Writes
Day 2 of #1000wordsofsummer I woke up at 4:30 AM today, not because I’m disciplined or inspired, but because my body decided to betray me again. Hopefully you don’t understand the full-body aches and restlessness. That strange floaty feeling where your brain’s buzzing like a neon sign in a gas station bathroom. I tried to go back to sleep. My… Continue reading 4:30 AM, A Knee That Hates Me, and Chapter 2
Today = 1,760-ish Words I’m not sure this is sane, but here we are. Two cups of coffee deep and no editing in sight, I’m throwing my first paragraph to the wolves, or, you know, the Internet. If you’ve got one too, share it. We can discuss, commiserate, or just high-five across the void for getting words down. Sometimes that’s… Continue reading First Paragraphs, Coffee, and the Triumph of Word Count
Nervous Energy and Gotham Shadows I haven’t written a single word yet. The cursor blinks like it’s trying to start a staring contest, and I’m just… sitting. My mind nervously orbiting my workspace with a podcast in my ears. Free With Ads, today’s episode is on Batman Returns, which is streaming free on YouTube, I think, if you’re cool with… Continue reading Day 1 of #1000WordsofSummer
A progress report and #1000WordsofSummer Ever stare at an outline so long it starts to look like a crime scene? Yeah. That’s been me. For weeks. I’ve been elbow deep in the skeleton of The Collective, my Southern Gothic-murder-mystery-romance-thing, rearranging bones and whispering, “Does this femur go here?” I’ve plotted. Replotted. Lit it all on fire. Salvaged it. Then considered… Continue reading Messy Outline, But the Magic’s Coming
Progress, updates, and a little bit of magic in the margins. I’m still here, still writing. If you’ve been wondering what’s going on behind the curtain… I was seduced by a book I’ve playfully titled: The Collective I’ve been deep in the guts of what I hope will be the first in a series of novels. Think, if the Owens… Continue reading Words, Witchcraft, and a Hell of a Brainstorm
Gold Star Day I’ve been deep in the zone this week. The kind of hyper focus that shows up like a storm, sudden, consuming, and strangely beautiful. It’s one of the many gifts and curses of living on the spectrum of mental health issues, but that’s a conversation for another day. Today, I want to talk about PROGRESS. I’ve finished… Continue reading Three Chapters, One Star at a Time
Drawing, Whining, and the Cat’s Royal Demands Yesterday I wrestled the book outline into something resembling a one. Characters are moving, motives are murky, and someone isn’t making it past Act II. Sorry, Derek. You had it coming, my little sacrificial lamb. When my brain fizzled out, I channeled the chaos into a drawing instead of spiraling. Here’s the result.… Continue reading Update from an Uncomfortable Chair
Book progress and a naming deep dive Today was one of those slow burn writing days that sneaks up on you. No dramatic montage of typing at lightning speed. No thunderclap moment of divine inspiration. Just me, my notes, just enough coffee, and the click, click, click of puzzle pieces falling into place. After months of letting this story haunt… Continue reading Stitching the Spine and Naming the Characters
Spells, Stories, and Sass Q: For folks who don’t know you yet, who is Harlo? A: Depends on the day. Most of the time, I’m a writer wrangling vampires, witches, and demons onto the page with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cat in the other. Other days, I’m just trying to keep my houseplants alive and… Continue reading Interview with Harlo
Half writer, half gremlin, fully committed to the bit Welcome to my strange little corner of Substack. I’m Harlo, a queer and feral writer who is very into witches, vampires, demons, and the kinds of stories that bite back, but in a good way. This space will be a mix of things: part fantasy fiction, part personal reflection, part “what… Continue reading So, Here’s the Deal