🥀 i’m scrapping my first chapter, ugh // project CRYPTS writing vlog

[@The_WriterVerse]

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride has that lush voice, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It’s contemporary, but the language used gives it a fantastical feel. The whole time you’re questioning the speculative elements. Plus, it’s a shorter book.

[@lynndjung]

I've been reading this over the past few days and enjoying it so far! Ty for the rec

[@jaswriting]

Felt this to my bones!! I felt bad scrapping an entire scene esp when I wrote 3k+ words but we gotta do what we gotta do sometimes 🥹

[@lynndjung]

It is sooo frustrating, but you're exactly right-it's gotta be done!

[@kayri687]

yes! i lOVE the kardashian-jenner analysis videos. Not into the family show or the family really at all, but there's something uncanny about the family that makes learning about them feel like watching a train wreck that you can't look away from.

[@lynndjung]

YES you get it!! like i'm fascinated by them, but in a scientific way not a fan way

[@atlantistalamantes9262]

I would definitely recommend the Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel, as it explores Tudor politics and scheming and how politics starts in conversations and looms into horrifying consequences. It also has a strong mythological overlay and the descriptions and metaphors in the books are gorgeous. It’s definitely helped my writing in terms of politics and prose. I started with Bring Up the Bodies the second book about the machinations around the fall of Anne Boleyn and am now reading the first, which has been a bit harder to get through but is still worth reading. I would also definitely recommend the fantasy book Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K Le Guin, as this book is huge on gothic religious cults but also explores the political power plays between religious figures. It’s a sequel but IMO you can read it as a standalone. Ooh I’d also recommend the film La Reine Margot about the Valois court and the massacre of the Protestants at Princess Marguerite’s wedding, and is very politics and romance heavy with a veryyy gothic anachronistic aesthetic

[@lynndjung]

Thank you for the amazingly thorough recommendations, this is exactly what i've been looking for! i'll be working my way through this list soon

[@excusemeyourock]

omg that cherry cardigan is SO CUTE even tho I have like three other unfinished projects, I still want to try to crochet one LOL also I definitely write on my phone at night hehe usually when I'm feeling stuck and need a new medium 😊 Good luck with Projects Crypts and grad school! Grad school can definitely be kind of intense even when it's going well 😅

[@lynndjung]

YESS you should!! I just used a generic cardigan base and then made the cherries and attached them. I might do a 'sequel' with strawberries once I end my yarn buying ban lol tysm!! yep grad school is a high volume of work, i'm enjoying it so far though

[@beccatobar]

loveddd the video! i feel you on that frustration of having to scrap the first chapter so many times. i'm at the point now with my project where i'm constantly second guessing if i'm starting in the right spot. and i'm so glad you're taking care of yourself between school and all your other priorities. see you in the next livestream! 🤍

[@lynndjung]

thank you becca!! it can be so hard to figure out where to start sometimes, but i have faith that everything will fall into place eventually

[@cookiejar.mp3]

I already know the first chapter in my current wip is a hot mess but I am a "don't edit until you finish a first draft" girly but I'm starting to regret it with how much I want to change which stems from that scene 😭 oh well

[@chiooh]

I would love love love a video about your querying process when/if you’re comfortable. Especially how you went about finding/choosing literary agents.

[@kokoro_flow]

It's nice to hear that you're working on your writing project, Lynn. 무리하지마세요! (Hope you understand; it doesn't have the same tone in English.) As for keycaps, you might've heard these recommendations already... I've heard that PBT is better quality than ABS (plastics). Some people love the thocky sound of ceramic keycaps. I definitely agree from personal experience that glossy / circular keycaps are not as comfortable to type on than matte square keycaps (with a bit of texture if that's available among your options), especially with all the typing we writers do. The profile of the keys can make a difference in your typing experience, as well. (It's the angles, which can vary among the various sets.) You could keep that in mind if you plan to change the keycaps with more than one set. 😉 Plus, you're a grad student now! (I'm guessing you'll write a thesis?) Additionally, you could look into lubing / modding the stabilizers, which are usually used with a few of the keys (between the keycap & switch). It depends on the feel & sound that you want to have. Also, if you want to use a unique keycap for a couple of keys, that could be practical. That became very practical for me, as I kept hitting the wrong keys on accident. (I got "Esc" and "1" confused; and "g" and "Enter" confused with my columnar keys on my split keyboard. (I chose their placements, btw.) My custom photo keycaps are a little taller & have a smooth texture (but are square-shaped) so I don't get them confused anymore! (The photos I went with are of my dogs. Both of them crossed the rainbow bridge into Heaven so being able to see them on my keeb brings me some comfort.) 🐶 You might consider these suggestions or find different advice that is better suited for you & your needs. So you can take these with a grain of salt. :) If you're not in a rush, keycaps, keyboards, etc. will likely be on sale - possibly a pretty good sale - during Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales, depending on the days individual stores decide to have its sale.(I'm happy with my mechanical keeb, but even with it having silver switches, it's not quiet enough when others are sleeping so I plan to get a quiet keyboard with scissor switches. (It's like a laptop keyboard.) Anyway, best of luck to you! 💖

[@kokoro_flow]

P.S. Cute cat!! 🐈‍⬛💕

[@ness.ness.]

love your writing vlogs sm!! during the semester at uni i also find that its wayyy easier to write on my phone in bed-it feels less high stakes, i think!

[@kelleyiswriting]

Yay to both of us drafting lots of words in July!! I also found it really interesting how we both go back to reading when we're feeling stuck ish. Love this vlog as always

[@lynndjung]

yess we're going to crush it this month!! i miss reading for leisure every day-I hope I can get back to that point soon! ty for watching

[@LarissaDeog]

i also go through this back and forth when starting my new stories. It can be frustrating, but usually turn out to be fun! The ideas flowing around...

[@lydiabell7304]

Lynn this book already sounds so fun! Love a dysfunctional and insane family dynamic 😂

[@lynndjung]

haha thank you so much! i love dysfunctional characters in general loll

[@lydiabell7304]

@@lynndjung yess same!!

[@MossOnALog]

This is so relatable. I've been writing and scrapping my first chapter for a month now and idk how to stop

[@AriBPK]

it's so hard to balance drafting and graduate school! but so excited to see everything that's to come for project crypts ❤ I write on my phone late at night all the time -- I love doing it too! and excited for the next live stream

[@lynndjung]

it really is, i'm glad i have a shorter program tbh because i miss having a better balance lol. ty for watching and i can't wait to see you at the next stream!

[@Lara_Ameen]

Project Crypts is so intriguing! I hope you finish your first draft by your birthday! That would be so cool. I hope we get to hear more about it as you keep going! And I’d love to know about your querying process for MOTHS!

[@tiongenakazwe]

That cherry sweater is so cute omg!

[@lynndjung]

thank you!!

[@bychama4236]

Omg I love your channel!! ❤❤

[@lynndjung]

thank you!

[@cassythetree]

The Dangerous Kingdom of Love by Neil Blackmore, i wouldn't call it dark but it definitely has beautiful prose and political intrigue. Oh and it's set in the 1500s/1600s England

[@lynndjung]

Ooh, adding this to my list!

[@Exayevie]

I'm currently in draft two of my wip, and it's by far the most I've ever learned about writing in any project. One of the most freeing realizations was when I finally accepted that false starts are just a part of my process. I scrapped the start of my zero draft twice before I finally struck on an understanding of the story that carried me through to the end. Then I did the same thing when I started the first full draft, and most hilariously of all, every single chapter has started with about 400-500 words of babble that I end up scrapping before I restart the chapter "for real" with something that works. I have come to accept that this is no different than doing practice sketches before you go into the full-blown oil painting. Anybody who says I should never delete while drafting can bite me.

[@lynndjung]

The metaphor of practice sketches is so apt!! It's so rare to get it 'right' on the first try; writing (at least for me) requires so much tinkering and experimentation. Love that I'm not the only one!

[@moving2saturn]

thank God for this motivation inspiration!! i love the concept of this novel 💕

[@lynndjung]

thank you so much!

[@mhjmakes3631]

I can relate all too well to falling really in love with the lore/concept of your story and taking too long to get to the plot. Haha I remember a few years back when I wrote a sort of "pilot" chapter for my current project (it started out as a class assignment), it was read out loud in class, and I don't know if you've ever felt an entire class just tune out from your work, but it was quite the experience. Haha (Once I got the inciting incident, everyone tuned back in, but those first few pages were rough.) Also, I found your comparison between the Kardashian/Jenners and modern nobility to be very interesting. And I agree. It's also peaked my interest in your story even more, because now I'm like "What would a gothic Kardashian/Jenner family be like? 🤔" (On an extra side note, I've noticed that there's been this increasing trend with people of instead of watching/reading whatever, they watch a recap/analysis of said thing and use that as a substitute for the actual thing. I'm guilty of this, too. I just did that with the Saw series, and I'm wondering what's caused this trend.)

[@the_enchanted_glader]

hii Lyn i love ur content sm 🥰 strangely find myself writing scenes of my novel on my phone at like 10:30pm more than i use my laptop for writing my current note for my project ‘i fell in love with your ghost’ is ridiculously long 😭

[@lynndjung]

haha i'm glad i'm not the only one!! i love that title

[@the_enchanted_glader]

@@lynndjung aaah tyy :)

[@dobermanredd3570]

Julia Armfield’s writing is very lush and moody. She wrote Our Wives Under the Sea as well as Salt Slow which is a short story collection if you’re looking for something shorter. There’s Isabel Cañas’s books which have gothic elements. There’s also The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. I saw a comment mention The Last Tale of the Flower Bride and I 100% agree. It’s so beautifully written!

[@lynndjung]

I just finished Flower Bride! Adding the rest to my list

[@samantharose1001]

I definitely relate to writing in the notes app on my phone

[@lucycanread]

when you said its becoming less about the romance and more about the politics.... i started frothing at the mouth LOL - i love a romance but i find so much more enjoyment when the romance just happens to occur during a story full of substance otherwise!!

[@alesswonderland]

Osume has the cutest keycaps! I mixed their dusk set and the ghost novelty caps and I adore it! There's sone other sets from them. I've had my eye on lately.

[@lynndjung]

ooh thank you so much for the recommendation, i'll be checking Osume out for sure

[@rookbirdblues]

I write in bed ALLL THE TIME but I have a freewrite traveller, I also take it out to cafes with me. Love the video!!! excited for your new project ❤❤

[@lynndjung]

I'm glad I'm not alone!! And I'm so intrigued by the freewrite traveller... ty for watching!

[@rookbirdblues]

​@@lynndjungI love it a lot, its only useful for first drafts but I finished my draft for my first novel ever on it a couple of weeks ago!!! It was my Christmas gift to myself and it was so worth it

[@Reputaytaytion13]

Un writing related but I can’t be the only one who wanted to pet the cats when they showed up in the vid 😸🐱🩵

[@Oliviaeile]

The Familiar by Leigh Bargudo I haven’t read it yet but it sounds similar to what you want

[@lynndjung]

I've had this on hold at the library for a while! I can't wait to read it :)

[@KrisMF]

i ran to this vlog omg !! i cant wait for you to ramp up on crypts 🥹 rewriting chapter 1 of a first draft is so relatable 😭

[@lynndjung]

[@mirimariana]

Quick question. Why do you use a mechanical keyboard instead of the laptop keyboard sometimes? Does it feel better? Or is it like a ergonomic reason?

[@lynndjung]

So I use the mechanical keyboard mostly at home/my desk. Tbh I just like the way it feels and sounds, and since I have sort of a tiered set up where I put my laptop on a higher tier of my desk and the mechanical keyboard lower, it does feel a bit better and gives me some distance from the screen!

[@claryyy]

6:17 that’s such a cute cardigan!! do you have a pattern for it?

[@lynndjung]

Thank you so much! I used Chenda DIY's knit-look cardigan crochet pattern and then made small amigurumi cherries and sewed them on. It was a pretty simple process!

[@DJFortuno]

Aside from writing down general ideas, I write on the phone when I’m at work or on the train to make sure I don’t forget a particular turn of phrase. It’s too awkward to write or edit more than a few sentences on my phone.

[@lynndjung]

I agree - I usually end up writing little fragments, so it's weird that I've been straight up drafting this project!

[@glitchscribble44]

❤

[@fatimaf5433]

Ohh birthday neighbor! My birthday is on oct 9th.😂

[@lynndjung]

neghbors!!

[@Prod.sukaaa]

I’m waiting a book called The Ability To Think and I’m stuck with your Sam problem

[@BlackXSunlight]

Lynnnnn, do you make the gothic sketchy/chalk art in all your videos?

[@lynndjung]

They're from canva!

[@BlackXSunlight]

@@lynndjung Oh nice, I was about to hype you up like “ok polymath girlypop!!” 😂

[@AM-is1jh]

read carpenters gothic by william gaddis

[@AdamFishkin]

You and I are on the same page when it comes to themes. Why did you go back to school again? It isn't strictly necessary for you tell me, so much as asking yourself, Lynn. Because the stress it's already causing you concerns me. The academic world just comes across as more and more of a black hole sucking time, money and energy into its void. In bed with my laptop used to happen a lot, but only to get the maximum amount of peace and quiet in an apt. building full of AGGRESSIVE noise. Sorry to hear about your false start, which will likely turn into a couple false starts. The 1st chapter isn't the hardest per se, but it is the part that (rule of thumb) demands the most rewrites.

[@alimarpelolargo]

Hola guapa, que cambiarias en la vida

[@billyalarie929]

I don’t know what to suggest but the keys are VERY loud, which is disorienting to my brain. But I’m just one person so I may be the only one, so don’t put too much into that.

[@chiooh]

I would love love love a video about your querying process when/if you’re comfortable. Especially how you went about finding/choosing literary agents.

[@lynndjung]

I've been prepping a video like this for a little while, please keep an eye out!