58.960 --> 01:15:02.079
And I was like, This is the last thing in the world I expected to happen.
01:15:02.239 --> 01:15:02.319
Okay.
01:15:02.800 --> 01:15:03.119
Fantastic.
01:15:03.439 --> 01:15:08.880
Oh, and here's a fun, here's some fun updates uh for you writers out there before we sign off.
01:15:09.199 --> 01:15:17.199
So if you did not know, the Scriptorian Society is a production of Story Siren Studio, uh, along with that pretentious book club.
01:15:17.279 --> 01:15:20.800
And also, uh, in addition to podcasts, we host writing retreats.
01:15:21.199 --> 01:15:25.279
And um, as Krista mentioned, actually, because she came to the first one that we did and it was wonderful.
01:15:25.520 --> 01:15:29.920
And she taught a um a workshop on world building, and it was so fabulous.
01:15:30.079 --> 01:15:33.680
I think about it every single retreat because I'm always like, oh god, I want to offer that one again.
01:15:34.000 --> 01:15:40.960
So if we can try to, if we can get her to come to another retreat, maybe we can get the world building um workshop again, because that was fabulous.
01:15:41.199 --> 01:15:47.760
I have a workshop on uh finding your voice as a writer that I really feel like is kind of like it, I'm kind of nailing it.
01:15:48.000 --> 01:15:48.239
Nice.
01:15:48.479 --> 01:15:54.399
And a new one that is on um how to sort of like test your story ideas to see like which one is worth pursuing in the moment.
01:15:54.560 --> 01:15:56.800
And that has actually just been incredibly useful for me.
01:15:57.039 --> 01:16:01.039
So right now, those are my two favorite workshops, which is I guess is just me bragging on myself.
01:16:01.199 --> 01:16:02.640
Um, none of this is the point.
01:16:02.720 --> 01:16:04.159
I just think it's very, very fun.
01:16:04.319 --> 01:16:06.399
Uh so we host writing retreats for women.
01:16:06.479 --> 01:16:07.199
Sorry, boys.
01:16:07.359 --> 01:16:09.760
Um, you're gonna have to go host your own retreats.
01:16:09.840 --> 01:16:13.279
I encourage you to do that, but I'm that's that's not what we do here.
01:16:13.840 --> 01:16:15.520
It's on you to start your own.
01:16:15.840 --> 01:16:19.439
Yep, we're just a bunch of girlies doing stuff for the girlies.
01:16:19.760 --> 01:16:26.880
But um, we have, let's see, uh right now, our last summer writing retreat actually is happening in Montana.
01:16:27.279 --> 01:16:33.439
And then this fall, we have in October a writing retreat taking place in central New York.
01:16:33.680 --> 01:16:39.119
It's beautiful and rural and gorgeous, and that is actually the one that I'm gonna be going to now.
01:16:39.439 --> 01:16:44.640
Um, and then so if you like any of my workshops and fun to you, I will be there doing those workshops.
01:16:44.720 --> 01:16:55.199
And I think we're gonna do like uh a train ride through the Adirondacks, and we're gonna do like a workshop on the train ride, and then like right while we all look out the window at the beautiful fall full.
01:16:55.840 --> 01:16:56.560
That's awesome work.
01:16:56.880 --> 01:16:57.119
Yeah.
01:16:57.279 --> 01:17:02.239
And we're staying in this like old refurbished barn that's been turned into this like huge, gorgeous house.
01:17:02.800 --> 01:17:07.279
So um I am trying to entice Catherine right now with all of these pretty much.
01:17:07.439 --> 01:17:08.640
That does sound pretty cool.
01:17:08.880 --> 01:17:09.840
Doesn't it sound cool?
01:17:10.000 --> 01:17:12.000
It's okay, I'll send you the details so you can go.
01:17:12.479 --> 01:17:13.600
And we can do world building.
01:17:13.680 --> 01:17:18.720
I actually think that we've had a few of our um the people who have registered to attend are fantasy writers too.
01:17:18.800 --> 01:17:19.119
Oh, cool.
01:17:19.279 --> 01:17:21.279
So it might be a fantasy heavy retreat, which would be cool.
01:17:21.920 --> 01:17:30.239
Um and then our other fall retreat is a our first ever luxury retreat, which basically just means everybody has their own private rooms.
01:17:30.560 --> 01:17:38.880
And whether you sign up for it or not, where you have the option to, with our other retreats, everyone gets the inspiration package, which basically means it includes all the excursions.
01:17:39.359 --> 01:17:48.159
So I think in for the New Orleans retreat in November, they're going to do a midnight ghost tour around the city, they're going to Cafe du Monde, and there's something else.
01:17:48.239 --> 01:17:48.640
I forget.
01:17:48.880 --> 01:17:52.000
But anyway, so those are the fall retreats and they're up and it's awesome.
01:17:52.079 --> 01:18:01.520
So if you guys want to go, go apply now on storysirens.com slash retreats because the the spots do fill very quickly and it's going to be a ton of fun.
01:18:01.680 --> 01:18:05.600
And um, it's uh pretty, pretty damn affordable for a writing retreat.
01:18:06.000 --> 01:18:10.159
Oh, and then um upset your if anyone's ever wanted to travel internationally.
01:18:10.560 --> 01:18:16.000
The uh we've officially booked our venue for the summer 2027 Italy riding retreat.
01:18:16.960 --> 01:18:30.319
And there's pictures online, and we're gonna be in this beautiful villa and it's very exciting, and everyone gets the excursions as well with that, and it's that one is six days long, so much longer than our typical retreat, like weekend long retreat.
01:18:30.399 --> 01:18:34.319
Yeah um so Carissa and I will see you there, right, Carissa?
01:18:34.720 --> 01:18:35.840
That does sound pretty cool.
01:18:36.159 --> 01:18:40.800
I mean, like you might as well do almost a week if you're gonna go that far overseas.
01:18:41.439 --> 01:18:41.920
Exactly.
01:18:42.159 --> 01:18:46.319
So June 2027, mark your calendars and also apply now.
01:18:46.560 --> 01:18:53.600
Um, we do have also, I I hate talking about like payment and cost because it feels silly, but I know people get concerned about it.
01:18:53.680 --> 01:18:58.000
We do have payment plans for both for both of our our shorter retreats and the longer international ones.
01:18:58.079 --> 01:19:02.800
So if that's like a concern, like don't don't be too freaked out and like go look at it and see if it's for you.
01:19:03.279 --> 01:19:05.359
Um but yeah, anyways, cool.
01:19:05.680 --> 01:19:08.159
That's uh fun updates is go check out the writing retreats.
01:19:08.239 --> 01:19:10.319
If you're here, I assume that you have some interest in writing.
01:19:10.560 --> 01:19:11.920
Yeah, I assume.
01:19:12.720 --> 01:19:15.359
Yeah, otherwise, I maybe you have interest in medical things.
01:19:15.520 --> 01:19:18.560
Yeah, you're just here for the medical stuff we bring to the table.
01:19:20.319 --> 01:19:21.039
Oh my goodness.
01:19:21.199 --> 01:19:21.520
Yeah.
01:19:21.680 --> 01:19:24.239
Um, do we still do reading recommendations?
01:19:24.399 --> 01:19:25.199
Is that a thing here?
01:19:25.359 --> 01:19:25.920
Oh sure.
01:19:26.079 --> 01:19:26.640
Why not?
01:19:27.039 --> 01:19:28.800
Do you have a reading record off the top of your head?
01:19:28.960 --> 01:19:31.279
I have been reading and listening to a lot.
01:19:31.359 --> 01:19:32.399
Okay, so audiobooks.
01:19:32.479 --> 01:19:33.439
Well, should I say no?
01:19:33.520 --> 01:19:36.000
I'll do I'll I'll have other audiobooks to recommend maybe.
01:19:36.239 --> 01:19:39.279
Um Game of Nines by James Patterson.
01:19:39.439 --> 01:19:40.239
I listened to that.
01:19:40.479 --> 01:19:43.039
It's very short, I think it's like two hours long.
01:19:43.279 --> 01:19:48.960
Um, and well, that might be because I listened to it on Fastbeat, but it's genuinely like uh short.
01:19:49.199 --> 01:19:52.479
Um and it has Shailen Woodley as the the narrator.
01:19:52.800 --> 01:19:52.960
Really?
01:19:53.199 --> 01:19:53.600
Yeah.
01:19:53.920 --> 01:19:56.319
And I I love her, I think she's great.
01:19:56.560 --> 01:19:59.199
So I was intrigued by that, but it's very cool.
01:19:59.279 --> 01:20:02.479
It's basically like trying to catch a serial killer, which is my jam.
01:20:02.640 --> 01:20:08.880
Um but it's very short, very like thriller-esque, very like action-packed, and the sound effects are actually pretty cool.
01:20:09.039 --> 01:20:14.880
I can't we'll talk about this on another episode, but the sound effects are usually hit or miss for me, but I really liked the ones on this one.
01:20:15.119 --> 01:20:16.000
So nice.
01:20:16.079 --> 01:20:16.560
I love that.
01:20:16.640 --> 01:20:19.039
Yeah, that's how I felt about the Illuminae audiobook.
01:20:19.119 --> 01:20:19.279
Yeah.
01:20:19.439 --> 01:20:21.039
That one, their whole that whole one is gorgeous.
01:20:21.119 --> 01:20:21.520
Yeah.
01:20:21.760 --> 01:20:26.960
Um okay, I have several recommendations, and I think these are actually recommendations that you will really like too.
01:20:27.279 --> 01:20:29.600
Uh, one of them is The Escape Game.
01:20:30.159 --> 01:20:30.800
Have you heard of this?
01:20:30.960 --> 01:20:31.279
No.
01:20:31.600 --> 01:20:36.960
Okay, this is a it's a young adult thriller, and that's crazy to me because there are not a lot of young adult thrillers.
01:20:37.119 --> 01:20:37.359
Right.
01:20:37.520 --> 01:20:43.840
And it's written, it's uh co-written by Marissa Meyer and someone named Tamara.
01:20:44.159 --> 01:20:46.960
It's either Tamara or Tamara Moss or Tamra Moss.
01:20:47.039 --> 01:20:57.199
I never know how we'll pronounce this spelling, but um, it's these teenagers who are on this like um reality escape game show, and it's crazy.
01:20:57.439 --> 01:20:58.079
That sounds awesome.
01:20:58.239 --> 01:20:58.720
It's super crazy.
01:20:59.039 --> 01:21:02.239
I mean Marissa Meyer, literally anything by her, I will read.
01:21:02.560 --> 01:21:02.960
Exactly.
01:21:03.279 --> 01:21:03.840
Exactly.
01:21:04.000 --> 01:21:19.279
And then I another thriller that I have this is a great one, especially for this group, because if you're a writer, this one is called The Ending Writes Itself, and it's a thriller, and it's a bunch of writers who are um like all on this island and they're basically competing with each other.
01:21:19.760 --> 01:21:24.800
Um, and it's in this like really like it's just really, really good and really interesting.
01:21:24.880 --> 01:21:29.199
And I've been thinking about it since I read it like or listened to the audiobook rather, like months ago.
01:21:29.359 --> 01:21:32.159
So The Ending Rights Itself by Evelyn Clark.
01:21:32.399 --> 01:21:33.600
Really, really, really good.
01:21:33.840 --> 01:21:34.720
Alright, cool.
01:21:34.960 --> 01:21:37.439
Um, also, Ash bought me this book.
01:21:37.600 --> 01:21:42.479
My parents came to visit her earlier this year, and they brought me back a ton of books.
01:21:42.800 --> 01:21:45.439
Um, one, I'm gonna forget the author.
01:21:45.520 --> 01:21:46.560
I'm usually really good at authors.
01:21:46.640 --> 01:21:50.000
It's Jewel something or something, jewel that none of this is true.
01:21:50.399 --> 01:21:52.239
Um, it was so good.
01:21:53.119 --> 01:21:54.399
Yeah, it was so good.
01:21:54.640 --> 01:21:56.560
Um, not only that is so good.
01:21:56.640 --> 01:21:57.039
I've read it.
01:21:57.119 --> 01:21:59.840
I'm like not really, it kind of kicked off a thriller phase for me.
01:22:00.000 --> 01:22:02.880
Like I was like, okay, this is really cool.
01:22:03.039 --> 01:22:11.600
And then I bought it for my friend for her birthday, and I was like, she's a big Jody Picole fan, and I was like, I just don't know which one she has and hasn't read.
01:22:11.680 --> 01:22:19.680
So I'm gonna try to find something like kind of tangential where it's you know, like I Jodie Picole's not really thriller, but I just felt like maybe she would like it, and she really liked it too.
01:22:19.840 --> 01:22:22.880
She texted me last night and she was like, I finished the book, it was so good.
01:22:23.199 --> 01:22:24.720
So good, so it was wild.
01:22:24.960 --> 01:22:31.279
Yeah, it was very cool, and I think it's a good like um like first thriller or like a starter thriller.
01:22:31.520 --> 01:22:32.560
Um I don't really agree.
01:22:33.199 --> 01:22:38.000
I think it's a thriller because it's very like um fast-paced.
01:22:38.079 --> 01:22:43.760
I guess thrillers are supposed to be, but it's very like accessible where sometimes more so than a lot of thrillers.
01:22:43.920 --> 01:22:44.239
Yeah, sure.
01:22:44.479 --> 01:22:51.520
Any genre when you get into like kind of the I don't know, quote the weeds or whatever where it's like really intense in the genre, it can be kind of hard to break in there.
01:22:51.680 --> 01:22:54.640
But this one is a very good place to start if you're looking for it.
01:22:54.880 --> 01:22:55.920
Um totally agree.
01:22:56.079 --> 01:23:01.680
Lisa Jewell, most of her stuff is a lot more, it feels it all feels pretty accessible and fast paced.
01:23:01.920 --> 01:23:11.680
The characters do tend to skew a little bit older, like they usually tend to be like women in their 40s or 50s, especially in her most recent books, but so so good.
01:23:11.760 --> 01:23:11.920
Yeah.
01:23:12.239 --> 01:23:14.000
And then um oh what?
01:23:14.239 --> 01:23:14.720
It's a good variety.
01:23:14.960 --> 01:23:16.399
Riley Saver was how I got into thrilling.
01:23:16.560 --> 01:23:17.199
Wait, did you say Riley's?
01:23:18.159 --> 01:23:19.119
Yeah, that's how I got into thrilling.
01:23:19.359 --> 01:23:20.000
That's what I was thinking.
01:23:20.079 --> 01:23:23.439
I read a couple, no, I read one of his, and I have a second one.
01:23:23.520 --> 01:23:24.640
So I read Final Girls.
01:23:24.800 --> 01:23:25.600
Did you read that one?
01:23:26.159 --> 01:23:32.319
Final Girls is the one that I'm like three-quarters of the way through, and it's the only one, I think it's the only one I haven't read.
01:23:32.399 --> 01:23:33.840
I think I've read all of his other books.
01:23:34.000 --> 01:23:35.039
I have Home Before Dark.
01:23:35.119 --> 01:23:36.000
I haven't read it yet.
01:23:36.720 --> 01:23:37.840
That's one of my all-time favorites.
01:23:37.920 --> 01:23:39.760
It's definitely one of my top three Riley Sagers.
01:23:39.920 --> 01:23:40.319
It's so good.
01:23:40.399 --> 01:23:43.119
That one and then um The Last Time I Lied.
01:23:43.199 --> 01:23:43.600
Ooh, okay.
01:23:44.159 --> 01:23:45.760
Those are probably my top two, actually.
01:23:46.399 --> 01:23:46.720
Sweet.
01:23:46.800 --> 01:23:51.439
They were there were several on sale for Prime Day, so I I was like, well, why not?
01:23:51.680 --> 01:23:53.439
And then I was pleasantly surprised.
01:23:54.319 --> 01:23:55.600
So and then I I saw his name.
01:23:55.680 --> 01:23:59.520
I was like, I think Ash has mentioned this person, but I'm not totally sure.
01:23:59.680 --> 01:24:04.640
Like sometimes I'm just I think I'm getting confused with the fact that your son is named Riley.
01:24:05.039 --> 01:24:07.600
So I was like, no, maybe I'm not sure.
01:24:08.000 --> 01:24:10.640
Riley hasn't written anything too young.
01:24:11.359 --> 01:24:15.760
Um but yeah, so Final Girls was very good, and I I really liked it.
01:24:15.920 --> 01:24:17.039
So good.
01:24:17.680 --> 01:24:25.520
Ah, but I'm so glad that you're into thrillers now, somewhat because I feel like I'm largely the only one in my little circle down here that likes thrillers.
01:24:25.600 --> 01:24:28.239
Everyone else is into fantasy, which I also love.
01:24:28.399 --> 01:24:32.399
But I think part of the reason that I've become so much more into thrillers than fantasy.
01:24:34.000 --> 01:24:36.239
She's hungry, or you're hungry.
01:24:36.560 --> 01:24:40.960
Oh my god, my husband just walked up and he's looking at me pitifully and he's going, Eat.
01:24:41.199 --> 01:24:41.920
I'm hungry.
01:24:42.159 --> 01:24:43.359
Just wait till eight.
01:24:44.319 --> 01:24:45.039
Well, it's eight here.
01:24:45.119 --> 01:24:45.760
I don't know what time it is.
01:24:45.920 --> 01:24:47.119
I already made dinner.
01:24:47.359 --> 01:24:48.720
We've already eaten.
01:24:49.279 --> 01:24:50.319
Oh my god.
01:24:52.159 --> 01:24:53.039
I'm lucky.
01:24:54.000 --> 01:24:54.960
Make a sandwich.
01:24:55.439 --> 01:24:57.199
Yeah, hey, make a sandwich.
01:24:57.520 --> 01:24:58.880
You can make a fluffernutter.
01:24:58.960 --> 01:25:00.399
I made a fluffernutter earlier.
01:25:01.279 --> 01:25:01.600
No?
01:25:02.079 --> 01:25:03.520
Okay, I don't know how to help you.
01:25:03.840 --> 01:25:05.199
I already made dinner.
01:25:06.399 --> 01:25:07.840
This has already been done.
01:25:08.399 --> 01:25:10.399
We've already established this.
01:25:10.479 --> 01:25:12.159
You got the big bowl, remember?
01:25:13.760 --> 01:25:16.640
Anyways, um, I'm glad that you're into thrillers.
01:25:17.039 --> 01:25:19.439
And I think that I mostly am into thrillers at the moment.
01:25:19.600 --> 01:25:25.199
I mean, because I I do just absolutely love thrillers and I'm working on there's two thrillers I'm writing right now, actually.
01:25:25.600 --> 01:25:44.399
Um but when you have to listen to audiobooks because you don't have time to sit down, because if I first of all, I don't have the time to sit down, but even when I do sit down, well, even though I shouldn't sit down, Riley is like, what a great time to tackle mommy and to talk to mommy and mommy, watch this, mommy, watch this, mommy, watch this, mommy, watch this, mommy, watch this.
01:25:44.640 --> 01:25:49.600
And if I put in my headphones, then all I have to hear is mommy, watch Oh my gosh.
01:25:50.640 --> 01:25:52.319
And it's a lot more bearable.
01:25:52.560 --> 01:25:52.880
All right.
01:25:53.119 --> 01:25:56.560
So listening to a lot of audiobooks.
01:25:56.720 --> 01:26:01.119
And as we've established, I don't listen to fantasy audiobooks very much because I I miss too much.
01:26:01.199 --> 01:26:01.439
Yeah.
01:26:01.680 --> 01:26:05.840
But um, I'm so psyched because now I'm gonna send all of my thriller recommendations away.
01:26:06.319 --> 01:26:14.479
A dude came into the bookshop yesterday and was like, um, so I work night shifts and I'm looking for some new books to read, and I was wondering, like, do you have any like recommendations?
01:26:14.640 --> 01:26:17.680
And I absolutely love when someone comes in and asks for recommendations.
01:26:17.760 --> 01:26:19.039
I'm like, oh boy, do I.
01:26:19.359 --> 01:26:20.079
Tell me more.
01:26:20.239 --> 01:26:21.119
I have so many.
01:26:21.680 --> 01:26:22.159
Exactly.
01:26:22.239 --> 01:26:23.840
And I was like, so what do you like to read?
01:26:24.079 --> 01:26:25.439
And he was like, uh, thrillers.
01:26:25.520 --> 01:26:26.960
And I was like, that's all I need to do.
01:26:27.039 --> 01:26:27.439
I got you.
01:26:28.159 --> 01:26:31.680
And so then I was like, this book and this book and this book and this book and this book.
01:26:35.680 --> 01:26:39.119
Sorry, he just showed me the Whataburger thing on his phone.
01:26:39.520 --> 01:26:41.279
And then I was like, that sounds good.
01:26:41.359 --> 01:26:44.159
And he goes, if you're not watching the video, you're gonna miss this.
01:26:44.319 --> 01:26:44.960
So he went.
01:26:46.880 --> 01:26:49.279
And he's like not gonna get me any basically.
01:26:49.600 --> 01:26:50.079
Wow.
01:26:50.640 --> 01:26:51.439
You already had dinner.
01:26:51.760 --> 01:26:52.800
You already had dinner.
01:26:53.039 --> 01:26:53.520
No, it wasn't.
01:26:54.399 --> 01:26:55.760
It was fake noodles.
01:26:56.399 --> 01:26:57.199
Fake noodles.
01:26:57.359 --> 01:26:58.880
I'm keeping another human alive.
01:26:59.680 --> 01:27:02.880
It was fake noodles, spam, and a boiled egg.
01:27:03.520 --> 01:27:05.119
It was ramen with ramen.
01:27:06.560 --> 01:27:07.199
Nice.
01:27:07.680 --> 01:27:08.000
Okay.
01:27:08.720 --> 01:27:11.600
Uh anything else that you want to say before I derail us again?
01:27:11.680 --> 01:27:12.079
Because I will.
01:27:12.319 --> 01:27:13.680
No, I think that was it for me.
01:27:14.399 --> 01:27:15.600
Derail away.
01:27:16.000 --> 01:27:17.039
Okay, solid.
01:27:17.600 --> 01:27:19.760
Um, follow us if you guys haven't.
01:27:19.840 --> 01:27:20.800
We're on Instagram.
01:27:20.960 --> 01:27:23.680
We haven't been on there in a hot minute, although I have posted some stuff.
01:27:24.000 --> 01:27:26.000
Also, follow that pretentious book club.
01:27:26.079 --> 01:27:30.159
If you guys haven't checked out our sister podcast, it is uh it's been somewhat busier.
01:27:30.560 --> 01:27:32.640
We've been posting somewhat regularly on there lately.
01:27:32.720 --> 01:27:37.600
It is a comedy book club podcast, so do expect absolutely nothing serious to happen there.
01:27:37.920 --> 01:27:40.000
Uh, that's we absolutely refuse to.
01:27:40.239 --> 01:27:44.720
And if you guys are in Texas or coming through Texas, stop by Hotto and come into the bookshop.
01:27:44.800 --> 01:27:49.359
And uh, if you tell me that you listen to the podcast and you can prove it, you can have a little discount.
01:27:49.439 --> 01:27:49.920
Why not?
01:27:50.319 --> 01:27:51.039
That would be fun.
01:27:51.199 --> 01:27:53.600
I'd love to know when people have listened and often they have not.
01:27:54.000 --> 01:27:56.239
You should give like a little keyword that they can give you.
01:27:56.560 --> 01:27:56.960
Oh yeah.
01:27:57.199 --> 01:27:57.600
What would it be?
01:27:57.760 --> 01:27:58.800
Yeah, like a secret, like a code.
01:27:59.119 --> 01:28:02.399
Oh, it could be the break the rule, uh, know the rules so you know when to break them.
01:28:02.880 --> 01:28:04.000
Ooh, that's a good yeah.
01:28:04.079 --> 01:28:09.359
If you use that phrase, just slip it into casual conversation with one of my with one of my employees at the cash register.
01:28:09.680 --> 01:28:10.720
Move your eyebrows a little bit.
01:28:11.119 --> 01:28:12.239
Yeah, move the eyebrows.
01:28:12.479 --> 01:28:15.279
I'll have to make sure to tell them so they're not like what?
01:28:16.159 --> 01:28:16.800
What?
01:28:17.199 --> 01:28:18.159
I'll let them know.
01:28:18.319 --> 01:28:22.800
But yeah, if you guys want to drop that uh drop that phrase when you come into the register.
01:28:23.039 --> 01:28:23.520
There you go.
01:28:23.840 --> 01:28:26.399
A little how how does a 10% discount sound?
01:28:26.800 --> 01:28:27.199
Perfect.
01:28:27.439 --> 01:28:27.760
10%?
01:28:28.319 --> 01:28:28.960
Wow.
01:28:29.359 --> 01:28:30.239
Take that, Amazon.
01:28:30.640 --> 01:28:32.079
Buy 10% more books.
01:28:32.399 --> 01:28:33.359
Yeah, you can.
01:28:33.520 --> 01:28:40.000
Actually, we did just start doing happy hour, which is fun because it's not just we do have a cafe with beer, wine, coffee, tea.
01:28:40.239 --> 01:28:45.279
And it we do have deals on that for happy hour, but it we also have like a buy a new book and get half off a used book.
01:28:45.520 --> 01:28:45.760
Love that.
01:28:46.079 --> 01:28:47.520
For happy hour, which I think is really fun.
01:28:47.840 --> 01:28:48.079
Cool.
01:28:48.239 --> 01:28:49.520
So yeah.
01:28:49.760 --> 01:28:52.720
Anyways, not to continually just plug all of all of the stuff.
01:28:52.800 --> 01:28:54.960
But uh hopefully we'll see you guys at a writing retreat.
01:28:55.119 --> 01:28:56.239
Follow us on the socials.
01:28:56.399 --> 01:29:00.720
You can follow uh at Story Siren Studio as well and get updates about the retreats.
01:29:00.880 --> 01:29:05.840
And um yeah, we'll be back to talk about audiobook stuff.
01:29:06.079 --> 01:29:07.039
I think so, yeah.
01:29:07.520 --> 01:29:08.159
Awesome.
01:29:08.800 --> 01:29:09.680
All right, solid.
01:29:09.920 --> 01:29:10.479
We're back.
01:29:10.640 --> 01:29:13.600
We think we're not gonna make any promises, but that's the goal.
01:29:13.920 --> 01:29:14.960
Yeah, that's the goal.
01:29:15.119 --> 01:29:18.560
I know we're not promising a schedule, but we'll be here probably more.
01:29:18.800 --> 01:29:19.199
Peace.
01:29:19.359 --> 01:29:23.039
Um, so until next week, keep writing.
01:29:23.279 --> 01:29:25.520
And we'll see you on the next page.