Recap | Stories 1-10
Because we all need a moment to catch up...
Friends + fellow readers! Let’s celebrate: we made it to ten Plot Twists!
It’s no great surprise, but writing and releasing these stories has taken more time and energy than expected. Still, I’m loving the practice.
Similarly, I’ve heard from many of you that you’re enjoying the stories and haven’t read all of them yet, saving the emails for later. Which I love to hear!
I figured we could all use a moment to catch up. Whether you’ve been here since Story One or you’re a recent subscriber, this week’s recap of all ten stories below will help you find your next read.
🙏🏻 A quick ask before the recap: would you please consider inviting your friends to check out or subscribe to Plot Twists?
I would love these gems of stories to reach more readers, and it would mean so much to me if you would recommend Plot Twists to others. To share, you can forward this email, click the share button below, text friends the website, or heck, just subscribe their email and collect their thank-yous later.
🩵 Thank you for being here. I so appreciate you reading and sharing! 🩵
A Plot Twists Recap, Stories 1-10
Stories Inspired By Songs
Plot Twists kicked off with one of my favorite inspiration techniques: spinning a more complete world around the lyrics of a particularly intriguing song. I picked some admittedly random tracks from Ingrid Michaelson, Dido, The Lone Bellow and The Airborne Toxic Event, but I’m so proud of how these turned out!
A Screenplay…
Bet you didn’t think I’d be sending out a screenplay for a short film! Much less one about a covert CIA operative who deals with anxiety by exuberantly singing Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It.” This one is FUN. I want to make this movie!
A Novel Chapter…
I’ve completed two novels, started three more, and even fully drafted a non-fiction book proposal. Though it’s safe to say books are coming, it’s going to be years before anything is published. I’m impatient, so I gave you a peek into my first novel.
As Though Rising Above won’t see the light of day, but this chapter introduces you to the fantastical being that is Harper, an all-time favorite character.
…and A Series of Emails
This series of six emails is a fascinating snapshot of my brain at 25, recounting my internship at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. The voice and happenings are both wild.
I learned a minor lesson here: when splitting a story into two emails, it can still count as one story. Duh.
New Originals
The primary purpose in starting Plot Twists was to use shorts to dust off my creative habit and writing skills before diving back into penning novels. Thrilling news: it’s working!
This pair of stories was inspired by the sights from my trip to France and some choice characters I passed on the streets of Richmond’s Fan District.
💌 Did you have a favorite from these first 10 stories? Even if you haven’t read all, share your favorite title in the comments!
Check out the books in my cart right now for friends and family! All are sourced from Bookshop.org, which supports local, independent booksellers.
What’s Next
The holidays are coming! And so is the arrival my daughter! Here’s how I intend to navigate this. Note: all plans are subject to change, but I do think this is reasonable. 😬
You won’t receive stories on Thanksgiving 🦃 (Nov 28) or the day after Christmas 🎄 (Dec 26), so we can all enjoy the holidays. No one wants emails on these days anyways.
Outside of these holiday breaks, we’re back to new story releases on Thursdays, starting next week.
After we hit Story Twenty in February, I intend to shift our cadence so each week will alternate a new story with other content, yet to be revealed. This will give me time to adjust to motherhood and to work on my novels, while still delivering you the goods!
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If you’ve read this far, you’re amazingly loyal. This email was complex and a little technical at the end. I appreciate you!
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Thank you for helping me get these stories in front of new readers!
This recap was so helpful! Guiding me in remembering which ones I had left to get back to. Also shared with a few friends so they can get in on the fun :)